How New Writers Can Responsibly Share Potentially Offensive or Triggering Content

Know your power

Consider this scenario: you write a story about something mental health-related and don’t include a trigger warning at the beginning. Later, you discover one of your readers fell into a deep bout of depression after reading it. As the writer, what kind of responsibility for the situation would you feel?

I’ve noticed a recurring pattern from several new writers over at my publication, Age of Empathy. They are still learning how to write publicly and aren’t aware of the implications.

After discussing some of these concerns with my co-editors, Shanna Loga and Bingz Huang, Bingz recommended I craft an article addressing the awareness of your power as a writer. She told me that she hadn’t really thought about these concerns and suggested many new writers are getting comfortable with their voice and writing publicly — not yet thinking in this much detail about the writer’s responsibility.

As writers, it’s in both the best interest of ourselves and our readers to consider how our writing might impact others, albeit unwittingly. To this end, I believe it is in the writer’s due diligence to use supporting links to back research and give further resources when emotional, physical, environmental, or other impacts may be spurred by our writing.

Providing Appropriate Resources When Addressing Challenging Topics

Perhaps my natural inclination to consider ethics in writing has to do with the fact that I’m an Empath. Mark B. Baer, Esq. discusses “Empathy and Morality” in his Psychology Today article.

“People will go into a burning building to rescue another person. Less heroic forms of moral behavior occur daily as we avoid bumping into people and try not to hurt their feelings.

Morality and moral decision-making involve some degree of rational thinking, but for the most part involve the ability to feel the emotions and distress of others (Keysers, 2011). Much of our moral behavior relates to preventing pain in others and relies on the brain’s shared circuitry for pain and emotional distress.” — Regina Palley

I live with multiple mental health issues. If I was at a really low point in my life and discovered I’d been involved in the scenario above, I’d likely spiral into a mental health crisis, thinking it was my fault. On a good day, I’d realize that the reader’s bout of depression wasn’t my fault. But, what can I do to help the reader should that occur?

Consider what you are writing about: mental health, online socializing, or environmental sustainability, for example.

When you suggest meeting people online, in my opinion, it’s necessary to address how your readers can do that as safely as possible.

If you are addressing mental health issues or talking about suicidal ideation, it’s pertinent to include links to hotline numbers and additional resources that your readers can use. It’s likely if readers are clicking on your article addressing mental health, at least some of them are struggling. Help your reader as much as you can.

I once had a submission that urged readers to find joy in simple things, such as balloons. As harmless as advocating balloons seems, all I could think about was the negative environmental impact balloons can cause. I messaged back and forth with the writer until we came to a resolution to recommend using biodegradable balloons and I published the article. I’m guessing the majority of writers and readers of Age of Empathy are concerned about the environment and sustainability.

Set aside 30 minutes of research time per article to find links to back up your claims and help your readers stay safe.

Inspire Your Readers To Take Action

“When I sit down to write a book, I do not say to myself, ‘I am going to produce a work of art.’ I write it because there is some lie that I want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention, and my initial concern is to get a hearing.” — George Orwell

Beyond safeguarding our readers to the best of our ability, we are hopefully also writing to inspire. We can inspire a reader with depression to reach out to a psychologist or friend. We can inspire a young entrepreneur to promote sustainability practices at their new startup. We can inspire a stay-at-home parent to swap the plastic straws and utensils for reusable ones and model environmental responsibility to their kids.

As writers, we are crafting our words to trigger an emotional reaction. Maybe we want to shatter the reader’s preconceived notions, inspire them to walk for 15 minutes every day, or seek support if they are in an emotionally difficult place. Perhaps I over-emphasize the power we hold as writers. To that end, I think most writers don’t really consider it — I urge you to be as responsible as possible with your craft.

Ask Yourself if You’re Ready To Write About Challenging Subjects

“A writer has the duty to be good, not lousy; true, not false; lively, not dull; accurate, not full of error. He should tend to lift people up, not lower them down. Writers do not merely reflect and interpret life, they inform and shape life. E.B. White” — E.B. White

Inspiring readers and connecting with them is a huge part of why I write. What’s your why? If you aren’t thinking about your readers and you are writing publicly, it may be time to rethink your writing strategy. Gear your writing to your readers.

If you’re not ready for the responsibility of publicly writing about subjects that will likely impact readers, perhaps you choose something else to write about for now. Or, maybe you aren’t quite ready to make the leap into public writing. Consider why you are writing and choose which platform/s will host your words wisely. Do your research.

Takeaway

“You can fix anything but a blank page.” — Nora Roberts

Before you submit or publish your next article, Stop. Walk away. Let it rest.

Not only is this good for you in revising your draft before final submission, but it also gives you time to consider what kind of accountability you feel with what you have written. After a few hours or days, read it through and consider what effects it might have on people, animals, the environment, or anything else. Add hyperlinks and resources that you think could be helpful for your readers.

Consider if a trigger warning is a good idea. Author Meg-John Barker says,

“Perhaps the main point of trigger warnings is to open up the possibility for people to determine what they engage with, when and how.

Advocates of trigger warnings, however, point out that the aim is not to avoid people confronting frightening or painful material, but rather to provide them with greater control over how and when they do this.”

I don’t want you to feel over-responsibility when you’re writing and publishing. I’m not trying to increase your writing anxiety. There is certainly a grey line here. Sometimes, I don’t feel a work of creative nonfiction needs these links and resources. It is up to the writer and editor to make this decision together.

In the best-case scenario, you back up your words with research links and outside resources that can positively impact the lives of your readers. Isn’t that what writing publicly is all about?