Here Be Dragons…Why I Refuse to put a “Trigger Warning” on my Horror Writing

What Genres do you Expect Explicit Content?

Just last night, I saw a discussion from another author, asking whether we as authors were obligated to put “trigger warnings” on our writing to warn readers of explicit content. As a survivor of sexual assault and abuse, I have mixed feelings on this issue. For most cases, sure. It can be a nasty surprise if you’re not expecting it. And if you’re reading romance, “literature”, action, even standard thrillers or suspense, sure, I’ll put a trigger warning for the worst stuff.

HORROR DOESN’T NEED A TRIGGER WARNING

But there is one realm of fiction that I take a strong stance that needs no trigger warning. The genre of HORROR.

Horror takes it’s roots from the depths of the human psyche. It is the unknown evil that lurked beyond the safety and warmth of the fire before the days of civilization while creatures stalked the night. Fed to us with our mother’s milk, we swallowed it along with her dreams and despair. The archetypes remain the same through out the ages, though they may take different shapes and forms whether in books or movies.

We read and watch horror TO BE TRIGGERED.

To be ripped down and shaken to our very core. To be dragged back to our very worst fears and reminded we are not at the top of the world. Horror hits at the visceral themes of life. Whether it Human vs.:

-Human

-Nature

-Paranormal

-Or sometimes the most frightening of all: our own selves

Horror is not for everyone for many reasons. But I argue it is the one genre where anything goes. I can only speak for myself, but I write horror to express the things I cannot out loud, to release the darkness within.

Final Thoughts

If you are opening a novel, or watching a movie in the horror genre, you are stepping down the path into the unknown. And if you are reading ANY of my horror writing YOU WILL BE TRIGGERED. Consider that your warning.

Beware, for Here Be Dragons…

About the Author

DM Shepard pulled up anchor at the age of 18 and joined the US Navy to escape a small town in the Mojave Desert. A diagnosis of MS disrupted her dreams of becoming a super-spy or astronaut, so she became a super electrical engineer instead. Through many twists and turns, she made her way north to Alaska. She enjoys writing about her journey as a woman working in STEM, her struggles with MS, and her adventures living in Alaska. Her novels are about women in STEM saving the day, and the awesome men who sometimes help them. Her first novel, The Dark Land is available on Amazon and in selected stores. She and her husband have undertaken the ultimate test, turning 30 acres of wilderness into an off-grid non-profit: Fortymile STEAM Foundation