Trigger Warnings

Sigh.

Okay. Label me a heartless bastard if you must, but no, I am not a fan of trigger warnings and I don't intend to use them, with possible exceptions.

But, Jim, what about-?

No.

Not all that long ago, and you might even remember this one, kiddies, a college campus decided to have a guest lecturer on sexual assault on campus because, sadly, that's still a thing. It happens, much as I wish it didn't. How much do I wish it didn't? Ive lost a few guy friends because they had trouble with my believe that ay man who uses his tool for violence should have it removed. yes, I mean castration. No, I don't mean with chemicals. Cut the offending member away and take the testicles while you're at it. "What if they want to have kids?" They should NEVER have kids. That's potentially more victims.

Sorry, back to my point.

Attendance at this seminar was not necessary. However, a few of the students who I am sure had the best intentions, made it so clear that the very notion of having a lecturer on the campus would trigger them and others, of having the word on paper, folks. The phrase "sexual assault" was so damaging to them, that, as adults, they would need a room provided for them where they could offer bubble blow, soft music, pillows and snacks during the time that the actual lecturer would be on campus.

The University agreed to all of this and provided a room. I am not certain if they footed the bill for the bubble blow. No clue.

I am certain, that, in my eyes, the notion was ludicrous. Not because I don't believe people suffer from trauma, but because we're talking about ADULTS here. Ten year old kids? By all means Grown adults who are going to university to ensure they will make a good living? No. Adults who can, in some cases, drink legally and vote? No.  That's what my dear old mother would have called "Molly-Coddling."

I do not believe that you help ANYONE when you offer that level of protection from the real world. What you are inviting is trauma after trauma.

I knew a man who was, to be kind, rather spoiled while he was growing up., His parents did not correct his bad actions and as a result of that he failed to have much of an edit button. Once upon a time while in a public bar, he decided to get into an exchange with someone who was just as intoxicated and not as willing to overlook nasty comments. I believe it was eighty-seven stitches to put his face back together. His lack of an edit button, or understanding that words could have consequences did him no good. Even after that he tended to fire with his mouth worry about whether or not he could back it up later

No lessons learned.

Listen. I see a ten year old picking up a few of my books. (only a few) I'll be the first to say "That's maybe not for you and we should have your mom or dad okay it first." There are a few of my books that, frankly, have dark subject matter.  I'll point to SMILE NO MORE as an example of serious, hardcore violence. I'll be the first to say that BLOOD RED deals with subject matter that might very well qualify as "Iffy" (One of the main characters is a high end call girl and has to deal with being in the sex industry and with the fact that some people are reprehensible.)  and in both cases, without a parent's okay, after I've explained the content, I simply would not allow a kid under 14 or so to buy the books and even then I'd be dubious.

Some books are simply not meant for kids.

Now, maybe I'm wrong, but after 18, you are on your own. I write Horror and I write Dark Fantasy, and I write Science Fiction that sometimes has an apocalyptic edge. My covers are not often subtle and they say a lot about the subject matter at hand without a word being spoken.  If someone wants a rating, I can follow the movie ratings guidelines with the best of them.

I don't do trigger warnings. The possible exception? Rape. Why only possible? Because while the subject has come up in my books before and might come up again, it's a subject I handle delicately. i mention an even has happened, I most assuredly do not get into graphic detail. I have never aimed to titillate with a rape sequence, because to me it's not about sex, it's about violence. And, frankly, it's a subject ai do't consider as taboo, but it's also not something I try to use as a meth0d of pushing my stories forward. I write escapist fiction. Why would  I want to add in something that I KNOW will make a good percentage of the population uncomfortable?

That said, I am a HUGE proponent of the First Amendment of these United States. freedom of speech. I believe that the only censorship should come from the author and then the author can deal with the consequences of their wordly actions.

If I'm writing a story about werewolves, it's likely to get gory. If I'm writing about seductive vampires, there might be a sex scene, however brief. If I have a character who works as a high end hooker, she might have to deal with attempted rape or physical abuse. these things are, unfortunately, a part of an industry that is not monitored well in this country and one where the lack of regulations means that those trading in the business often deal with the darker aspects of their chosen field. All of that said, I write dark stuff.

Clive Barker once said, and I'm paraphrasing here, "Horror is the last bastion of the taboo in fiction. It's where chauvinists still exist and the politically correct is seldom seen. It's the place where women can still be victims." I would only correct that to say it's where PEOPLE are victims. It comes with the territory. As I have said before and likely will again, I am an equal opportunity destroyer. I have no problem killing anyone or anything in my works. Because, as I have also said, I believe the best place for violence is in a book or in a movie. I'd rather it never show up in the real world.

And I believe that as a result of what I write, people should expect triggers. If they can't handle them, don't buy my work ad stay away from the horror genre entirely.

Put another way: I know a LOT of people are terrified of clowns. Can't stand them. Yet, here I go, writing several books and short stories revolving around Rufo the Clown, who happens to be a dead, psychotic monster. MENTION clowns to a few people I know and you can watch them start trying to find the escape hatch. SHOW them a clown and you can see the fear in their eyes.  Here's the cover to my next book. It has a clown on the cover. There are clowns in two of the stories. The cover is your only warning.

Trigger Warnings - Do We Need Them?

The first SFWA Fantasy Story Bundle has been selling like hotcakes! Which...how DO hotcakes sell, anyway? Maybe fast before they cool off too much. But these stories will keep. For only $5 you get four full-length novels and for $15 total, you can get all twelve. Keep them forever and read at your leisure! A great way to discover new-to-you authors while supporting both those authors and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, who does so much to advocate for the genre and the profession. The first book in my Sorcerous Moons fantasy romance series, Lonen's War, is a part of the bundle.

Our topic this week at the SFF Seven is Trigger Warnings: When Subject Matter is Controversial.

This topic itself has become somewhat controversial in recent years, almost worthy of a trigger warning right there. The thing is, "controversial" doesn't equate to an actual trigger. The term comes from mental health circles, where "triggers are external events or circumstances that may produce very uncomfortable emotional or psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety, panic, discouragement, despair, or negative self-talk." (Reference) Thus a "trigger warning" is intended to advise people with mental health issues of this variety that they may want to steer clear of the content. For example, a fictional rape scene might come with a trigger warning to advise victims of rape that reading could adversely affect them.

However, the term - as can be witnessed by the wording of our topic - has come to be associated with anything controversial in any way. The term "triggering" has become part of the modern lexicon for any topic that elicits a strong reaction. Or even a response that's out of the ordinary.

The thing is... art SHOULD elicit a reaction. Certainly out of the ordinary. Hopefully a strong one.

Otherwise, what's the point?

Sure, a lot of our entertainment is designed to be soothing, to lull us back into a level of numbness where we don't have to think or feel. With that sort of thing, mild is best. TV sitcoms strive to be amusing without being controversial in any way. The edgier comedies have more divided audiences, with equal numbers hating the show as love it.

Genre fiction is often escapist, yes - but I think the best kind also stirs grand emotions and ideas in us. That's what I love best, when a book moves me and makes me think about things I normally don't. But that's not being triggered.

I'm blessed enough to be more or less trigger-free. I have my hot button, sure, but I know what most of them are and I'm able to manage my responses for the most part. For people with actual triggers, I do try to be aware of what those might be and warning people appropriately. That's the compassionate thing to do.

How Do You Find the Measure of an Arc?

Purchased from DepositPhoto

Considering I’m just now writing book #1 of what I plan to be a series with an overarching arc, I don’t have much to add to this discussion  - sorry.

I always have to be mindful of my Muse’s peculiarity that if I think about a story too much before writing it, then I won’t ever write it, because it feels ‘done’ to me. So in trying to figure out the long term arc of this scifi romance series, I had to be very careful or all the momentum would die ded. We’ll see how I do.

In other news, Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 has had a great release week, sales/ranking/review-wise and I’m really happy readers seem to like my rock star romance in the anthology.

Here was one review (if you don’t mind me squeeing just a bit). Heather's well known in SFR circles so her opinion carries weight with me and she got what I was going for:

Blurb for Star Cruise: Songbird:

Grant Barton, a Security Officer on the Nebula Zephyr, is less than thrilled with his current assignment to guard an Interstellar singing sensation while she’s on board the ship. It doesn’t help that he and his military war bird Valkyr are dealing with their recent separation from the Sectors Special Forces and uncertainty over their future, with their own planet in ruins.

Karissa Dawnstar is on top of the charts and seemingly has it all – talent, fame, fortune and devoted fans, but behind her brave smile and upbeat lyrics she hides an aching heart. When a publicity stunt goes wrong, Karissa finds herself in the arms of the security officer assigned to protect her – and discovers a mutual attraction she can’t ignore.

Trouble continues to plague the pair, driving a wedge between them and leaving Grant certain that Karissa is in more danger than she realizes, from overzealous fans and her own management. Grant is determined to protect Karissa whether she wants his help or not. Can he discover the truth behind what’s going on before he loses Karissa or is there someone else plotting to keep them apart – permanently?

Blurb for Embrace the Romance: Pets In Space 2:

The pets are back! Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, featuring twelve of today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors brings you a dozen original stories written just for you! Join in the fun, from the Dragon Lords of Valdier to a trip aboard award-winning author, Veronica Scott’s Nebula Zephyr to journeying back to Luda where Grim is King, for stories that will take you out of this world! Join New York Times, USA TODAY, and Award-winning authors S.E. Smith, M.K. Eidem, Susan Grant, Michelle Howard, Cara Bristol, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Sabine Priestley, Jessica E. Subject, Carol Van Natta, and Alexis Glynn Latner as they share stories and help out Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans!

10% of the first month’s profits go to Hero-Dogs.org. Hero Dogs raises and trains service dogs and places them free of charge with US Veterans to improve quality of life and restore independence.

Buy Links: Amazon   iBooks   Kobo   B&N 

Twists, Turns, Dangling Threads

Y'all. I'm phoning this in. Straight up. Dangling threads. Long series. Plot arcs. Right now, the dangling thread is an apartment so empty it echoes. The overarching plot is the work of getting my folks and their cat out of Washington State and down here with us. This series has been airing daily now for MONTHS with new twists and turns every damn day. 

Today's twist - the moving truck was delivered to the storage unit I had to find on short notice. Tomorrow at a time when most people are still asleep, a bunch of strangers I hired will show up to throw everything off the truck into the storage unit. Mind you. It took four people 10 days to load that truck. I fear for my life and for my breakables.

The OTHER twist is that someone has to fly Nicadeimos (Mom's cat) to Florida. Either I have to hop a plane to Seattle and collect Mr. Tuxedo, or one of my folks has to fly down and bring him to me and then fly back so they can finish up the house sale and then drive across country (to SEE things, they say) in freaking November.

Do you know how I handle all of these details and dangling threads? With a Bullet Journal. And in fiction, each book in a series has a notebook. This notebook is spiral bound and gets filled with notes about eye colors, names, places, things, editorial notes, scene notes - just everything. But after the book is done, while the novel is out for edits, my notes get munged into a spreadsheet for the series. Every ship name. Every planet. Every single detail that matters end up in that spreadsheet. Behold: The Series Bible.

Authors are weird. I cop to that. And we all have our bugaboos. Continuity is mine. Would anyone else notice it if I screwed up a detail? Probably. But unless it was major, I could probably count the number of people who noticed on one hand. BUT I WOULD NOTICE AND I WOULD NEVER SLEEP AGAIN. 

So I keep track. Am I organized? No. Am I thorough? Oh, yes. Oh very much yes. Because the sanity at stake is my own. And that's already only so/so. 

For my series to work or me, they have to follow a set order of precedence. Series arc rules everything. Each novel must serve the series arc while containing it's own arc. Each character must have an arc within each novel in which they appear and all of those arcs must serve the series arc in some way. 

Strangely enough, I find it doesn't matter where I start in the process of figuring out arcs. It's very chicken and egg. All that matters is that I start somewhere figuring out arcs and the rest emerge. Easy to say. Harder to do. Each book and each character likes to escape control just little bit. So it doesn't always go as planned.

And now, I'm taking this weary author off to sleep so she can face a day of schlepping boxes and heavy things without ending the day either in the emergency room or in prison.

Keep reading. 

The Short-term, Long-term Juggling Act

Writing the Maradaine books takes a certain degree of juggling.  Fortunately, that's something I learned to do back in the stage-acting days.*

Fundamentally, each book has to serve three masters, in order of importance:

1. Tell its own exciting, interesting and complete story.
2. Seed/move forward plot points for the arc of its series.
3. Seed/move forward plot points for the larger arc of Maradaine as a whole.

Early on, numbers 2 and 3 were very minor, but as the needs of each series arc and the larger Maradaine arc has increased, they've needed to take more precedence.  Imposters of Aventil and the upcoming Lady Henterman's Wardrobe and A Parliament of Bodies all have this challenge, and it's only going to grow as I move past that. 

What's the trick to pulling it off?  How do you keep serving the second and third goals from being too much of a distraction?  For me, the big thing is making sure every scene in the book still fulfills the first goal, regardless of the other factors.  For example, all three of those books have scenes near the end that are largely about the greater Maradaine arc.  But they still also serve as epilogue for the story of the book they are in. 

Hopefully, that series-arc and Maradaine-arc seeding has its hooks in you, and you want to know more about what comes next.  There's going to be an announcement pretty soon, so watch this space.

---

*- A circus-themed production of Brecht's The Life of Galileo, in which I not only had to learn to juggle, but do knife-spinning tricks, and a host of mild acrobatics.  I could even walk on my hands back then.  Now I am old and creaky.

Long Term Arcs-Managing the big arcs

Great subject, as far as I'm concerned. I've been working on several long term series, and you know what I've learned about managing the big arcs? Not much.

Okay, let me break this down the way it's always worked for me. I write in what I tend to think of as the "tapestry" method. There are a lot of characters, a lot of threads, and the idea is that I use those threads to make a cohesive story. I have to weave them together well enough that a whole tale is told. What I should point out, however, is that I am also a person who believes that art and life should look rather a lot alike.  To that end, I almost always have loose threads at the end of a story. When the story starts people are already having lives. When it ends, the survivors will continue to have lives, though they will often be severely altered.

For me, every chapter of a novel is a short story. It's just that those short stories are connected. If the chapter doesn't move the story forward, I cut it away. Why? Mostly because I'm unbelievably wordy, and I can usually cut a few chapters of detritus without much pain.

Every scene, every chapter, every arc is part of the greater tapestry and when I am done,. nothing is completed. The main story arc is finished, but the world is likely going to move on and so are many of the characters. In the Seven forges series I have written four books and a LOTY of story arcs have been finished, but not nearly all of them. One of the main overlaying arcs, the war between Fellein and the Sa'ba Taalor, has been completed, for now. The war is done. Both sides survived and both are definitely changed by the experience. Several of the characters are virtually unrecognizable. They have changed to that level. So too the land of Fellein, which has been brutalized and broken. So too the Blasted Lands, which have been altered by the actions of gods.

No one and nothing stays the same. That's true of my story arcs, too, The war is over. For now, There are still plans for Fellein and the Sa'ba Taalor. They will involve conflicts but they may not involve a full on war. One major story arc is done. (actually, several) but more possibilities are opened n the process. if there is never another novel in the series then I have told my tale. If there are more, then life goes on and threads left discarded and dangling are once more woven into the tapestry.

I have plans for Fellein.  There are murder mysteries to solve, political battles to wage, new parts of the world to explore. Oh, so many plans.

Time will tel if I get to weave that tale, but the biggest parts of the pattern are all there for people to see, even if, as sometimes happens, those patterns are unpleasing to some.

Never leave your tales unresolved. But don't be afraid to leave a few loose strands to continue on in the tale. Just because Harry Met Sally, that doesn't mean they get together right away, It might take decades.

Long Term Series - Managing Those Big Arcs and Dangling Threads

We're to get a freeze this week, so I'm savoring these annuals and their intense color. Bittersweet to say goodbye, but I also know I love them partly because they're temporary.

And I like the cooler weather, having a fire in the fireplace and associated coziness.

Our topic at the SFF Seven this week is weaving in overarching plot lines in a long-term stories, and how to keep those dangling, to-be-continued threads from dangling so much that they distract from the simpler arc of a particular book.

The thing is, you're always going to have readers (YOU PEOPLE KNOW WHO YOU ARE!) who are going to bitch complain about dangling plot threads. This is a good thing. If readers of long-term series - and we all know I'm one of them - don't come away at the end of the book hungry to find out what happens next, then the author hasn't done her job right. At the same time, there's a delicate balance between that and the cliffhanger so egregious that the reader throws that expensive eReader against the wall.

Or not even a cliffhanger, but taking TOO many books to get to some promised event. There was a famous author (*cough* LKH *cough*) who burned up so many books with her characters NEVER getting a ball that was only a day away to begin with, that I know someone who literally threw the book against the wall in rage - and gave up on the series.

#ProTip: This is BAD and not the reader reaction we want.

Now, I know I'm an offender in the "but I thought we'd get to the big conflict already" category in more than one series. Still, I'm really trying to steer clear of LKH-level offenses.

The key to managing those big arcs and keeping them from distorting the individual stories lies in both ends. The individual story arc must be complete and the overall arc should be simple.

Complete individual story arc

This is where LKH ran afoul. Each book needs to have a beginning, middle, and end. I know this is basic stuff, but stick with me. The protagonist needs to change in some way and accomplish a key goal. This goal, ideally, should be one piece in the larger arc. If all of these things happen, then the reader will feel satisfied at the end - with at least THAT story.

Simple overall arc

The simpler the overall arc, the less it distracts from the individual books. The example that springs to mind is George R.R. Martin's monster epic fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire. The overall arc is SO complex and overriding, that the individual books are really just installments in one massive story. He's a brilliant writer, and his genius lays in the subtle weaving of this complex arc - but it's so overwhelming that there really is no complete arc in the individual books.

What say you, readers - do I have this right? I'll entertain arguments.

Dream Anthology: Start with Andre Norton

 

The topic this week is which authors, living or dead, I’d want to be in a dream anthology with. I’m going to twist it a bit and tell you which worlds by which authors I’d LOVE to be invited to play in (and then I’ll talk about an anthology below).

First and foremost is Andre Norton. She used to do collections where other authors were invited to write stories set in her Witch World universe and I SO longed to write a story there. I’d probably have written something about the Were Riders because I was always fascinated by them, and their mysterious backstory.

Second would be Nalini Singh. I’d be so honored to write a story set in any of her worlds. I probably gravitate to the Psy-Changeling storyline the most, if I were trying to write a tale for her universe – I’d write one very sexy emotionless Arrow and the heroine who thaws him out…but I’m also fascinated by the Guild Hunter series. Nalini writes more dark and violent themes than I tend to, especially for the Guild Hunter series, but I would find a way to incorporate those elements if I had the chance to ‘play’. Archangels, angels and vampires - oh my!

I enjoy everything Ilona Andrews writes but I’m a permanent ‘guest’ of the Innkeeper Chronicles series (meaning it’s my favorite of theirs – I probably tried too hard to make that oh-so-clever comment work, huh?) and I’m not positive I could juggle all the scifi and fantasy elements as smoothly as the husband and wife writing team does, but I’d sure try.

I’d also love to be invited to spin a story set in our own SFF7-member Jeffe Kennedy’s Twelve Kingdoms. There’s so much rich material to work with there, it’d be hard to pick just one theme and settle to write it. I think I’d want a Dasnarian mercenary hero and the heroine would be an everyday woman who gets caught up in an adventure…uh oh, I’m plotting! Sorry, Jeffe!

And to round out my dream list of anthologies I’d want to be invited to (or Kindle Worlds if such things were happening), may I please set a story on Anne McCaffrey’s Pern? I want to write dragons and riders and fighting Thread!

As it happens I am in a scifi romance anthology with a few of my favorite SFR authors and it releases this very week! Here’s the info:

Blurb for Embrace the Romance: Pets In Space 2:

The pets are back! Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, featuring twelve of today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors brings you a dozen original stories written just for you! Join in the fun, from the Dragon Lords of Valdier to a trip aboard award-winning author, Veronica Scott’s Nebula Zephyr to journeying back to Luda where Grim is King, for stories that will take you out of this world! Join New York Times, USA TODAY, and Award-winning authors S.E. Smith, M.K. Eidem, Susan Grant, Michelle Howard, Cara Bristol, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Sabine Priestley, Jessica E. Subject, Carol Van Natta, and Alexis Glynn Latner as they share stories and help out Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans!

10% of the first month’s profits go to Hero-Dogs.org. Hero Dogs raises and trains service dogs and places them free of charge with US Veterans to improve quality of life and restore independence.

Buy Links:  

Amazon US   Amazon CA   Amazon UK   Amazon AU   Amazon FR   Amazon DE

Amazon JP   iBooks   B&N    Kobo    Google Play

Blurb for my story - Star Cruise: Songbird:

Grant Barton, a Security Officer on the Nebula Zephyr, is less than thrilled with his current assignment to guard an Interstellar singing sensation while she’s on board the ship. It doesn’t help that he and his military war bird Valkyr are dealing with their recent separation from the Sectors Special Forces and uncertainty over their future, with their own planet in ruins.

Karissa Dawnstar is on top of the charts and seemingly has it all – talent, fame, fortune and devoted fans, but behind her brave smile and upbeat lyrics she hides an aching heart. When a publicity stunt goes wrong, Karissa finds herself in the arms of the security officer assigned to protect her – and discovers a mutual attraction she can’t ignore.

Trouble continues to plague the pair, driving a wedge between them and leaving Grant certain that Karissa is in more danger than she realizes, from overzealous fans and her own management. Grant is determined to protect Karissa whether she wants his help or not. Can he discover the truth behind what’s going on before he loses Karissa or is there someone else plotting to keep them apart – permanently?