Writing is easy. You sit, open a vein, and bleed your story onto the page. Publishing that takes courage.
I was speaking to a friend the other day about how I had to make peace with the fact that my words have the potential to hurt someone. However, careful or unintentional the injury is > it has happened and will happen again.
I try to be clear on what to expect with my books: the character's internal struggle(s) are usually more than external struggle (blame my psych background & years of therapy), happy/dysfunctional/kissed by BDSM sex (usually some act out of the ordinary cause you know it's my brand.), and a happily ever after. If there's abuse, rape, major struggles I ensure that's in the blurb so a reader isn't side swiped.
However something that isn't triggering to me, the variety of editors, and people who read my work before it is on the world's bookshelf could set someone else off.
You might be sharing details about faucets of yourself or your own experiences so you can feel exposed and criticism hurts different if you share something that a reviewer hated.
I tend to write from my own experiences. I base my books in places I've lived or traveled to and have absorbed the environment and the details about a place. Many of my characters will have anxiety and when they love they love hard. There might be insta-romance > I knew within 20 minutes of meeting my love that he was my happily ever after. I've got a bit of a submissive bent so much of my work is licked with BDSM whether it's in that subgenre or not... It's the way I was written.
All I can say is I respect the authors who time and time again pour their soul on the page. Thank you for solidering forth bravely. Go big!
Many hugs, Z. Allora
