As most of you know, I wrote a story called Showdown at the Saloon. In that story, I chose to do something I had done in other forms of creative fiction. Which was pick an accent (of a white person) and then basically play it up. Like a lot. It was something I did as a genderbent Gambit. Something I did as Rogue. Etc, etc.

I thought it would give the story a different tone, and make it feel unique. I still feel that it did just that.

And I heard from readers lots of positive feedback on the story, some of which even praised the accent as being entertaining.

HOWEVER

There is someone in this community, who I will not name, who really, REALLY, REEEEEEEAAAAAAALLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYY wants you all to know that I shouldn’t have used that accent. He was offended by it. Deeply. Like alot. Hella, even.

So much so, that he has, while pretending to be different people (which on the backend of the site is really obvious), attempted to leave comments on this site. In those comments, he even goes so far as to reference the other people he has pretended to be as evidence that lots of readers were deeply offended by the accent.

Now look, it’s entirely possible more than just this person were offended by the accent I used. In fact, I did, hear that the accent was “oof” once, so there’s that. But, apart from that comment, it’s only been this one guy.

Over and over and over again.

On one site, then another, and then here every few months.

I want to firstly let you all know that he really hated that accent I used, and that I am a piece of shit and a terrible writer for using it.

And second, that had I known that anyone would react that way to a strong Texas accent, I wouldn’t have used it. I try VERY VERY HARD to make my stories enjoyable to either a particular subset of the fetish we call home, or all of it (if that’s even possible). And I take out things like ties, like spitting (except when I really need it to convey loathing), and like characters falling in love (except when I can’t help it), and lots of other minor items, because of feedback I have gotten from one user or another.

“I hate ties!”

“Spitting is disgusting!”

“Don’t have them fall in love, that’s for girls! Pewie!”

I have thought about going back and rewriting the story. I’ve thought about just deleting it from the site, the forums where it is posted, and pretending it never happened (though that would make the sequels a little problematic — though, yes, in those sequels, I dropped the accent entirely, save for maybe a single y’all). Maybe that’s what I should do. Maybe I should never written the story or started writing stories in this genre. But alas, my crimes are done.

I don’t know why I am even writing this, other than because this reader-turned-writer-turned-critic-turned-serial-commenter has a complaint with one of my stories. And I did not want to silence his feedback, even if he delivers it both harshly and without end or sanity.