Book Karens
October 15, 2020 3:43 am Leave your thoughts
So…I didn’t write it for you. And I’m pretty sure other authors didn’t either.
Once again I’m annoyed at the permission-seeking weirdos in writer’s groups. I like that people ask peers for advice and there is conversation…but the internet it is a strange place and people who answer either don’t know what they’re talking about, know enough to have an ego and think they know their shit (sometimes they do!) or they are Karens. “Karen” used to mean a middle-aged angry divorcee with a bad haircut who always wants to speak to the manager for something totally unnecessary. During the last few months, the MSM and drone sheep have tried to hi-jack it for themselves and apply it to anyone who stands up for themselves publicly. For this blog post, it’s going to be applied to randoms on the internet who want to nerf and police the world to suit them. You may see them commenting on a post they don’t agree with on a social media page they “liked and followed.” They literally go to the comment section and write “I don’t like this. Please unsubscribe me.” It’s cute…and also stupid.
I thought I’d put my thoughts on this issues away but I see this stuff nearly every day…If you’re the Original Poster, this is my opinion, (which I probably also gave you in the way of a semi-sarcastic oneliner. Cos that’s how I roll.) It’s not personal, I just can’t stand the premise and the precedent your inability to think for yourself is setting.
The comment I’m referring to asked, “Am I allowed to kill a dog in my book?”
I have a dog IRL, I like dogs a lot. Some of the saddest movies I’ve seen have involved the deaths of animals. Use it. Why the hell would you not? If I had a plot that could fit this in, hell yes, I would do it. I would build it up so much that you legitimately love the furry little character the most…then I will mop the fucking floor with your feelings when I kill it off. I wouldn’t do it for no reason either; shock value seems to work slightly better on film, there has to be a point to anything you write on the page otherwise it’s wasted word and page count. Aside from that…there is no reason why you can’t kill Rex the puppy. You’re supposed to be taking your reader/audience on a journey where they use their emotions and become involved. What a good way to ensure it.
Who exactly are you asking permission from?
There are people in this world who have no personality or plans for their life, whose only means to feel worthy is passing judgement on random people over the internet. These people come in many forms. Some of the funniest are the Karens. They’re the ones who literally make me laugh out loud in the “Oh, honey no…” kind of way that is (almost) even endearing! But why did the OP want to give them an opportunity to climb on a soapbox? On the thread, I was able to find a few comments saying that it wasn’t right to kill off the dog, also that it would alienate people, it would make sales go down (because that’s the most important thing… :\ ) and that it’s distasteful.
Know what is also distasteful? Fucking life.
There are pedos, murders, rapists, crooked cops, bad bosses, alcoholics who beat their wives and more. They exist in the real world, and there are a lot of them.
If you can’t handle the thought, stay at home where you feel safe and you can think about lollipops and needlecraft all day …Don’t you dare think you can tell someone how to think or what to create.
~ Fuck. You. ~
Where’s your spine, OP?
Why ask internet Karens anything? Doesn’t anyone create anymore without worrying about offending a hysterical, consumed-too-much-MSM loser? If someone is offended at words on a paper/screen then they need to grow a pair.
Write your story. Do not police your art for anyone. If you write something that offends one person, so what? I struggle to identify with someone who restricts their creativity, especially in case someone might not like it. If your story is shitty and has things which weren’t written as well as they should have been, you will probably figure that out in one of your drafts or edits. You don’t go on an open forum with know-nothings, jealous idiots and Karens to get any answer worth shit and not before you’ve even written a first draft. Wtf.
Being offended is subjective. What you take offense to depends on personal variables eg: how you grew up, where you live now, your community, your country, your family, your old school, your work, your past experiences. An author cannot cater for everyone, and shouldn’t have to try. As I wrote here, there are over 7 billion people in the world, you can’t make them all happy.
Karen, if don’t like the story/novel, based on the warnings you had prior; the blurb, other reader reviews, advertised genre etc. then stop reading and put the book down. It just wasn’t for you. Just like the restaurant you don’t go to anymore or the cereal you no longer buy because you had it once and didn’t care for it. Take some responsibility and stop trying to blame others/judge others for your choices.
OP, kill the dog. If it helps your story and is a key element, do it. Karen is a dumbshit.
TLDR:
*Do not police your art because you think some one random somewhere may not like it.
* If your controversial element has a reason to be in the book, and is written well, then do it.
*Real Karens are funny.
*For every book Karen, there are a hundred regular people who will think your plot is rad and appreciate your work.
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