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  • calidris replied to the topic HELP! Plot thoughts & Hard Topics in the forum Fantasy Writers 3 years, 8 months ago

    @adnyole of course!  Thank you for clarifying!  I think it’s great that you’re considering including it – sexual abuse is sadly extremely common in slavery, but it’s not something people like to talk about.  I also think it’s interesting that it was coercion, but not outright force – I think that sometimes people tend to just look at the act itself, rather than the power structures and dynamics that led to this outcome.  I can see how that might add to her shame – she might believe lies that she could’ve prevented it, that it was her fault, etc.

    Obviously, keep praying!  This really is a good area to explore in light of those themes, but it’s still very touchy.

    I’m a thinker so I like weighty issues and drawing people into them to find where God is in it all.

    I’m the exact same way – I tend to write as a means of exploring difficult subjects, and kind of exploring how those issues intersect with faith.  I like exploring topics that I have personal experience with too, and using that as a means of coming to terms with my own experiences and trying to understand them.  So, there’s some subjects I want to explore, and others that I feel would just be too weighty (sexual trauma is one of those, at least for now.)

    One thing that I realized as I decided to explore a touchy subject in my own writing was that if we, as Christians, avoid touchy subjects, then we’re leaving them for the world to portray on it’s own terms – which is not a good thing XD  However, not everyone is called to write about the same subjects, and one subject that might be ok for someone else might not be alright for another Christian to explore.  Keep praying for wisdom and guidance!  Tbh it’s something I’ve been neglecting in my own writing, so I’ll take my own advice XD

    One thing to consider is your target audience, because obviously the level of information appropriate for one audience can often be inappropriate for another demographic.  I’m assuming that this is a YA novel, given that your MC is a teenager!  I don’t think you should should necessarily away from including it is that’s the case, but it’d be much “safer” in an adult book.  Which tbh, I don’t think Christians have to write “safe” books, but whatever we include has to glorify God, and we also have to be mindful of our audience and their convictions.  I think it would help to include a note or trigger warning in the preface of the book to warn the reader beforehand that the story will deal with that.  It’s something I’ll do for my own story if I ever publish it!

    Also, I know two other people here on SE who also explore sexual trauma in their own writing, and I can tag them in this thread if you’d like!  Fair warning – I believe their style and convictions in how they handle it are different than yours and mine, and from what I can see, they’re writing it much more viscerally and graphically than I would personally feel comfortable reading.  However, you might still be interested in seeing some other perspectives!  If not, I totally understand XD

    Also I believe they might be busy at this time, so if they don’t reply, that’s why XD

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