October Novel Prep Challenge

Okay, I can fix one of your problems. If your putting your stories with rape on the internet at the top of the story before it starts simply put... This story could be a trigger for some.

The last thing you want is for a rape victim to read your stuff without a warning that it could trigger her PTSD. Before I discovered WDC I ran a yahoo group for victims. We often talked about books that gave us no clue what was coming and triggered issues. Those are going to be the people who are uncomfortable. On sites like this a quick waring that it could be a trigger for some, lets them decide ahead of time if they want to read it and prepares them for possible problems if they do.

I can write a rape scene but if I read one I am not expecting, I usually have to stop reading until Clanbear comes home so he is here, just in case I need him to talk me down.

IAs to people not recognizing the names of Greek gods it's simple. Marvel didn't turn them into a cartoon character and no one based video game off of them. A computer game sure but that was at least ten years ago. I'm not sure they even teach mythology in high school literature anymore.

See it as you teaching them something and that you succeeded if they think your being too high handed or whatever. Don't dumb down what you like simply because people seem to not understand. Remember Bevis and Butthead came out while I was in High school. And while all of my peers were gathered around the TV, I was reading a Tale of Two cities.

You may not be a main stream writer but that doesn't mean their aren't others like you out there. It doesn't mean you don't have an audience. Keep your chin up. If you write it, they will come. I think I am going to make that my new mantra.

Oh and your not alone. We have all felt that way. Some of us worry we are writing to much fluff. Some of us worry that the monsters we use are too overdone. Some of us worry that no matter how hard we try we can never actually get everything perfect enough that someone will even bother to read past the first line.

Do your research. Be true to yourself. At best you educte a whole new generation and make them interested in the Old Gods and at worst, you get banned which you know is usually the best thing that can happen to an author in the long run.