Thought of the Day: Words of Power, Words of Wisdom, Words of "Whoa"

[traveller_blues]

Who does the story belong to, once a writer has plied his or her craft and released it to the universe of literate folks? It is the property of the author, and he or she is to be compensated for it if the work is designed to be sold for pay. This is the point of 'writing for a living

Comments

[tuftears]

It's an interesting perspective, and I guess I'd think of Harlan Ellison as a good example of someone who actually makes a habit of being mean in writing. People find it entertaining as well, but I think it does take away from the respect they get from their audience - they're less likely to ennoble him as an author overall, than say, Asimov.

Principles matter too. I find that characters of great principles stick in my mind the most, people who stand up against the tide for what they believe in. And I guess I'd be disappointed if I found the author of those characters didn't believe in the same principles they enshrined in their writing.

It must be daunting if you write characters who are better than you could be - you'd be living in your character's shadow.

Sherlock Holmes as the quintessential example? Imagine being challenged with people's puzzlers all the time just because you wrote about a detective with amazing powers of deduction.

Perhaps that's part of it..

[traveller_blues]

I have to admit that we put a little bit of ourselves into our characters, and some of us who ply the craft of writing put a lot into it. And as a communicator, we do need to be true to our own principles in writing or in art, lest we become associated with the words that we write as if they were our own beliefs.

...but that's just the thing, too -- it doesn't clearly come across in said author's writing how -strongly- he believed in the issue I have a contention with.

But on the other side of the coin, when we write for readership, should we not do our utmost not to offend the very readers whose opinion and favor we seek to court? Do we not write for an audience?

Mebbe that's the key there. I landed on said author's blog because I followed a link, and I probably wasn't his intended audience.

-Trav

Re: Perhaps that's part of it..

[tuftears]

Writing is inherently a form of communication, though, in which the writer is able to create feelings in the reader. So if the writer creates a story in which a principle is made to sound favorable, the writer is endorsing that principle, converting people who think it sounds good because of the writer's skills. L. Neil Smith and Spider Robinson are examples of this, their works are pretty much manifestos in which their utopias defeat all comers

I defend my principles, but I also respect those of others.

[traveller_blues]

*chuckles* I can't say I lived in those times, but I'm pretty sure that since we have a number of hate crimes on record from that era, that if you lived in the South and wrote at full openness of words? You would likely draw some serious reprisal from your neighbors. If you wanted to influence without losing your audience, you would have to tone down your writing so that the overall message was sent, rather than being dismissed right up front

Re: I defend my principles, but I also respect those of others.

[tuftears]

Well, here's my take:

* Let's say you strongly dislike, say, peanut butter
* You realize a large amount of your audience likes peanut butter

You have several choices as I see it:

- Pretend you like peanut butter and only share your peanut butter loathing with a select few
- Write trying to convince people that peanut butter may not be simply a wholesome, delicious condiment
- Be up front that you dislike peanut butter and write with the understanding that peanut butter is evil

I dunno what happened with you and your formerly liked author though. My guess would be that the third is bluntly honest but likely to win you the 'no popularity' prize, and the second is what you dislike?

Re: I defend my principles, but I also respect those of others.

[traveller_blues]

*grins* Said author, using your analogy, would say that peanut butter is poisonous to everyone it touches and that anyone who eats peanut butter or professes to like it is a culinary heretic that should have their tongues torn out. That any school that serves peanut butter should have their funding revoked until such time they serve only jelly sandwiches without the peanut butter

Re: I defend my principles, but I also respect those of others.

[tuftears]

Yeah, I concur - I would be surprised if we were far off actually. I just did not have, and still have no idea, what occasioned this LJ entry in the first place. };)

Re: I defend my principles, but I also respect those of others.

[traveller_blues]

Precisely my point. If I went and ranted about the ability to use your journal to foment antagonistic tendencies towards (noun), and named names, then I would be surely hypocritical.

I think my point is that I do use my journal to express my beliefs and insights on the universe, but I do filter and take my readership (both purposeful and accidental) into account.

-Traveller