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<blockquote data-quote="Janx" data-source="post: 8115300" data-attributes="member: 8835">I'm not a fan of twitmobs, either. And I'm actively trying to finish a book and publish it, so this whole topic isn't academic. There's a real possibility somebody won't like how I wrote the characters who aren't like me despite efforts to &quot;get it right.&quot;&nbsp; I cannot control a mob reaction.&nbsp; But I can do things to reduce the chances of a negative response.Anything dealing with race, slavery, gender, rape or mental health is an increasingly sensitive subject.&nbsp; A story about any of that as a major element needs to be handled carefully. And backlash should be expected because the most perfect expression of a progressive ideal on one of those subjects will get you the hornet of conservatives opposed to it.&nbsp; Or vice versa in Zhao's case as she got hit from behind because of a perceived mistake.A writer has to figure out, is their story about the importance of eating vegetables, or slavery?&nbsp; Then decide if those sensitive elements are needed to meet that goal. Or if there's a way to avoid negative tropes because a story needs a diverse character set and that means different races and genders.&nbsp; That might mean some things are taboo, like having the black character die first. Blame the piles of bad behavior that came before for removing options from you now.This is the world we live in.&nbsp; These are the strategies to avoid trouble.&nbsp; Yeah, it'd be great if trouble wasn't looking for me, but them's the risks if I want to publish.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Janx, post: 8115300, member: 8835"] I'm not a fan of twitmobs, either. And I'm actively trying to finish a book and publish it, so this whole topic isn't academic. There's a real possibility somebody won't like how I wrote the characters who aren't like me despite efforts to "get it right." I cannot control a mob reaction. But I can do things to reduce the chances of a negative response. Anything dealing with race, slavery, gender, rape or mental health is an increasingly sensitive subject. A story about any of that as a major element needs to be handled carefully. And backlash should be expected because the most perfect expression of a progressive ideal on one of those subjects will get you the hornet of conservatives opposed to it. Or vice versa in Zhao's case as she got hit from behind because of a perceived mistake. A writer has to figure out, is their story about the importance of eating vegetables, or slavery? Then decide if those sensitive elements are needed to meet that goal. Or if there's a way to avoid negative tropes because a story needs a diverse character set and that means different races and genders. That might mean some things are taboo, like having the black character die first. Blame the piles of bad behavior that came before for removing options from you now. This is the world we live in. These are the strategies to avoid trouble. Yeah, it'd be great if trouble wasn't looking for me, but them's the risks if I want to publish. [/QUOTE]

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