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Q&A How to be mindful of the reader when handling disturbing/distressing subjects?

I think you should hold nothing back. I believe there's a quote about how softening and sanitizing your style to appeal to a larger group is the recipe for mediocrity, but I can't find it. Do you ...

posted 7y ago by elrobis‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T07:11:38Z (about 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/30945
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar elrobis‭ · 2019-12-08T07:11:38Z (about 5 years ago)
I think you should hold nothing back. I believe there's a quote about how softening and sanitizing your style to appeal to a larger group is the recipe for mediocrity, but I can't find it.

Do you want to trigger the gripping, riveting empathy you are imagining, or not?

Anecdotal aside: When I was a kid I read Treasure Island, and the scene where blind Pew sneaks into the Admiral Benbow and grapples Jim, seemingly from out of nowhere, scared me so bad I put down the book for quite some time. Weeks, I think. But I eventually finished it.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2017-10-20T17:13:40Z (about 7 years ago)
Original score: 3