Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click here to learn more or sign up.
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Optional Monthly Question: In your writing, where do you draw the line, with either topics or language?
I don’t like to think that there is any topic I’d be afraid to tackle but will admit that some subject matter simply doesn’t appeal to me. I also think it’s one thing to completely avoid certain material and another to find a different or more comfortable way to approach it than say “the norm”.
Rape is a topic I’ve written about without describing it. For some people, it’s important to describe things in vivid detail all the time, but sometimes you don’t have to and still manage to be compelling. There are other topics that I’m not likely to write about simply because I don’t want to, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t.
When it comes to sexual content, I think I’m a bit more open, though I’ve not gone too steamy at this point. Even when it comes to reading mature content, which I’m ok with, I draw the line when there’s more than one graphic sex scene within a chapter, sometimes even having one a chapter is just too much. Some descriptions are unnecessary and seem to only serve the purpose of being shocking. Still, even if I did write something truly steamy, I still don’t think it would be considered profane. Some writers excel at writing shocking content that can be disturbing, visceral, or hyperrealistic. That’s not me and I’m okay with that. I like the idea of entertaining readers, not shocking them.
When it comes to language, I’m okay with profanity if it serves a purpose and seems real. Again, I admit that I’m more likely to read books with profanity than I am to write it (though too much is a turn off), still, I have put a few mature words in my stories when I felt it played well with either a character or the overall plot. I don’t think anything I write will ever be considered profane, but that’s just me. I have no problem with other writers writing what works for them.
On a side note, I recently listened to a podcast that stated there’s research that content warnings aren’t effective. They don’t help readers cope with the content, but can deter some readers, which in my opinion is a good thing. If someone doesn’t want to read certain content and they know upfront, that means that book is less likely to get a negative review because the reader was unnecessarily shocked or disturbed. Also, I feel like they could help other readers find the content they are looking for. Maybe someone wants to read something a little more intense than the norm. I’m all for content warnings. What do you think?
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IWSG BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS
Member Spotlights
#iwsgbookclub
The books we’ve chosen to spotlight in the month of October are Already Home by Heather M. Gardner and Dragon of the Stars by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Please check these out and consider giving one or both of these a read this month. If you’re not up for reading them, no worries, you can still help spread some love for these publications and or participate in the book club activities.
My co-mods and I have done a lot of research into the books written by IWSG members to help facilitate the current direction the book club is taking. In the process, I’ve learned about how readers find and don’t find books by our members. So, I’ve put together some, hopefully, helpful tips I like to call…
Ways to Make Your Book(s) “Findable”
…and increase their chances to be featured and discovered.
2) Make sure you have a complete and up-to-date Amazon Author page unless you are opting not to sell on that site. You can also look into setting up profiles on other retail sites that allow that. I must admit, I’ve been meaning to get set up on Google Play and still haven’t done that yet. If a reader can’t find you on Goodreads, the next place they are likely to search will either be Amazon.com or Google.
P.S. It has come to the attention of the admins that there is a discrepancy between the members we are currently pooling from and the actual numbers of members to pool from. We are currently working on a registry system to fix this. Thank you all for your patience as we strive to give all IWSG members a chance to be featured.
Now, on to the personal updates.
I attended my first live event in over a year. It was simply a vendor table at an outdoor fair-type event. It was more fun than I’d expected but just as stressful as I’d imagined. I had a few moments where I felt dizzy from the rush, the commotion, and the heat. I was happy to have my husband there as a support.
After a year of forgetting what a profit feels like, it was nice to have a hefty wad to either blow on something extravagant or reinvest into my business. If only I could muster the nerve to do more of these events.
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So, where do you draw the line?
What are your thoughts on content warmings?
It may take some time, but I promise, I will eventually stop by your blog.
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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts:
Jemima Pett,
J Lenni Dorner ,
Cathrina Constantine,
Ronel Janse van Vuuren, and
Mary Aalgaard!
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Click here to visit other IWSG blogs and sites to receive and share more inspiration and support. (This month, I’m #33).
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords #blacklivesmatter
Nobody’s infallible.
I have a space station – and that was fun because I worked with folks on orbit so it’s a bit of an area of expertise (though I don’t know as much as those who lived it). I’ve got high fantasy realms (often with highly patriarchal societies), the Earth in 2058, in a galaxy far far away (had fun with space battles using real orbital mechanics), modern day San Francisco and California between WWII and today.
