Pro tip: Check your writing prompts for 'hidden' trigger warnings before sharing them

I visited a local writing meetup last week and saw someone trigger a panic attack with a prompt about drowning that didn't have any warning, and now the whole group is rethinking how they share ideas.

2 comments

2 Comments

evaperez7d ago

Yeah, my friend had something kinda similar happen. She shared a creative nonfiction piece about her time in foster care at a workshop and didn't put a trigger warning on it because she thought it was just her normal life story. A woman in the group started crying and had to leave the room because it brought up her own childhood trauma. My friend felt awful, like she'd accidentally punched someone in the gut. Now she puts warnings on everything she shares, even stuff that seems mild to her, because she learned the hard way that you never know what's gonna hit someone. It's not about being dramatic, it's about giving people a chance to brace themselves.

the_rose8d ago

Gently point out that not ALL prompts need trigger warnings, just the ones with REALLY intense or specific content like drowning, violence, or trauma. I once saw a writing group that went OVERBOARD and put warnings on every single prompt about the weather or a character being sad. It actually made people more anxious because they were constantly bracing for something awful that never happened. A little common sense goes a long way - warn for the big stuff, not the everyday human experience.