User blog comment:ShawnCognitionCP/Pushing the Limits? (Mini open collaboration, in a sense part 2)/@comment-25052433-20150127042611

My thoughts on writing, as an art form, is that there are  no limits, so long as our end product in something that is presented in a way that serves its purpose, rather than simply something that serves with no purpose.

Take a look at someone like Stephen King. He has written about all of the hard limit subject matter that you mentioned above. However, the way he presents these subjects is done in a way that progresses and imrproves the overall story. I think that as long as you can stick to a track that keeps the story moving, then there is nothing wrong with pushing those really hard limits.

However, writers that tend to get in trouble with the hard stuff here are the ones that write in gore or obscene subjects just to try and get as much emotional shock value out of the words as possible. Most of us that edit can spot this cheap trick a mile away, and it is quickly corrected.

Some tips to apply to this:

Gore: Gore is a lot like super glue, meaning that a dab will do. You don't need to spend a long time explaining a gory situation. Give a very brief overview of what is happening, and allow the reader to picture the rest.

Rape: If a case of rape is part of the character's past, or is an event that will have a huge impact on the story, then I see no reason to avoid using it as a plot device. The biggest thing to remember is to present it as what it is. A lot of writers mess up with rape scenes because they turn them into sex scenes. Rape is not sex, and should never be presented in the same manner. A rape scene is much like a gore scene, something that is brutal, graphic and best not overly detailed.

Remember, writing is art, and art immitates life. So, if events like brutal crimes that include hard limit subjects appear in real life (as they do) and you are hoping to write about such events, then you must be prepared to use those subjects.