Proceed with caution.
There is a rating system on Wattpad for a reason, folks.
I can't even tell you how often I opened a "G" book only to be greeted by blood, guts, torture, sex, and abuse.
Heck, I even read a book that was rated "G" and after a chapter described someone yanking someone's guts out and dragging the unfortunate man on his rather gruesome leash, the author wrote "Oh, sorry guys! I just realized that this should be rated PG" or words to that effect. Sorry unnamed author, but that's definitely "R".
So I'm going to break this down for you all. And you folks better damn well follow it.
G = Stuff that a five year old could read. Literally, think movie wise. "G" movies are made for everyone. There are no swears, no details about death or sex -- it's one big happy fairy tale (normally). They can still have action and adventure but any uncomfortable subjects are simply not broached. Think Disney happiness.
PG = This would be G stuff with some mild swearing or details. For instance, "shit" and maybe a bit of blood. Nothing that would give a kid nightmares (and that includes gnawing zombies unless they are described as gnawing zombies -- note the lack of detail).
PG-13 = Rejoice! Swearing is allowed (though serious swears like "fuck", "bitch", and "your mother like is a carnival ride -- everyone's been on her" should be used sparingly)! Sex can also be mentioned (note mentioned. We still don't want details here) as can some blood imagery. Still nothing really disturbing. That means nothing like cannibalism, torture, rape, pedophilia, and other disturbing matter unless they are mentioned obliquely (no details).
R = Now, this is where all hell can break loose. Go ahead, describe how someone sawed viciously through a neck, popped vertebrae, or whatever other murder method you've been dreaming up. Go ahead, get into all the details of rape, pedophilia, incest, BDSM, or whatever other sick fantasy you've got floating around. Oh, and feel free to cuss like a sailor while you're at it. This is the only rating (and I mean only one) where disturbing matter should be present.
Got that? Okay, now it's imperative that you do not cheat.
As in "Hey look, there's only one chapter of my book where someone gets raped -- the rest is absolutely kosher. Not even a "shit" in sight. That means it's "G", right?"
Wrong.
A book's rating is determined like a movie's rating. You take the worst to figure out what rating it falls under. And I know it's tempting to rate a book with pretty much no violence beyond that evident within one scene to attract readers but it is simply unfair to the readers. Heck, one of my stories is rated "R" because I'm well aware that though the rest of the story is very, very tame, I get into some disturbing descriptions of murder (and just to remind the reader, I stuck a whole bunch of warnings before the gory scene and in the title).
But, honestly, I'd rather be warned that there's some dark shit in that book than being told that it's not there. There are children on this website people! Would you, as a seven to ten year old, want to read a story you thought sounded cool then stumble upon something so scarring as abuse, pedophilia, or mutilation?
I would not.
I would also encourage readers who notice that the rating is incorrect on a story to report the story or ask the author to change the rating. It's simply not fair to all the poor kids on this website who are looking for a read.
On a funny note, this chapter was automatically rated "R" by Wattpad. I wish I was joking.
Thank you to the lovely Wattpad admin Justine for fixing the rating! :) Or at least processing the story so that the rating can be fixed...
