Accidentally offending readers

[David McAfee]

It happens.  There are members of my family who won't read the Harry Potter books because they deal with "magic."  And I'm pretty sure they wouldn't read 33 AD--they wouldn't go to see "Jesus Christ Superstar" the rock opera because they didn't think it was respectful.  You have to be true to yourself and write honestly and let the chips fall where they may.  You'll win some (readers) and lose some (readers).

Betsy

Heh. Besty brought up 33 A.D. before I could. I mean come on...a book about vampires trying to kill Jesus? I mighta been asking fro trouble there.

You do what you can, man. I didn't set out to offend anyone, but I have offended a few. You didn't set out to offend anyone, but you have, and probably will again.

It kinda goes with the territory.

[Daniel Arenson]

Heh. Besty brought up 33 A.D. before I could. I mean come on...a book about vampires trying to kill Jesus? I mighta been asking fro trouble there.

You do what you can, man. I didn't set out to offend anyone, but I have offended a few. You didn't set out to offend anyone, but you have, and probably will again.

It kinda goes with the territory.

I mentioned 33 AD in the OP.  I give you credit where it's due. 

[kcmay]

Look at what Dan Brown writes. Talk about offending people! I have a coworker who won't read his books or see the movies because she knows she'll be offended.

People need to chill out and remember this is fiction! You could put a disclaimer in the front that says the opinions expressed by some characters in the story do not necessarily reflect those of the author... but you shouldn't have to.

[Tom Wood]

And then there was the time that I wrote a poem about cooking rice, and it was rejected for being "too explicit."  I really didn't even want to imagine what she thought the poem was really about....

It was all that boiling, and simmering, and steaming.  

[Edward C. Patterson]

You never know how a reader feels about your subject matter and you would think that a reader would look before purchasing. I had a reader (not one that purchased the book, mind you - but a gift), tell me upon reading No Irish Need Apply, which is about two teenagers coming out of the closet that it made her puke and gave her nightmares (and this reader is also a writer). That a book should connect with a reader and make them think and even stir them up, is good - but puke and nightmares (it's not a horror genre) was something that I didn't expect. Such is the risk of penning gay-themed works. Fortunately, I've been very pleased at responses from people who told me they were surprised at how the gay-themes are handled in my books (I don't get on the soapbox, and Ithey are R for language, but descriptive sex) — makes me feel ambassadorial, especially since I offer all my books free to the Armed Forces.  

Ed Patterson

[John Hartness]

I have never accidentally offended anyone. I've spent far too much time intentionally offending them.

Bleep 'em if they can't take a joke.

[Daniel Arenson]

Look at what Dan Brown writes. Talk about offending people! I have a coworker who won't read his books or see the movies because she knows she'll be offended.

People need to chill out and remember this is fiction! You could put a disclaimer in the front that says the opinions expressed by some characters in the story do not necessarily reflect those of the author... but you shouldn't have to.

I do have that disclaimer. 

My novel isn't nearly as controversial as Dan Brown's.  Flaming Dove is more like... a Meatloaf music video. 

[Eric C]

I do have that disclaimer. 

My novel isn't nearly as controversial as Dan Brown's.  Flaming Dove is more like... a Meatloaf music video. 

I see you're Canadian. Take a bus trip through America's deep south and all will become clear to you. 

[kcmay]

I see you're Canadian. Take a bus trip through America's deep south and all will become clear to you. 

LOL! They don't call it the Bible Belt for nothin'!
<-- lives in Georgia

[R. Doug]

Some people live to be, "offended."  Some people even make a career of it.  I pay such people no heed, as they will always find something about which to be "offended."  I'm more concerned about what offends me, and I style my writing accordingly.

[Linda S. Prather Author]

There are several scenes in The Gifts that I'm sure have offended someone at some point.  However, it was written in character. 

[T.L. Haddix]

I have offended a couple of readers with my first book.  It features two women who are victims of incest.  There is very little actual description of the incest, more a nightmare that alludes to it.  I've had people who won't read that book because of the subject matter.  That is a different thing - I understand that they can't handle it.  I can't handle books that deal with elder abuse or Alzheimer's disease.  Anyhow, this one person I'm thinking of was all "how dare you write a book about this?  It's dirty, and no one should write about that.  I was so offended, I almost stopped reading."  But she didn't.  She kept going.  It wasn't that she had difficulty with the subject but that she disapproved of my writing about it.  I wanted so badly to say "Geez, lady - people like you with their heads up their butts are a big part of why there is such a problem with this subject in the first place.  Just because you want to ignore it doesn't mean it will go away."  People like that are also the people who will eat at a restaurant until they are full and then have the audacity to complain about the meal and try to get it free.  Like a couple of others said, they live to complain. 

For the record, I didn't really mean this response to be so snarky.  It's just that hypocrisy pushes my buttons.  If someone has a legitimate complaint, that is fine.  But just to complain because they can?  GRRRRRRR. 

Okay, taking some calming breaths now. 

[G.L. Douglas]

I got the opposite reaction. My sci-fi adventure has some scriptural allegory, and plays off of some Bible happenings...what better stories are there? One of the reviewers raved about it, "eagerly read to the end" and gave me kudos as a first-time author, then slammed the spiritual content saying I had an "agenda" and he felt cheated after he'd read it.  He gave me two stars on Amazon, but is using the same review elsewhere and has change it to one star.

Interesting enough, I've found a couple of review sites where people have taken him to task for not just reviewing the book and keeping his personal issues out of it. 

The battle of good versus evil continues...

[Daniel Arenson]

What might have offended my reader is that in Flaming Dove, my angels are not perfect, not purely pious.  They have doubts.  They have weaknesses.  They're sometimes cowardly.  They're sometimes gruff, sometimes even a little ignoble.  They're not evil, not even anti-heroes; they're flawed.

But I don't think this contradicts the theology.  I think it's a very Old Testament attitude.  In the Old Testament, there are few cases of pure goodness; even the great spiritual leaders, such as Moses or David, sometimes sinned, made bad choices, and revealed deep flaws.  Even the most godlike beings faced trials they sometimes failed.  Angels, too; consider Genesis 6:1-4.

Likewise, my demons are not pure evil; they too exhibit a range of "human" qualities.  Again, I don't think this is offensive; in fact, even in Paradise Lost the fallen angels are portrayed sympathetically. 

So... I think readers who expect purely pious angels and purely evil demons might find offense.  But I hope I made the right choice, and that it makes my story richer... even if some people stop reading after chapter four. 

[Valmore Daniels]

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, and you will never write a bestselling novel. 

[RJ Keller]

I've had a few readers send me hate email. I mean that in the truest sense of the term. Most of them have been upset about the abortion scene in my book. Apparently hell yawns before me. It would be scary if it wasn't so funny.

[Chris J. Randolph]

I'm not sure who said it originally, but I think this old quote applies: "If you haven't offended anyone, you probably haven't written anything worth paying attention to."

[Philip Chen]

If you wrote a novel about okra, you can bet your britches that someone, somewhere will be offended!

[traceya]

Honestly Daniel I wouldn't give it a second thought - at least you didn't intend to be offensive as opposed to my dear husband who regularly practices being offensive for the fun of it... just kidding. 

I know where you're coming from though and the Christian world [I speak as a Christian myself] can be a very tough sell on anything they even remotely connect with the Devil.  I've been researching and writing a book on the history of Christianity for the past two years and blogged about it my final year at Uni and got literal death threats. 

Some of the people some of the time but none of the people all of the time.   

And as John said - controversy sells, just ask Dan Brown

[Daniel Arenson]

And as John said - controversy sells, just ask Dan Brown

Or Salman Rushdie...

[traceya]

Or Salman Rushdie...

Maybe don't go that far, just a suggestion 

[Daniel Arenson]

Maybe don't go that far, just a suggestion 

I think that might be a good idea.    And I don't. 

[foreverjuly]

Is Flaming Dove offensive?  I don't think so.  I certainly didn't intend it to offend.  But one reader read a few chapters, then stopped.  Because of his religion, he felt uncomfortable reading about a war between angels and demons, Heaven and Hell.  Okay, I don't know if he was offended per se, but he felt uncomfortable enough to stop reading.

Have you ever accidentally offended readers?  I don't see Flaming Dove as being a controversial book.  This isn't like the movies "Dogma" or "Religulous"; I'm not out to insult or attack religion.  I respect religion.  Flaming Dove is not a religious book, it's a fantasy novel.  Yes, it features angels and demons.  Yes, Michael the archangel is a character.  So is Beelzebub the demon.  But I also have a hot half-demon chick firing an Uzi, a huge black wolf who can tear demons apart, and a water gun firing holy water.  It's fantasy.

I wonder if he'd be offended by Paradise Lost.

[J.M. Pierce]

It's funny. You'd think that the cover would have given some of that away all by itself ,nevermind your description?!

My current WIP is going to bring me a lot of backlash from this very same crowd. Oh well, can't wait to exchange hate mail with you!

[David McAfee]

I mentioned 33 AD in the OP.  I give you credit where it's due. 

You sure did. Not sure how I missed that the first time. Sorry.