In-Story Warnings
The Basics
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There are two types of warnings I will talk about: content warnings and trigger warnings. These are often abbreviated to CW and TW respectively.
Episode’s guidelines, when adhered to, filter out most of the content we don’t want to see. However, there is some content that is appropriate and passes the guidelines, but still deserves a warning.
First, let’s get the misinformation about the word ‘trigger’ out of the way:
Trigger does not mean offended, or that something elicits negative feelings in a person.
It means that something triggers intense flashbacks, dissociation, or panic attacks, most often from past trauma.
Content warnings warn the reader about content that could be generally upsetting. Some things that need a content warning:
- Violence
- Death
- Sexual activity
- Usage of alcohol or drugs
- Strobe lights
Trigger warnings are a type of content warning that warn the reader about content that could be upsetting for readers with anxiety disorders so they are not taken by surprise by a reminder of intense trauma. This gives the reader time to prepare themselves with their coping mechanisms for a scene that could potentially trigger an intense reaction.
Some things that need a trigger warning:
- Any form of abuse
- Addiction
- Graphic violence
- Death
- Eating disorders or body dysmorphia
- Any form of hate speech or hate crimes
- Suicide or self harm
- Sexual assault
- Animal abuse
- Blood
- Abduction
- Gun violence
How to Use Warnings
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You should always place a warning directly before the scene occurs. Ideally, create a choice that will allow the readers to choose if they would like to view the scene or skip it. This allows readers who want to read the story to actually read it without having to abandon it altogether to avoid the scene. Do not place a trigger warning without a description. This is a common mistake, and a warning that just says “trigger warning” won’t help anyone as they don’t know what they need to prepare for. Here’s an example of how to correctly incorporate a warning.
INT. BLACK - NIGHT
NARRATOR
TW: the following scene contains racist hate speech directed at a character.
Would you like to skip it?
choice
"I want to skip the scene." {
goto endofscene
} "I want to view the scene." {
goto scene
}
If it is a theme throughout the story, present throughout, a warning at the beginning will do:
INT. BLACK - NIGHT
NARRATOR
TW: the following story contains racism and hate speech. Read at your own risk.
Why Warnings are Important
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Content warnings are extremely important. There are many individuals throughout with anxiety disorders, myself included. Including triggering content that reminds one of past or current trauma can induce extreme stress for them, through panic attacks or dissociation, for example.
I know from personal experience that seeing triggering content is highly upsetting. Helping people like me to avoid this stress is not ‘coddling’ but being aware and accepting of those with mental health issues. Neglecting to add content warnings is dangerous to readers’ mental health and could very easily result in a panic attack.
Please be mindful of what others are going through when writing.
Feel free to ask any questions, add on, or request an edit.
