Taboo Novel Themes?

[Ms Fidem]

I am currently working on writing a story that may contain some, taboo themes. I'm not sure whether to travel down such a path, but I figured that I would try something different.

Essentially, after studying Greek Theatre (of the Ancient variety) in my drama class, many...surprising themes arose and caught my attention. I don't want my story to be the cliché: girl meets perfect boy. They fall in love. He has some dark secret or turns out to be a vampire. Trouble comes up. She either joins him or leaves him. I want it to be different, slightly twisted and mental.

Should I, or should I stick to something milder?

[Symphony of Magic]

Write what you want.

If you want to break "taboos", go ahead and break them. Push your boundaries, if you want. You don't have to stick to "milder" themes, but you can if you want to. Write what you want.

[crescent_moon065]

i am book worm

I am currently working on writing a story that may contain some, taboo themes. I'm not sure whether to travel down such a path, but I figured that I would try something different.

Essentially, after studying Greek Theatre (of the Ancient variety) in my drama class, many...surprising themes arose and caught my attention. I don't want my story to be the cliché: girl meets perfect boy. They fall in love. He has some dark secret or turns out to be a vampire. Trouble comes up. She either joins him or leaves him. I want it to be different, slightly twisted and mental.

Should I, or should I stick to something milder?

Go for it, you get nowhere being normal. Vladimir Nabokov wrote a story in the perspective of a ***** which is very twisted (Lolita)

[Ms Fidem]

crescent_moon065

i am book worm

I am currently working on writing a story that may contain some, taboo themes. I'm not sure whether to travel down such a path, but I figured that I would try something different.

Essentially, after studying Greek Theatre (of the Ancient variety) in my drama class, many...surprising themes arose and caught my attention. I don't want my story to be the cliché: girl meets perfect boy. They fall in love. He has some dark secret or turns out to be a vampire. Trouble comes up. She either joins him or leaves him. I want it to be different, slightly twisted and mental.

Should I, or should I stick to something milder?

Go for it, you get nowhere being normal. Vladimir Nabokov wrote a story in the perspective of a ***** which is very twisted (Lolita)

That actually sounds very interesting. I'd love to read that book.

Well, thank-you for your advice. smile

[crescent_moon065]

i am book worm

crescent_moon065

i am book worm

I am currently working on writing a story that may contain some, taboo themes. I'm not sure whether to travel down such a path, but I figured that I would try something different.

Essentially, after studying Greek Theatre (of the Ancient variety) in my drama class, many...surprising themes arose and caught my attention. I don't want my story to be the cliché: girl meets perfect boy. They fall in love. He has some dark secret or turns out to be a vampire. Trouble comes up. She either joins him or leaves him. I want it to be different, slightly twisted and mental.

Should I, or should I stick to something milder?

Go for it, you get nowhere being normal. Vladimir Nabokov wrote a story in the perspective of a ***** which is very twisted (Lolita)

That actually sounds very interesting. I'd love to read that book.

Well, thank-you for your advice. smile

Of course! Keep reading and writing smile .

[Mortok]

I've read books aimed at teenagers that deal with murder, incest, gangrape and forced abortion. One particular gem contained all of those.

Write whatever you want. Anything and everything that we consider "taboo" has already been dealt with extensively in literature and other media. You're not treading any new ground.

[I_Write_Ivre]

Taboo themes are things like 'kill all disabled people because they're slow' or 'why you shouldn't feel remorse for violence against someone whose looks you don't like' in all seriousness.

In this day and age, aiding and abetting the murder of a thief and politician in order to try and save billions of lives is a been-there-done-that plot.

[10 Cent Pistol]

It's tough to find a new taboo these days, but writing it from an unsuspected perspective might be very refreshing. (Like when Capote wrote from the perspective of a murderer.)

[marshmallowcreampie]

Per Noctem

Write what you want.

If you want to break "taboos", go ahead and break them. Push your boundaries, if you want. You don't have to stick to "milder" themes, but you can if you want to. Write what you want.

This. Write what you want, write what you feel what works.

I also want to add that "taboo" depends on where you live, and who the book is written for. Writing a children's book featuring a gay character can be taboo in the USA, particularly in certain areas, but writing a gay character for a novel aimed at teens or adults wouldn't really be controversial. And even if you do write a topic that's "taboo", it probably won't be that big a deal. There are lots of books that deal with "taboo" material, even in their audience, but nobody really cares. Unless something happens that drags a lot, and I mean a LOT, of attention to your book, nobody will care.

[Lazarus Larkin]

What's the taboo part?

[Ms Fidem]

Lazarus Larkin

What's the taboo part?

Incest.

[Darth Whovian]

i am book worm

Lazarus Larkin

What's the taboo part?

Incest.

That's been done; look at game of thrones. So go for it. You'll be fine.

[Alberic of Krufton]

Darth Whovian

i am book worm

Incest.

That's been done; look at game of thrones. So go for it. You'll be fine.

Comes up a lot in Heinlein, too, as a positive (?) thing. Also occurs in the Bible as a less positive thing.

I'd be surprised if someone writes anything that legitimately shocks Your General Audience anymore. Society in general seems to be fairly jaded.

[Ms Fidem]

Alberic of Krufton

Darth Whovian

i am book worm

Incest.

That's been done; look at game of thrones. So go for it. You'll be fine.

Comes up a lot in Heinlein, too, as a positive (?) thing. Also occurs in the Bible as a less positive thing.

I'd be surprised if someone writes anything that legitimately shocks Your General Audience anymore. Society in general seems to be fairly jaded.

So in other words, I shouldn't be concerned?

[Lazarus Larkin]

Flowers in the Attic is what comes to mind when I hear the word "incest". And I never even read that one, haha.

But yeah, it's not exactly a new topic.