How to Write Impactful Sensitive Scenes Without Being Explicit or Offensive
**Disclaimer: The following article contains sensitive topics such as r*pe and suicide. If you are sensitive to these subjects, please skip this article.
Before I dive into this topic, I want to acknowledge and honor those writers who choose not to include sensitive scenes in their work—God bless you! You’re doing something truly admirable. I love it when I come across a book, movie, or TV series that is both realistic and captivating, yet completely free of sensitive content.
That said, unless a story is entirely lighthearted in nature—like Anne of Green Gables—such works are often hard to find. That’s why I want to focus on helping writers who do include sensitive content in their stories, whether you’re a Christian author or writing for secular audiences. My goal is to guide them in doing so effectively—without going overboard, compromising the scene’s integrity or the storyline, and, most importantly, keeping their work “Christian-friendly.”
Of course, many writers can pull off writing sensitive scenes without adding graphic detail, and I’m not implying otherwise. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is a good example. It deals with heavy and sensitive themes, such as war, trauma, and loss, but handles them with restraint and elegance, avoiding graphic or gratuitous content.
If you can do this, always do this.
However, sometimes a story may require the writer to push the boundaries a little for the sake of the scene, to convey the emotion to the reader in a particular way, and for specific story growth that can only occur effectively within that scene.
This article covers that very aspect.
While it’s important for some Christian creatives to write realistic fiction that doesn’t shy away from the brutal and dark truths of real life, that doesn’t give everyone free rein, either. There must be a balance, and sometimes, that can be challenging for writers who may not know how to do this properly.
When they’re part of the story, sensitive topics must be addressed, not glossed over, for many stories to feel realistic. Of course, some stories successfully gloss over the sensitive content in a way that graphic detail isn’t necessary. But other times, detail is necessary, and omitting it to avoid offending or triggering anyone might do your story a disservice.
The writer must find the balance between what is necessary for a scene or character’s development and what is too extreme for Christian-friendly fiction. They should know when and where to draw the line with sensitive content and when to push the boundaries a little.
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