Hey this is kinda important.
Now that I am done being distracted by BABIES
◊ I have something to say. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I don't think a refresher could hurt.
Specifically, the whole mental illness thing as it is portrayed in writing.
To better represent my concerns, I'm gonna use an analogy I think will be a bit easier for people to understand.
We have a "no rape" rule in order to put a damper on unwanted, godmodded-in ships/sex scenes after a Particular Incident. But since then, we've by and large been afraid to touch such a sensitive issue, and for good reason. I mean, it's rape. You don't fuck around with something like that. You either go big, or go home.
Unfortunately, not all people do bother to "go big, or go home", and as a result, rape is used in one of two ways:
- as a punchline for juvenile dipshits when just saying "penis" won't cut it
- something "spicy" to throw into your character's backstory/arc for added drama.
Nobody really takes the first one seriously because it's mostly just done by thirteen year-olds, but the second is still unfortunately very prevalent. It isn't seen as an issue, it's seen as a cheap plot device; a Get Out of Jail Free card of writing conflict. This is not the way to handle something like this. Not rape, not suicide, not mental illness. These issues also seem to have similar problems being represented properly in writing as rape does.
I'm not saying anyone here would stoop so far as to trivialise rape like this. But having seen a veritable flood of LOL IM SUCH A SADIST jokes lately, and the saturation of two or three character arcs spread across multiple characters, I'm starting to get a little concerned. Maybe it's wrong for me to jump to conclusions like this, but I think it should be said, even if nobody is doing this, or even if you're doing it unconsciously and didn't mean to offend.
Psychological issues are not something you just throw in without considering the ramifications of what you're about to write. You don't do it because you want something to happen the same way we have Shitty Animu Day, and you don't do it just because everyone else is. Imagine if one of us had a character get raped, and then everyone else just decided to do it to because that's the "new thing" and you're in the "rape club" or whatever?
That's all I have to say. Please consider this.
edited 27th Jul '14 7:07:03 PM by GameSpazzer
MY SOUL IS DARK BUT MY HAIR IS COLORFUL — Brahian Pokémon AlchemistAs for your writing, it's generally okay, though I think the narrative prompt could stand to ease up a little bit. I'm more worried about some of the jokes people have been making lately. Yeah, we all make them, but these days it seems like there are entire pages composed of naught but TEEHEE BRAINFUCK.
MY SOUL IS DARK BUT MY HAIR IS COLORFUL — Brahian Pokémon AlchemistThat's something I should definitely watch out for.
What if there’s no better word than just not saying anything?THIS IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT, THOUGH
(Box don't look, there are spoilers.)
MY SOUL IS DARK BUT MY HAIR IS COLORFUL — Brahian Pokémon Alchemist

hey
hey duff
duff hey
you know what is a game you should play
UN JOUR JE SERAI DE RETOUR PRÈS DE TOI