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Taboo subjects

edited December 2011 in - Writing Problems
I've not been writing very long and have written a short story which contains a reference to child abuse suffered by the main character. I don't go into explicit detail but anyone reading would be left in no doubt as to what happened. If I remove it, it renders the rest of the story pretty much pointless. If I water it down, the effect is much the same. Is this a "no-go" area?

Comments

  • Depends on the market you're sending it to.

    I would not send it to any of the weekly women's magazines on the basis of what you have said.

    A different market it might be fine.
  • As Carol says, make sure you know your market readership. It also depends on the voice of the piece - is it gritty, in your face, or is it more literary?

    I've written about of lot of taboo subjects. Being a writer is about delving into the human condition - it covers every area possible, so nothing is really taboo. It's how we approach the subject and how we present it that is important.
  • [quote=Red]Being a writer is about delving into the human condition - it covers every area possible, so nothing is really taboo. [/quote]

    I both agree and love that Red.
  • [quote=Carol]Depends on the market you're sending it to.[/quote]
    [quote=Red]Being a writer is about delving into the human condition [/quote]

    As Carol mentioned, it will probably depend on your target readers. I was going to suggest that it's possibly a no go for the short story market but then I've read some fairly graphic stuff in flash fiction, so anyone would be wrong to put limitations on it. Also for instance, the novel, 'The Lovely Bones' by Alice Sebold revolves around that very subject (and murder) so as Red said, there's not really a topic that is out of bounds for a writer or an audience. Firstly though, you need to work out who it is you're writing for, TC.
  • Robbins made a fortune out of unsavory subjects.
  • I certainly don't think it's a taboo subject for every market, as Red mentioned.
    But it's important to understand what the market for such a story is, and the subtle differences there can be even among publications/e-zines that might accept the subject matter.
  • At least three of my stories relate to child abuse. One is due to be published when ChapterOne manage to pull their finger out (competition anthology), and one was read out on Redruth Community radio last Friday. So go for it!
  • As others have said, it depends on the market and how it is handled.
    The winner of the Bristol prize 2010 was a story about child abuse, quite graphic too. You can read it using the 'look inside' function here http://www.amazon.com/Bristol-Short-Story-Anthology-ebook/dp/B003WQBIX2%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJBDF5XQBATGDX4VQ%26tag%3Dspea06-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB003WQBIX2#_

    I have also had a story published in Woman's Weekly that included this, but the references were much more subtle, though the meaning was (I hope!) quite clear.
  • I read one recently that was in a small press mag of short stories. The meaning was very clear of what had happened but thankfully, wasn't too graphic. Once I'd read the ending, I was totallyed wowwed (if that makes any sense).

    If the story is more about how the person is coping/has coped, rather than focusing on graphics of the event may be more of a way to approach the subject.
  • LizLiz
    edited December 2011
    I agree. With dora, and a lot of the comments above.

    There was a book we read at our book group , written by a social worker, about an area near where we live. It was fiction - but drew a lot on the lives he had seen played out in his line of work. I say he, but a pseudonym was used. The 'heroine' was a teenage girl.

    There was child abuse in it. Abuse of every type, actually. I loathed the writing, and about a third of the way through, gave up. That was because I felt that although he could have been written the book as a way of exploring/showing/exposing the sort of lives and condition people in this area were living/used/exposed to/formed by/ruined by etc etc - it came across as voyueristic. Prurient (on the author's part).

    It may have been a perfect replica of the life of a teenage girl he had met, and he had to explain just why she and her brother were the way they were, and how sexual abuse had been part of their lives, but...
  • edited December 2011
    You don't need to be too graphic or graphic at all. I have a short one here- http://anthonycowin.blogspot.com/2011/11/to-catch-spider.html

    In fact sometimes the less graphic the better. As writers we know no matter how beautiful our words, or eloquent our analogies they can never aspire to the images we let our readers paint in their own minds. The spaces are the best writing. The missing words are the best ideas. When we hint we let the reader fill in the picture and when they do it they have to draw from memory and emotion. They are first hand raw sensations, better than 3D or surround sound.

    edit:meant to say so the power is in your hands. If you wan to shock it may come off as cheap, if you want to be raw and honest it may be too much. If you want to give an account that moves people it could be honesty beautiful. Any of those, well it's just a choice and either the market or your mind will determine which is right.
  • Thank you one and all - comments and advice greatly appreciated .
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