what are the best things to write about

[Indie]

I've just been talking with a friend about the need for delicacy in dealing with certain subjects in art. For instance in recent years some comic books have tried distinguising themselves as "adult" by paying lip service to serious issues like rape. I think any subject can be used in any artistic medium, but you need to approach it with interest and sensitivity. If you're indifferent to the subject matter or are using it simply for effect I think the resultant work will be at best shallow and at worst offensive.

Ugh, exactly. 90 percent of the time it's awful when rape is brought up in comics, because it often comes from the perspective of a misogynistic manchild(and I love comics, I do). Often rape (and other forms of abuse) is used as a tragic backstory, like a loved one's death would be a tragic backstory for Spider-man or Batman, but without understanding the ambiguity of it, the shame and the blame and the gender/social politics involved. Rather than "shocking" it comes off as stupid and amateur. So yeah, as a writer it definitely helps to have a genuine investment in the themes you are writing about.

IMO any writer should treat there subject with respect, and do their research regarding subjects they have little or no knowledge of. Some things need to be treated with delicacy, that is not to say that it can't be hard hitting, or even vulgar, but there still needs to be an element of respect. It's not just comic book writers that fall into the trap of using abuse for shock value without any understanding of the situations they're using, though comic books are a very good example. (Might have something to do with the pictures as well as the words) IMO