It’s no secret that I like to write on the darker side, but as a person who has experienced trauma, it’s important to me that art and entertainment be creative outlets and not cause more harm and trauma to people who are looking for a healthy escape.
Since the project I’m currently drafting has several potentially triggering aspects, this subject has been on my mind a lot lately and while it’s not possible to think of everything, I wanted to make sure I was prepared during the drafting process. I have been creating a complete list of content warnings to include for any potential critique partners, alpha readers, beta readers, and hopefully, later down the line reviewers and readers.
To make sure I was thinking of as much as possible, I had a conversation with Inimitable Books founder, Zara Hoffman, to get a better understanding of what that looks like and get some ideas of what I might be missing. Based on that conversation, here is a list of suggestions of things authors can do to find content warnings and make sure they are included appropriately.
- Check out fan fiction websites and look at content tags on stories similar themes or upsetting topics to what you’re writing to jumpstart your list. Examples are Archive of Our Own (AO3) and fanfiction.net, but even Wattpad has some (but they’re mostly tropes rather than upsetting triggers).
- Trigger Warning Database has a fantastic list of triggers as well as. If you’re shopping for something with that trigger, they mention related books that include the topic.
- Book Trigger Warnings also has a list you can check out here.
- Sisters in Crime has additional resources here, which is a guide for their submissions.
Once you’ve compiled your list, be sure to include this in your alpha reader form (or whatever system you use to keep track of things), and make sure all your readers are aware that there is a list to verify they are comfortable reading your work.
In addition to your other feedback requests to your critique partners, alphas, and betas, be sure to ask if they would add anything to your trigger list—they might come up with something you overlooked or didn’t think counted as a trigger. I recommend making a large text box in your feedback form so they can share their thoughts with you.
Find Chandra Online by clicking on her author name above or below.
