BlackHeart Biohazards

You cannot blackmail writers and artists into creating the way you want them to by holding your approval hostage.

I mean both:

• you have a social obligation not to attempt to blackmail writers and artists into creating the way you want them to by holding your approval hostage.

and

• you are unable to successfully blackmail writers and artists into creating the way you want them to by holding your approval hostage.

You need to accept that there will be artists and fiction writers who are not interested in mainstream appeal and not interested in catering to the tastes of an audience that includes you.

You need to accept that there will be fiction writers and artists who are creating work that you are not the target audience for.

You need to accept that telling a creator that they should change their work to suit your personal tastes so that you will be comfortable engaging with it is not going to have the result you want it to.

You need to accept that a creator changing their work to suit your tastes is not the same thing as improving their work.

You need to accept that there is a difference between “it would be better if” and “it would suit my personal taste more if.”

You need to accept that creators are going to make works that are not to your tastes, and are uncomfortable for you, and that those creators are not looking for your engagement or approval.

You need to accept that it’s okay and normal for creators to make work that you don’t like, and that they are not interested in, and they are not obligated to change it for your sake.