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@this-is-not-an-alien

@adnyole

Yes!  This is such a good point!  I think as writers, we have to be extra careful with how our work affects ourselves, because at the end of the day, we’re the ones living and breathing our writing.  So, this obviously includes mental health, like you said, and making sure that we don’t write about things that could really harm us in that sense.  I think it’s also important to consider how our writing affects us spiritually, and impacts our walk with the Lord.  Does our writing draw us nearer to him, or further away from him?  I think there’s a lot of gray area here, and obviously there’s going to be things that are neutral too.  Still, it’s good to be discerning with our writing and the topics we choose to mentally dwell on.  This is also an EXTREMELY subjective matter imo – like for me personally, I know that dwelling on violent scenes isn’t good for my walk with Christ, so I don’t include a lot of really violent scenes.  However, this might not be the same for everyone!  So, it’s definitely something to pray about.

That is so true – we perceive the world through our sense, and I think we’re wired to attach great emotions to sensory experiences, so like a warm hug from a friend, the salty wind on the beach, and the bright smell of flowers.  In general, the more sensory input you include, the more vivid and real the story will feel.  I think with subjects like this, there’s this fine line of too much and too little detail – too much detail and you risk seriously triggering your readers, too little and the trauma you include could feel flat and unnecessary.

I think that focusing on the effects rather than the actual act is a great idea, but I still think that could be triggering if you include enough visceral detail.  It’s SUCH a delicate topic, and again, requires a ton of prayer.

EXACTLY!  I think that if you dull the trauma too much, it can come across as unnecessary or possibly even romanticized (like just added in as a “tragic backstory.”)  I remember reading an incredibly visceral piece about sexual abuse on SE awhile ago (@this-is-not-an-alien you know what I’m talking about) and I remember it was honestly kind of traumatic reading it, but it was incredibly well written and really stuck with me.  Because, rape is a vile, shocking, HORRID crime, and should it be portrayed as anything other than that?  The writer of that piece obviously didn’t think so, and wrote it as such.  And, even as shocking and disturbing as it was, it was so viscerally portrayed as horrible and vile that it made a lasting impression on me.  I couldn’t ignore it, or become numb to it with that kind of portrayal.  And, so even though it was so awful to read, I’d say it was an amazing portrayal because it portrayed that kind of crime as so horribly wrong

I think that it might help to evaluate the level of detail the rest of the violence in the story is shown in.  So, if you don’t really describe the injuries, horrible working/living conditions, beatings, death, war, etc, in more graphic detail, then I think you should consider toning down your portrayal (including really painful emotional portrayals – I think that can also be kind of traumatic to a reader, even if it doesn’t show  the actual event).  But, if the rest of the story is really raw or more graphic, then I think it’ll be fine!

This is an excellent point!  Especially considering that this level of brutality/abuse is probably accepted as normal among the other slaves

YES!  So, this is exactly what I’ve been doing in Spire with a number of issues.  The tone of the story is often very slice of life, but as the reader, you pick up on a lot of odd or heavy things that the characters themselves might not be aware of.  I think that there really is an element of discernment here, and it’s important to not make cruel or insensitive jokes/portrayals, however I do think that comedy is an excellent way to normalize things in the story, plus it tends to be a coping mechanism for a lot of people!   So, in Spire, humor is used to normalize things in the story, while also subtly drawing attention to the fact that something is wrong and this absolutely should not be normal!  Also, it’s a fantastic way of developing character voice!  Like, Kit’s POV is an absolute riot, and it really offers a lot of candid (albeit incredibly optimistic) insight into his world and his perspective on the events of the story (whereas Val’s POV is rather dry, and offers a much more negative view.)

This is honestly a very valid point.  I think that people underestimate how much trauma kids can go through tbh.  It’s one reason why I kind of disagree when people say YA novels are too dark.  Obviously, a lot of them are!  But, that’s an age where people are becoming more aware of darkness in the world, and I do think that our taste in books reflects that.  I think it’s true that people are drawn to darkness because of our sinful natures, but also because we want to better understand why it has to be that way – why the world is dark and evil, and why “good” people get hurt…

If we don’t explore touchy subjects, then we’re leaving all of that for the world to write instead, and that’s never a good thing.  Rosy, fluffy stories don’t help people learn (however, some people may be called to write that and that’s ok!)  However, nonbelievers and believers alike can learn from a book with deep themes!

I  guess it’s not so much the presence of darkness that matters, but rather how that darkness is handled – does it glorify God, or does it glorify darkness?

These are all likely possibilities, but I will add that it could also be that you’re just not spiritually mature enough to be writing about this theme at this stage in life!  So for me, I don’t plan on getting Spire published any time soon because I’m still not exactly sure how I should handle Kit’s same-sex attraction (as well as a lot of faith aspects of the story.)  Does this mean that I’m going to avoid writing about it for now, or drop the story until I think I’m mature enough?  Absolutely not!  It does mean that I need to keep these issues in prayer and let God guide me to write about the things He wants me to write about, in the way that He wants me to write it.  And it means understanding that it might take a little while until I have feel assured that I’m handling the topic in a loving, truthful, and respectful manner – while still being sensitive to other believers’ convictions.  I would continue praying about it, and maybe consider plotting and brainstorming in the meantime (if you don’t feel prepared to write it.)

Also @adnyole I was thinking, I honestly think that a major part of developing this part of the story is developing the slave master and his family.  Like, what is their role in the story?  What is the social climate of their household?  So if the master is attracted to Lydia and is using her sexually, how does his wife feel about this (or, he might even have several wives.)  Does she feel disgusted?  Unloved?  How does she view Lydia?  Did she take her frustration and resentment out on her?  Is she cold to her?  Cruel or harsh with her?  Kind to her?  In another possible situation, she might be seen as little more than a high status slave herself, and maybe has no rights or say in her relationship with her husband.  In that case, might she sympathize with Lydia?  What exactly is Lydia’s position in the household?  What is her area of work?  If she works in the household, this could give her some important information need to escape, which would also give her some more agency.  Are there other slaves being abused this way as well, or is it just Lydia?  Is their emotional/mental/physical abuse involved as well

Also, consider the idea that her baby might be born into slavery as well, or perhaps taken away from her and into the master’s household.  This could be a motivation for her to escape!