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Violanthe · Webmaster Joined: 24 Jul 2003 Posts: 5903

Is there any theme, subject or plot you wouldn't write about? Anything that you simply will not include in your stories?
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Richard H. Fay · Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 12:22 pm

Well, I don't usually write sex scenes in my work, because I don't feel a need to include them. That doesn't mean I never would, it just means I have never had a reason to use them.

I think certain subjects should be handled with care. I would never use blatant racism in my work, unless it was an opportunity to show how ridiculous and disgusting it truly is. I would feel very uncomfortable using racial epithets in my work. It's just not something I would be likely to write.

I also don't use a lot of gore in my writing. I prefer atmospheric horror to gory horror. When I do have blood in a scene, it's used sparingly for maximum effect. I think you can go overboard with the gore, and have "gore overload".

I'm not saying that I consider gore completely off-limits, it's just not something I use very often. I usually find other ways of creating that frightened chill.
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Nik · Senior Member Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 805 Location: UK

One of the boards where I post tales is, IIRC, '13-limit', which suits me fine.

I have written darker and/or more adult tales but either they've stayed as draft MS, or I've kept them among friends. And I do try to imply rather than slosh gore etc. One friend was quite horrified to discover he'd imagined most of the sex, drugs and gore he thought he'd read...

The really dark stuff I can't abide, can't deal with, except at a very careful remove.

For the opening of my posted vampire tale, I casually depopulated a triply contested chunk of Central Africa. I killed off tens of thousands of innocents, umpteen banditos, most of the Cameroon Blue Helmet contingent and a quorum of the HotZone team with an especially nasty haemorrhagic fever--- Superficially, just to explain why the lead character was on light duties, skinny and bald. As he said, ' One advantage of working to exhaustion is that faces & cases blur...'

Peter · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 1:26 am

I don't write pornography, or stories that involve child abuse/molestation, rape and the like. The characters I create may well have had bad things like that happen to them, but I wouldn't describe them as they happened.

I also don't write sex scenes unless it has major relevance to the story - if it doesn't, then it's just pornography.

I don't do gore or splatterpunk, nor tales that involve vampires, were-creatures, elves, goblins, boggarts, etc.

Mervi · Warlord Joined: 29 Aug 2006 Posts: 1119 Location: Finland

There are some things which I have no interest in writing about: on-screen rape or child abuse or the start of a romance (which is apparently now the end all and be all of romance... Rolling Eyes

) or modern settings or too mundane settings or events.

David M. · Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 12:14 am

To me religion is a turn off. If I were to write about it, I know I'd have to research it completely to do it justice and I'm rather uninterested in the moment at it.

Internally I have a Science - Religion war of sorts going on.
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Violanthe · Webmaster Joined: 24 Jul 2003 Posts: 5903

Peter · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 3:33 pm

From one dictionary definition of pornography.

Sexually explicit pictures, writing, or other material whose primary purpose is to cause sexual arousal.

My primary purpose in writing a sex scene (if and when I must) isn't to do this, so it isn't pornography by this definition.

For me, it has to advance the plot or build on character, or both. If it doesn't, then yes, it's mere pornography.

Queen Of The Abyss · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 5:13 pm

I also avoid excessive use of sex scenes. Te few times I've written any, I really only include before and, maybe, after. I never write who put what where. We all know how the pieces fit. Besides, there are people out there who do way more "interesting" things than I could imagine.

I don't write child abuse scenes. However, I have written scenes that include violence against women. On the other hand, I've written scenes where women use violence against men. But those acts are never the point of the story.

Other things I like to stay away from are: vampires, religion, and politics.

David Thomas Lord · Visiting Author Joined: 05 Jul 2006 Posts: 172

I cannot say with certainty that there is a theme, subject or plot I would never use. It's that "never say never" thing. However, I have no interest in zombies or military history. Now that I've said that, I'll no doubt start thinking about the military history of zombies!

DougGogerty · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 4:35 pm

Zombies are just vampires with different motivation... But, the military history of zombies...
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Queen Of The Abyss · Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 11:19 pm

Violanthe · Webmaster Joined: 24 Jul 2003 Posts: 5903

Shadow_Ferret · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:47 pm

Anything I'd be concerned about my kids reading.

So explicit sex and cursing.

Violanthe · Webmaster Joined: 24 Jul 2003 Posts: 5903

But not graphic violence?
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Ian · Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 4:49 pm

I feel I instinctively know what is right and wrong. I just trust my instincts.