[Please read all the way down to understand Moot policy on content warnings.]

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The Moot asks submitting authors to provide any relevant content warnings for their manuscripts. This post will clarify what this means and when a warning is appropriate.

 

Content warnings help everyone make an informed choice about what we're reading. It's like checking the weather before going outside.

 

For people who have survived trauma or cope with mental illness, content warnings can prevent flashbacks, anxiety attacks, nightmares, nausea, or other symptoms that can last for hours or days.

 

And for other folks, a cw can help us avoid reading about abuse or murder when we're not in a fit state.

 

Of course, we can't protect each other from every unpleasant experience. But in the interest of eventually having a less traumatized society, we can aim for the low-hanging fruit.

 

Here are some examples of events or story elements that warrant a content warning. Even if such an event is not graphically described, if it is witnessed, imagined — or especially experienced — by one of your characters, it merits a warning in the Moot.

 

Death, murder, dead bodies (human or animal)

Injuries, gore, blood, vomiting

Gun violence

Rape, sexual assault

Domestic violence, physical abuse, child abuse

Self-harm, suicide

Hate speech, slurs

Possession, metaphysical violence, gaslighting

Abortion, miscarriage, stillbirth

Animal cruelty or death

Drinking, intoxication

Drug use, overdosing

Fire, immolation

Kidnapping, being tied up or held captive

Car crashes

Drowning

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Here is an example of a well-worded cw from a fellow Moot-member:

 

Warning:

This piece contains some dark and heavy emotional content, including references to war, alcoholism, infanticide and abortion.

 

The MWM has a firm policy on requiring cw.

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Content warnings are required for any potentially traumatic or disturbing material that is submitted for Moot discussion. The final decision on whether a cw is warranted and how it is worded, is the purview of the Moot admin.

Thank you for reading and for taking this into consideration when you are submitting work.