Being a Better Writer: Don’t Get a Sensitivity Reader, Get an Expert · 9:52pm Mar 20th, 2023
I can hear the torches being lit from here with a title like that. Like the Beacons of Gondor, save instead of summoning riders, they’re summoning an unhappy bunch.
And … I kind of get it. Today’s title is a controversial one which just so happens to take a stance that would see you broadly booted from many online spaces without even a question (but with lots of irony).
But as usual, and before with some of the more controversial subjects this series has discusses, I’m asking you, readers, to extend a bit of trust. Yes, I acknowledge that today’s topic will not be to everyone’s taste. As noted above, there are spheres on the web where such a suggestion would instantly see you banned without question, defense, or even time to say “I was just kidding!” Point being, there are people for whom the idea of a “sensitivity reader” is sacrosanct, even more important than an editor or a copy-edit session.
Thing is, this doesn’t usually produce good books, because there are fundamental issues with sensitivity readers and what they do. One that makes them ideologically appealing to certain circles but an unfortunately toxic tool in many instances.
So, let’s dive into it. Let’s discuss the post that’s probably going to be the most controversial thing I write all year. Hit the jump, and let’s talk about why instead of getting a sensitivity reader, you should probably just track down an expert.
Oh, come on. What harm can come of giving the fate of your writing career to somebody who makes their entire life off being offended and inciting others to be offended?
Whelp. This is the first time I've heard the term 'Sensitivity Reader'. I can't imagine this would ever be useful outside of extreme echo chamber writing.
See this BABW post reminds of the utter shitshow that YA fiction has become. It was--and possibly still is, it's been awhile since I cared to check--completely overrun by some of the most ridiculous (and possibly insane) people I've ever seen. Entire stories, written and ready to go to the presses for final printing, were being torn apart and canceled because a mob of oppression-obsessed, power-tripping nobodies managed to get themselves into positions where they were somehow the final authority on what was allowed in a story.
People had checklists, actual lists, of things that a story had to include to be approved of, and other things that it couldn't include if the author wasn't part of the correct demographic or willing to bring in a vetted "consultant" to oversee those elements' inclusion. And if the author didn't fall in line and obey? Instantly buried under a howling mob of fanatics looking to destroy them and make them incapable of writing ever again, though (AFAIK) only online and not in RL.