the question I have to ask is “Will this drive more than 5% of my reading audience insane?”
If you have to ask that question, publish.
Spoken like a man who’s never actually driven any of his readers insane.
I propose that general class of poke-the-taboo is a fourth, non useful direction, “modernarttopia”. Suggestions should poke something the public isn’t even aware is a taboo.
Well put. Although it’s okay to have a scenario that violates something the public is aware as a taboo, as long as the violation is surprising and has a surprising fun-theoretical reason. It’s mostly the obvious that traps you.
Spoken like a man who’s never actually driven any of his readers insane.
Well put. Although it’s okay to have a scenario that violates something the public is aware as a taboo, as long as the violation is surprising and has a surprising fun-theoretical reason. It’s mostly the obvious that traps you.
Have you ever driven your readers insane? If yes, I’d like to hear that story. And are we talking “mildly unsettled” or “get a straitjacket”?
I think that’s almost certainly true. But if you did hear the story, would you wish you hadn’t?