Trigger Warnings on GA. What do yo think?

[Reader1810]

Triggers are anything that remind someone of previous trauma. To be triggered is to have an intense emotional or physical reaction, such as a panic attack, after encountering a trigger.

[Thorn Wilde]

1 hour ago, Carlos Hazday said:

Nobody complained when I had a character in a three way with two other guys and a couple of chapters later had him eat a girl out and then go at it with her. Well, my editor did say "Yuck" or something like that.

I'll never understand the 'yuck' reaction, tbh... It's strange to me. I don't like raw bell pepper, but I don't say 'yuck' when I see other people eating it.

[Thorn Wilde]

1 hour ago, Reader1810 said:

Triggers are anything that remind someone of previous trauma. To be triggered is to have an intense emotional or physical reaction, such as a panic attack, after encountering a trigger.

This is a very important point. It's also worth noting that, technically, the word trigger warning isn't used anywhere on this site in an official capacity (as far as I'm aware, anyway). The submission guidelines say stories must 'include written warnings in the story note and each chapter note that contains questionable content  so readers sensitive to these subjects will not be unaware of the story's themes.' Trigger isn't mentioned. That's a matter of interpretation. I always call mine content warnings rather than trigger warnings.

[Reader1810]

9 minutes ago, Thorn Wilde said:

This is a very important point. It's also worth noting that, technically, the word trigger warning isn't used anywhere on this site in an official capacity (as far as I'm aware, anyway). The submission guidelines say stories must 'include written warnings in the story note and each chapter note that contains questionable content  so readers sensitive to these subjects will not be unaware of the story's themes.' Trigger isn't mentioned. That's a matter of interpretation. I always call mine content warnings rather than trigger warnings.

It’s more the definition than the actual term that is important here.

I’ve seen these type of warnings on chapters I’ve reading as a way of letting the reader know something they don’t want to read - for whatever reason really - is happening in that particular chapter.  A tag just tells you it’s in the story, but not where it is, so a warning at the beginning of the pertinent chapter is very helpful. 

A warning at the start of a chapter that something is going to happen - eg. an assault, rape etc.- allows a reader who might be triggered by reading that type scene to skip that passage, but be able to read the rest of the story.  

[Thorn Wilde]

1 hour ago, Reader1810 said:

It’s more the definition than the actual term that is important here.

I’ve seen these type of warnings on chapters I’ve reading as a way of letting the reader know something they don’t want to read - for whatever reason really - is happening in that particular chapter.  A tag just tells you it’s in the story, but not where it is, so a warning at the beginning of the pertinent chapter is very helpful. 

A warning at the start of a chapter that something is going to happen - eg. an assault, rape etc.- allows a reader who might be triggered by reading that type scene to skip that passage, but be able to read the rest of the story.  

Exactly. 

My comment was more related to the fact that the thing that appears to bother people a lot of the time is the term 'trigger warning' itself, partly because they have a mistaken understanding of what a trigger is, which you explained very well (and which was why I quoted you). The term seems to cause offence more than the concept of placing warnings on content, which is something that has been done on TV, for instance, for years without any significant number of people getting up in arms about it. The term 'trigger warning' seems to carry baggage, which is why a lot of people no longer use it, opting for 'content warning' instead. Given how misused the word 'trigger' has been in the past few years (no doubt related to the misuse of terms related to mental illness as insults or jokes, but that's a bigger discussion), I suppose it's not surprising that people want to distance themselves from it, so as not to provoke offence. 

Edited May 8, 2020 by Thorn Wilde

[Carlos Hazday]

1 hour ago, Thorn Wilde said:

I'll never understand the 'yuck' reaction, tbh... It's strange to me. I don't like raw bell pepper, but I don't say 'yuck' when I see other people eating it.

Different folks, different approaches. I've heard more than one lesbian say it about penises. I often say it about stories before I stop reading.

[Guest]

I think that including Content Warnings (where appropriate) is a matter of politeness and good behavior. But some people think that their own comfort should override anyone else’s comfort. Just like some people insist on wearing colognes or perfumes in places where they have been warned that people with chemical sensitivities will be.

[Carlos Hazday]

7 hours ago, droughtquake said:

I think that including Content Warnings (where appropriate) is a matter of politeness and good behavior. But some people think that their own comfort should override anyone else’s comfort. Just like some people insist on wearing colognes or perfumes in places where they have been warned that people with chemical sensitivities will be.

What type of content requires these warnings? While some may want them on a certain subject, others could feel differently. At which point do we cross over into the ridiculous? Some might object every time a character calls another one asshole. Or they might object to someone masturbating? Should I add a warning whenever one of my characters calls someone else 'N-word', or fag? Those words are offensive and could be traumatic to some. When is enough enough?

Edited May 9, 2020 by Carlos Hazday
Because Google lost its cool when I used the actual word I hve now substituted N-word for. How fricking appropriate.

[CassieQ]

31 minutes ago, Carlos Hazday said:

What type of content requires these warnings? While some may want them on a certain subject, others could feel differently. At which point do we cross over into the ridiculous? Some might object every time a character calls another one asshole. Or they might object to someone masturbating? Should I add a warning whenever one of my characters calls someone else 'N-word', or fag? Those words are offensive and could be traumatic to some. When is enough enough?

I recall reading somewhere (not here) about how people were taking "trigger warnings" too far.  The example was a writer who put a trigger warning for some time of animal up on their story.  I think it might have been monkeys.  

[Guest]

Making light of someone else’s trauma is rude.

[Carlos Hazday]

4 minutes ago, droughtquake said:

Making light of someone else’s trauma is rude.

Nice sentiment. But It doesn't answer the question of when is enough enough.

[Mikiesboy]

3 minutes ago, Carlos Hazday said:

Nice sentiment. But It doesn't answer the question of when is enough enough.

There is no need to go overboard. Stick to the basics, like they do for films. This story contains offensive language, nudity, scenes of rape, violence, suicide.

[Carlos Hazday]

2 minutes ago, Mikiesboy said:

There is no need to go overboard. Stick to the basics, like they do for films. This story contains offensive language, nudity, scenes of rape, violence, suicide.

I need a blanket warning for everything I've ever written!!!

 

[Mikiesboy]

Just now, Carlos Hazday said:

I need a blanket warning for everything I've ever written!!!

 

Well, you could write: This book contains; nudity, sex (of all types), violence, rape, suicide and blankets.   That works.

[Myr]

1 minute ago, Mikiesboy said:

Well, you could write: This book contains; nudity, sex (of all types), violence, rape, suicide and blankets.   That works.

@Carlos Hazday, I was ready to start reading more of your stuff until I found out about the blankets...

[Cia]

Content warnings are added to Story Notes so anyone who doesn't like that type of content knows up front what is in a story and can avoid the whole thing if necessary. Chapters with the actual content need notes because we often have direct links to chapters only and readers would not see the story note. 

Content warnings must be written for any of the story content that will possibly place you in moderation: rape, suicide, incest, and potentially drug use and violence depending on the overall graphic nature and context to storyline in the scene(s). The system is relatively fluid in regards to moderation, allows authors to give general warnings without spoiling the plot, and still allow readers who wish to be alerted to that content a heads up. It takes very little effort for authors, allows them more leeway to post within the rules, yet keeps my inbox from being filled with angry messages about how a story is bad/wrong/offensive by readers who were blindsided. 

And before you think that doesn't happen, I had a paranormal take a bite out of another one and freaked a reader out and needed to beef up my content warning, so yes, it can happen. 

[Brayon]

2 hours ago, Carlos Hazday said:

While some may want them on a certain subject, others could feel differently. At which point do we cross over into the ridiculous?

The link to the video I had is dead now, but it was on a discussion at a writer's convention on some trigger warnings "some" readers were demanding to be used. The list had over three-hundred entries, on items, sayings, animals, and situations, that people said were offensive. Some of which was pretty common items like glass bottles, lamp shades, and a situation of someone folding clothes while not saying anything.

[Graeme]

Used appropriate, trigger warnings have a minimal impact on the reader experience and can help those who are negatively impacted by some types of events. We can't (and shouldn't) cater for everything, but the list Cia gave above covers the main topics.

In my opinion, content warnings are slightly different to trigger warnings. I put trigger warnings in my stories for the rare situations where I feel I could trigger a PTSD reaction. I don't use content warnings except at the high level, because, to be honest, if someone doesn't like something, they can just stop reading. It's the ones who have an involuntary reaction to reading certain events that I worry about, not someone who is fussy about what they read. To cater for those, I use tags and the story description. That should be enough for them to decide if they want to start reading my story or not. 

Used in moderation, warnings can be helpful, but anything taken too far can be counterproductive. My favourite example is water. It's fine in small and even medium doses, but too much can kill -- it's called drowning. 

[GanymedeRex]

On 5/5/2020 at 10:31 PM, Dodger said:

They can useful when you're only looking for the really explicit scenes in a book. This way you can go straight to where the action is without having to read all the other boring chapters!

Not that I would ever do anything like that, but if I ever did that would probably be a good way of doing it.

Don't judge me. It's this quarantine crap, it's making me go all weird.

I appreciate the conversation on this topic and the variety of viewpoints which have been expressed.   I'm surprised and delighted by the above quote, which is my favorite response so far.  How unexpected and creative!

[BigBen]

In the classical Greek plays, the events that we might consider triggering today all take place off stage.  A character then comes on and describes the event, in a way that gives enough distance for the audience to be able to focus on the character's reaction to the event, rather than on the event directly.  So Oedipus blinds himself off-stage, we hear about it second-hand, and by the time we see Oedipus again, he's all bandaged up, thus robbing the act of self-mutilation of most of its immediacy.

So the question becomes, what is the author's reason for including such a scene in the work?  How is it handled, how graphic the description?  What response does the author wish to evoke from the reader?  Context is all.