As a writer, there's no limit to the topics that you can cover. This includes the difficult trigger topics that most would rather not hear about. Whether you are writing fiction, or an article, you will have to make that difficult choice of whether or not to write about a subject that is either completely taboo or very touchy.
I first came across this problem years ago when I was writing a fictional story. The central characters had a very complex relationship. They weren't dating, but they certainly had feelings for each other. OK, it doesn't sound that complex, but to go into further detail I'd have to have you read the whole story.
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So, here's where the difficult trigger subject comes into play. I wrote a nightmare sequence where one character rapes the other. Now, even in the story itself, it's meant to take place within a nightmare and it's not based on any real experience. However, when I go back and read it, I get chills.
Needless to say, even though I was likely the only person who would ever read it, I did think about how it would make someone else feel if they read it. I thought about how a complete stranger would feel if they read it. What if they had been a victim of rape? Or they knew somebody who was? Would they hate it? Would they think that it was insensitive for me to write about something that is such a horrible reality for so many people?
Well, it's hard to say. Writing is not without criticism and odds are good that no matter what you write about, fiction or otherwise, someone somewhere is going to be offended. So, what's the best option as a writer?
Just write it.
There are several taboo or trigger topics out there, but, as a writer, you can bring some of the subjects out of the dark and help spread awareness. You can write about everything from rape, to self-harm, to abuse, and more. These are often subjects that people would rather keep quiet about because they're very difficult things to face.
As a writer, however, you must be prepared to face topics like these, whether it's in interviewing someone, covering statistics, or even in writing a piece of fiction. As much as we want people to be happy and think that there are few problems in the world, it's our job as writers to tell the truth.
Our world has always had conflict in it and, unfortunately, it can get very dark. As a writer, you can do something to help push away that darkness. While you may be required to write an article or you might decide to write a fictional story, you can always find some way to put a glimmer of hope in the end. Of course, this is easier in fiction writing.
So, no matter what you're writing, you will always come across some very difficult subjects that you could get a lot of criticism over. Some might even think that you're insensitive for even touching on the topic.
If we, as writers, don't talk about it, then who will?
