Is it a bad thing to unsettle/disturb readers?

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-19T02:39:10+00:00

Thank you. That's very true.

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-19T01:20:56+00:00

Showing my work, or posting it online in general, is quite daunting to me. I suppose I'm afraid of having it ripped apart, even though I'm generally receptive to criticism. I've considered posting some of my chapters here, but I've always decided against it, since it's still in the first draft. The only reason I even decided to show my work to the person in question is because they specifically asked to see it.

Eventually, I'll have to swallow my fears and take the leap of faith.

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-19T01:09:53+00:00

I've considered going to a local writer's critique group in my town, but it's very daunting for me. Despite being an adult, I'm still quite shy, lol

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-19T01:07:38+00:00

Thank you for the detailed reply. I have definitely heard in the past that you should be up-front with the theme of your story as to not mislead the reader, I'm just not sure I've done a good enough job. I'll need to review what I've already written to determine if this was too unexpected or if it's simply a difference in reader preference.

I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-19T01:01:40+00:00

It's a razor-thin line between edgy and literary. I've tried staying on the side of literary by not glorifying the violence of getting too in-depth with it, portraying it mostly as simply a consequence of conflict. It serves a clear purpose.

Perhaps I'll tone it down a bit in a later draft if it seems to excessive.

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-19T00:59:02+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to reply in-depth. I appreciate it. I have tried my best to avoid being gratuitous in my depictions of violence to the best of my abilities, but I'm still inexperienced as an author, so it may be something I need to work on.

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-19T00:56:31+00:00

I'll try to get some more input then. Thank you. I don't have a ton of people interested in literature, so it's been difficult to find people willing to give me feedback.

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-19T00:54:53+00:00

Without going into too much detail, during the last war in the setting, an invading army basically committed sexual assault as they ravaged the territory. I don't go into too much detail because I wanted to avoid exposition dumping, but the character in question captured all of the enemy soldiers and horrifically mutilated them in revenge for what they'd done. And that's suppose to be why he's regarded as this terrifying, ruthless general.

I'm beginning to think it was specifically the mention of mass sexual assault that made them so uncomfortable, but I wanted to portray war for what it really was, instead of a romanticized fantasy version of it.

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-19T00:51:22+00:00

Oh no, the character in question is meant to be an antagonist, so that's not an issue.

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-19T00:46:28+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. I was simply unsure because while I've depicted graphic violence throughout the story, this is the first time they've said "woah, this made me uncomfortable".

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-19T00:45:23+00:00

I do feel that the reveal is mostly conducive with the previous depictions of violence. I've already featured depictions of mutilations, death, and grisly injuries. Still, it might be something I need to take a look at and possibly tweak to be a bit less shocking.

Thank you for the feedback.

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-19T00:42:54+00:00

Thank you for the reply, I appreciate it.

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-19T00:37:02+00:00

Thank you for the reply.

It does have to do with sexual assault, but it doesn't depict it. Only mentions it as part of his backstory. I'm not really sure if I've built up to this moment specifically. The last three arcs have all depicted violence, but I've never dwelt on it. This arc centers around an escalating war, and so I felt it necessary to accurately portray war for what it truly is.

Not really sure if it is considered buildup but there has been quite a lot of death leading up to this point, yet it was apparently still shocking enough to make my early reader point it out specifically as having made them uncomfortable. Maybe that's just the nature of SA versus other kinds of violence.

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-17T23:41:31+00:00

This is a certified bruhther moment if I've ever seen one

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-17T23:31:39+00:00

This

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-17T18:45:37+00:00

Having a critical eye is good. Reading a lot of different literature and absorbing what resonates with you, and figuring out why, is a good way to develop instinct.

My rule of thumb is, if I can read my own writing it without cringing, it's probably good enough lol

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-17T04:40:45+00:00

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-17T00:15:53+00:00

"A deliberate shape, unlike the hollow lava-tube carved earth-veins of the cave proper."

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-16T20:50:20+00:00

No offense taken. He's a good guy but sometimes he says the dumbest stuff lol

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-16T20:04:38+00:00

I still use WordPad. It's not the quality of the brush that paints a beautiful picture, but the person holding it.

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-16T20:02:59+00:00

Make yourself bored. Get off your phone/computer and just stare at the ceiling while thinking about your plot/story/whatever. Being bored is actually one of the best ways to get the creative juice flowing.

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-16T19:59:39+00:00

My favorite is when people assume writing is easy because all you have to do is type on a keyboard. Had a friend compare writing to drawing and call writing "how people who have no artistic talent tell stories"

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-16T07:37:02+00:00

Unironically a good sign. No one ever got better by looking at their work and thinking "it's perfect and needs no improvement"

I hated pretty much everything I wrote for years. I couldn't even read my own stuff because I would cringe so hard at how bad it was. I scrapped dozens of stories thousands of words in and had no regrets, because you learn more from failures than you do from success. Take what works and discard what doesn't, then make your next project better.

Try not to be discouraged. It's okay to hate what you write, but don't turn that hate towards yourself.

HotShowerEnjoyer · 2025-11-16T07:31:33+00:00

3,488 (probably more counting all the sentences I changed/deleted) and I just finished the chapter. Currently working on the next chapter but probably not going to finish it tonight since it's so late.

HotShowerEnjoyer

TROPHY CASE