Does our writing have an impact?

[erestor]

Edited to add: this entry was neither about the quote nor about the entry I linked to. When I wrote this entry here, all I knew was the quote, I didn't know where it came from. I only linked back later because once the origin was known, I thought it would be the proper thing to do. What the entry really was about: the fact that because of a well-

Comments

[sinneahtes]

Was this the post you read?

When I read that, I personally thought that if I wrote a story that portrayed any sort of minority by whatever stereotype, I probably wouldn't turn an otherwise non-racist person into a racist... but I'd be foolish to think I wasn't perpetuating the stereotype in real life, especially if enough other stories had the same sorts of stereotyping mine did.

[erestor]

Thank you! Yes, that was the post, thanks so much for finding it! I sometimes "friend surf" and end up in corner's I've never been before (odd coincidence, though, that there is a LOTR link. The world is small.) I corrected the quote and put a link up, also left a comment.

"The quill has more power than the sword", and I still believe in this. Who I am today is based at least 50% on the books I read as a child, and trying to be like the characters in them. Nothing we do, be it in writing, speaking etc. comes without some sort of responsibility. Of course we can argue how far it goes and what it means to us, that's as individual as DNA, but brushing it off with "it's just writing, it doesn't mean anything" is a bit of a very easy way out of responsibility, I think...

[hms_dauntless]

everybody who thinks their writing makes people do something has an overblown ego That statement, taken as it face value, is just crap, and not even worthy of a psychoanalysis, because it is in the same line of "it's only a popcorn film ! it's only for fun ! etc etc ". Laziness of thought, just that

[erestor]

Pulsarkat found the link, I've edited my entry so you can read the statement in context.

But I am responsible for the *message* attached to those actions. And I can (must) be judged for it.

Exactly, that's my point. Nothing we do comes without responsibilities, because we don't live in a social limbo, unless we're hermits sitting on some mountain.

There are those cutesy comic books for kids which are printed by neo-nazis. Very sweet! Lovely white icebears and black monkey who come to a cutsey sweet agreement that they, unfortunately, can't live in the same country. It's only fiction. But uh, the message...

[hms_dauntless]

Nothing we do comes without responsibilities
Word. "Pure entertainment without ethic involvment" does not exist (unless the supporter of this notion does not accompany it with a statement that his/her choice of entertainments does not involve his/her brain, either. Pitiful, but it happens. Often *g*)

Lovely white icebears and black monkey who come to a cutsey sweet agreement that they, unfortunately, can't live in the same country. It's only fiction. But uh, the message...
*shudders* Nothing more heinous and more criminal than trasforming a crime into something to have a laugh about.

[mrs_norrington]

I have to say that although I don't wholeheartedly buy the idea that writing/media can induce people to do things they wouldn't normally do (i.e. murder), I can see it has some affect at the very least.

Of course, in my opinion if someone's going to do something, it's very likely that they've already thought of it.

Now I think a writer has a certain responsibility to what they write because of its influence. However, on the other hand, I don't think they should be entirely to blame for its effect. (I personally hate it when there's a violent school shooting or something and they blame video games/movies instead of the fact that our culture makes guns so easily accessible.)

There should be a balance, I think, on behalf of the writer to acknowledge the issues in their writing.

I'm rambling, which very likely means I don't know my own opinion on the matter to defend it well.

[erestor]

You're very right with the balance, unfortunately, that's exactly what's missing in the debate which lead to the statment I quoted. You have two extremes - "I'm responsible for everything" and "I'm responsible for nothing" - and the result is a big argument.

Galadhir put it really well below by saying that we're responsible for our intentions and their effect in our writing. If I'd write, for example, POTC fic glorifying slavery and suggesting that it would be a wonderful idea to introduce that concept to our society again, then I'd be a) responsible for sending out that message and b) a real idiot.

[erestor]

That's what fandom is all about - learning and teaching, sharing, influencing, inspiring. It's what makes our community - any community, really, and if it leads to caring about each other, then all the better. Our writing absolutely has an effect, but there will very likely never be an agreement on how large that effect is.

[jaiden_s]

It's way too early and I haven't had nearly enough coffee to be diving into such a deep topic, but what the hell?

If she's speaking specifically of cause/effect, then she has a point. Like one of the earlier posters here mentioned, reading about murder won't cause me to suddenly see the vitue in the act, thus causing me to commit a similar crime.

Influence, however, is an entirely different matter. Your point about propaganda is spot-on. Writing is and always has been a powerful tool for change. Just look at Martin Luther's writings. And that's only one example.

We don't write our stories in a vacuum. Putting words to paper gives them power, like it or not.

Time for coffee.

[erestor]

Found some coffee in the meantime? :)

Her statement was very likely unfortunately worded, but it still, even in context, stroke my fur the wrong way. It's arguing about semantics, really. Galadhir put it very well in the entry below - we're not responsible for other people's actions, but for our intentions in our writing.