Why Should I Include Trigger Warnings?

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If I listed everything that may or may not upset a reader, it’d ruin the plot of my books. Trigger warnings might be helpful in genres geared toward children, but it’s ludicrous to think all genres should include them. If murder upsets you, good! The psychological thriller did its job. If you only want feel-good stories, maybe you shouldn’t read thrillers, horror, true crime, dark romance, or any other genre that veers into similar territories.

To expect a psychological thriller author to tell you in advance what may or may not cause you—a stranger—emotional distress, is absurd. It’d be a helluva lot easier for authors who write cozy-esque thrillers to say that, rather than force all thriller writers to predict what scenes may or may not upset a reader. Especially nowadays, when everyone seems overly sensitive.

In the real world, life is messy, violent, complicated, and too many nice guys finish last. Did the OBGYN stamp that warning on our wrists at birth? No. Why? Besides the obvious, it’s impossible to tell what a newborn might experience in their life. How, then, are we supposed to predict how a reader may or may not feel?

Also, the faceless, nameless “they” want us to include warnings for mere mentions of a triggering subject, even if it never occurs on the page. What??? Not only do we have to guess which subjects may or may not upset a current or future reader but now, we need to forewarn the mere mention of it, as well?

When do people start taking accountability for themselves?

We didn’t force anyone to buy our books. Thrillers often use an ominous cover and description. Is it our fault the sensitive reader ignored both cues?

I got fired up about this issue after a friend loaned his neighbor a signed copy of Merciless Mayhem. Eighteen months later, she finally returned it, but not before she cursed him out for not warning her of the content. There’s a skull on the cover! The water is blood red! What kind of novel did she think it was? Did she not read the description in eighteen months? Gimme a break. Some people are too quick to place blame anywhere but at themselves.

Another Example:

In my debut novel, MARRED, the protagonist is a rape survivor. I never showed the rape, and the story takes place three years later.

Does that mean a warning of “rape” should be included? Since it’s a series, should that same warning continue for all five books?

Thankfully, TWs weren’t “a thing” when it debuted, but my publisher and I still discussed it. Because I never showed the rape, neither of us considered it a problem, nor did any of my readers, judging by the reviews. I did, however, hear from more than one rape survivor who praised my book for showing what the act of rape does to a person ie., psychological damage and/or residual aftereffects, like obsessively showering or the need for order and/or control in their lives. They all said the book helped them to realize they’re reactions were common in rape survivors.

If MARRED had a TW of “rape” listed, none of those women would’ve read the book that helped them to move forward. Rubs against the argument to include TWs, doesn’t it?

If you still believe trigger warnings in books help trauma survivors, check out this scientific study’s conclusion with even more studies linked to conduct your own research:

Public arguments regarding trigger warnings have been politically charged, complex, and data-poor. Recent research on trigger warnings can importantly inform or perhaps even settle some of these debates. The research suggests that trigger warnings are unhelpful for trauma survivors, college students, trauma-naïve individuals, and mixed groups of participants (Bellet et al., 2018, 2020; Bridgland et al., 2019; Sanson et al., 2019).

The highlights of the 2018 empirical study:

Trigger warnings increase peoples’ perceived emotional vulnerability to trauma.
Trigger warnings increase peoples’ belief that trauma survivors are vulnerable.
Trigger warnings increase anxiety to written material perceived as harmful.

The 2020 Helping or Harming study acknowledges in its conclusions:

Trauma survivors (N = 451) were randomly assigned to either receive or not to receive trigger warnings before reading passages from world literature. We found no evidence that trigger warnings were helpful for trauma survivors, for participants who self-reported a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis, or for participants who qualified for probable PTSD, even when survivors’ trauma matched the passages’ content.

Trigger warnings can get ridiculous. This extensive list includes but is not limited to:

  • alcohol
  • divorce
  • cheating
  • car accident
  • death
  • bones
  • fire
  • gun violence
  • infertility
  • murder
  • attempted murder
  • pregnancy
  • profanity
  • religion
  • miscarriages
  • snakes
  • spiders
  • needles
  • terminal illness
  • anxiety
  • violence
  • hospitalization
  • childbirth
  • Harry Potter references
  • infertility

Keep in mind, we can’t even mention any of these without including a warning in advance.

Are. They. Serious? We’re expected to add a TW if a character drinks alcohol? The author isn’t forcing the reader to drink alcohol against their will.

Similar articles claim all authors have a “moral obligation to warn readers of all possible triggers.” No offense to younger generations, but many are offended by subjects that GenXers or Baby Boomers wouldn’t even recognize as problematic.

One trigger warning listed above is “divorce.” Does that mean if the book contains a divorced character, or the mention of someone divorcing, even in the past, we need to warn readers? What’s upsetting about a divorced character? Sure, divorce sucks to endure in real life, but how much emotional distress does a divorced character cause in readers? If the character never gets remarried—or does, but that still doesn’t erase their prior divorce—are all the books in the series doomed to wear that warning label? According to some readers, they say yes.

What part of fiction don’t they understand?

Why can’t a potential reader gain the same insight from the genre, description, and cover? Why is it our responsibility to guess what may or may not upset some readers?

Or—here’s a thought—maybe sensitive readers should stick with cozy beach reads with cute covers. Why choose a psychological thriller with an ominous cover and description, and then force the author to guess what may or may not “trigger” you?

It’s ridiculous! And so is the overused word “trigger.”

Thriller author Jay Darkmoore explains the difference between being triggered and feeling upset, offended, or sad:

The word triggered comes from psychology. It means to be triggered into a PTSD emotional flashback, to the point where something – an event, like combat and war – happened, and you are transported back to that situation and how you felt at the time. It means that your body reacts and your hormones spike. It means that you begin to shake, to run, to fight. You lose control of yourself because the stimulus has ‘triggered’ significant trauma. It hasn’t just upset or offended you. Being offended is a choice. Remember that. You CHOOSE to be offended and you CHOOSE to be angry.

You do not choose to be triggered. Stop saying being angry is the same as being triggered. They are worlds apart, and it’s very, very disrespectful to actual sufferers of PTSD and trauma to say you got triggered because you read about a bad thing happening that made you feel sad [or upset].  

 

Sensitive readers have no business venturing into the horror or psychological thriller aisles. Psychological thrillers should cause emotional distress. It’s right there in the genre title. And horror, well, it’s horrific.

One author complained about Stephen King causing her emotional distress. Um, yeah, that’s his job.

C’mon, folks. Take some responsibility for yourself.

Real Life does not forewarn us… of anything.

Y’know what I do when I stumble across a subject that isn’t my cup o’ tea? I close the book. Yes, it’s that simple. Close. The. Book. Move on with your life. You’re not its intended audience. And that’s okay. Books are not meant to be one-size-fits-all. Reading tastes are subjective. Isn’t that great? I think so.

I, for one, will never include trigger warnings (unless a publisher demands it). If a reader can’t tell my books may delve into uncomfortable subject matters — a pre-requisite for psychological thrillers, environmental thrillers, and true crime — that’s not my problem. The covers, descriptions, and genre should be enough for readers to make an informed decision.

How do you feel about trigger warnings? Let’s discuss.

Linked to Amazon

<–  This is the cover she thought would be a sweet, feel-good story.

Key “warnings” in the description are in bold:

Shawnee and Mayhem continue to wreak havoc on the Killzme Corporation—the largest animal trafficking ring in the country—by killing one poacher at a time. 

Meanwhile, the traffickers set their sights on capturing Orca for profit and pleasure.

With a ticking clock and no place left to hide, Shawnee and Mayhem alternate between undercover surveillance and clandestine battles to save their loved ones and the Innocent Ones from Killzme’s evil plans.

Skills are tested. Tenuous alliances formed. Not everyone will make it out alive.

Set in a world of cultural wonder, environmental threats, and looming danger, this heart-stopping eco-thriller will have you glued to the page from the first sentence to the last.

This entry was posted in #WritingCommunity, 2026 and tagged , , , , by Sue Coletta. Bookmark the permalink.

About Sue Coletta

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer of environmental thrillers, psychological thrillers, and narrative nonfiction/true crime. An active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers, Sue's Murder Blog has won many awards, including Feedspot and Expertido.org's “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” Check out her posts on the Kill Zone and Story Empire, where she's a regular contributor. Sue lives in New Hampshire, her humble abode surrounded by nature and wildlife, and exclusively writes gripping environmental thrillers now, with a focus on wildlife conservation. Oh, how she enjoys killing poachers! Sue also works as a freelance writer. Topics involving wildlife and environmental sciences are her personal favorites. Though modest about it, Sue's appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion, and three episodes of A Time to Kill on Investigation Discovery. Learn more about Sue and her books at https://suecoletta.com

53 thoughts on “Why Should I Include Trigger Warnings?”

  1. With a title like “Merciless Mayhem, what did the reader expect? A story about a seamstress?
    Some people can’t be happy unless they’ve been offended.

  2. I obviously don’t know the whole story about the upset reader, but it sounds to me like it wasn’t so much the book itself as the fact that a person whose judgement she trusted thought she would enjoy it. If someone gave me that book to read, I would decline. As you pointed out, she could have just closed it. I can’t imagine why she would have slogged through the whole thing if it was so disturbing for her. The cover, the description—how clueless was she?
    I must be zoning out too much. This is the first I’m hearing about trigger warnings.

    • I can see how you’d think that, Becky, but they aren’t friends, merely neighbors. The subject of books came up when she and her kids strolled over to see the chickens and asked him what I did for a living. Also, she read about two chapters. She did not slog through anything in eighteen months.

      When someone loans me a book, I breeze through the first chapter or two to see if I’ll like it first. 🤷🏻‍♀️

      • I should mention, which I didn’t when I posted at 3:00 this morning, that I love your books. Not my usual genre, but I started reading them because I liked you on this blog and wanted to support you. Keep up the good work, no matter who complains!

  5. I agree with you. That’s what covers and back cover copy are for. Every reader has to evaluate their potential reads. And if for some reason a reader picks up a book where perhaps the cover or blurb wasn’t obvious indication of type of content, then they simply know not to pick up another book by that author if their subject matter bothers them that much.

    I was trying to recall if there’s ever been an instance where I didn’t feel the cover/blurb clued me in on the nature/tone of the book and I couldn’t think of one, so clearly authors are pretty good about selecting relevant covers, etc.

    What I do sometimes find missing from blurbs has nothing to do with trigger warnings, but if I’m reading a blurb/looking at a cover and I have no idea what time period the book is set in, I pass it by. But I think that’s peculiar to me. Most people probably aren’t as persnickety about wanting to know an estimate of the time period.

    • Exactly, Brenda. If I’m still unsure after reviewing genre, description, cover, and reader reviews, I’ll breeze through the first chapter or download the sample. Often, the opening scene will tell you exactly what type of book it is.

    • You’ve piqued my interest. What if the book is set in modern day? Do you still want to know? I ask, because the standard advice is to “never date your book.” Now, I’m curious if other readers want to know the time period, even if it’s modern day. 🤔

      • It doesn’t matter so much to me if it’s modern day but if it’s historical, I want to have an idea of the time period. It can matter a lot — often times in history there are very significant things going on in certain periods (and places) and sometimes relative calm (which we can still observe even in modern day). Once in a while I’ve even seen back copy that is so vague you can’t even tell if it’s in the U.S. or not.

        And I can see how “never date your book” matters if it is set in more recent times but for me, that’s not logical when it’s historical.

  6. TV shows have these, too. The only ones I think are useful are the ones that warn about strobing lights which could set off medical reactions.
    I don’t include them in my books. Like you said, that’s what covers and blurbs are for.

  9. The world needs a TW. Or at least the parts I see. I may feel to much. I may also read/see the dark side to much. That was before October, 2023. If you are shocked that the book with the blood dripping off of a knife on the cover might have violence maybe you should slide on over to the cozies. Or maybe coloring books.

    A real world example. Oldest child spent two weeks traveling in Israel. Had a great time and still is in contact with some of the people they traveled with. One day she was SnapChatting with one of her travel mates and noticed a faded, dirty concert wristband on her arm.

    “What concert was that from?”

    “Nova.”

    • Wow, Alan. I hadn’t heard of the Nova Music Festival massacre before today (my online activities have dramatically decreased these last few years. I can’t stand all the whining from the “Entitleds.”). The older I get, the less patience I have on social media. It’s safer to stay away from the virtual world, aside from blogs, or I’ll get myself in trouble. In 2023, I banned watching the news, as well, for a year or so. What a horrible tragedy! Those poor people…

  10. Thank you, Sue! Much needed.

    A few times I’ve closed books with torture or graphic violence against animals. The authors had valid reasons to include those scenes but they weren’t for me so I didn’t read them. Simple enough.

    I once turned down a publishing contract b/c it prohibited illegal, immoral, or illicit acts in the book. The press published MURDER mysteries. Huh???

    • Me too, Debbie. A big publisher wanted Wings of Mayhem if I changed the MC into a “nice girl” who didn’t straddle both sides of the law. I politely declined the contract.

  12. Pingback: Pulling the Trigger - Postcards From Across the Pond

  13. Nice rant! I’d add that prigs are loathsome in general. I deny that they act from good intentions. Their condescension is especially kick-worthy, but their arrogant presumption isn’t far behind.

    Remember when grundyism was out of fashion? Those were the days.

    • Agreed, Robert.

      Those were the days! “What will the neighbors think?” We’ve all heard that question more times than we recall, but at least people were pleasant to one another. Now, men don’t dare hold open a door for a lady. Well, gentlemen still do. 😉

  14. I use certain information in the short book reviews I do for my reading group. Someone asked me to give a warning of on-page sex scenes. I mention whether it’s a vague paragraph or two of flowery language, or they are constantly going at it like anatomical bunnies. That isn’t a spoiler. A warning for child and pet abuse or death, too, because people asked for it. That’s usually a spoiler, but the group wants that kind of spoiler. Shrug. Know and write for your audience even in a review.

  15. Wow, Sue, you said the hard part out loud. I totally agree with you.

    The only legitimate TW in my world is when my finger is on it & I warn the bad guy invading my space. (Hasn’t happened yet, but we live in a dangerous world.)

    Have a great week!

  16. Talk about ignorance, I have never even heard about threat warnings except in movies.

  17. Truly appreciated this article! Thank you for sharing and allowing us to join in your rant.

    Perhaps a TW that says “This book was written by a Gen X-er, so suck it up buttercup” would be enough said.

  18. I’m with you 100%, Sue. Trigger warnings infantilize readers, and I find them insulting. Of course, some readers ARE infants. I had one reader who complained I didn’t include a trigger warning for a scene where someone pretends to kill a cat. You’re right they should stick to cozies with cartoons on the covers.

    • Anne, they bawled you for a scene where a character pretends to kill a cat? WTH is wrong with people these days.🙈 Another comment mentions they should stick with coloring books. Might be the safest option. After all, they’ve banned beloved cartoon characters.

  19. I put a warning on my one book that it contains adult language and references to abuse and rape. If you are “triggered” by any of those and you read the book, you didn’t read the warnings on the back. I made it very clear what you were getting into. And in the Amazon preview to the book, it repeats those warnings.

    I have no patience with people who are that stupid to read a book that tells you part of what you are going to encounter then say it contains bad language and talked about sexual abuse and rape. DUH!

    You can’t fix stupid. That’s all there is to it.

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