A writer friend recently wrote a post on another blog which took a lot of flack for using certain terms in her description of her novel. The terms were bastard and half-breed, both used in describing a science fiction novel set in a world where both terms are used often.
Some people took real offense to the use of either or both, and then continued to nitpick her post, and discount her book based on their personal bias.
I get that. Sort of.
Words hold power. I don't like it when people use the N-word. It pisses me off. But in context of the rap culture, it is a term used often. Would I rip apart Ice-T for using it? Nope. So was the problem with my friend's post, the fact that she's a white female with, I'm assuming, married parents? Were her words insensitive? Not at all. She was speaking from the same place as Ice-T, using effective word choice for her world, and the book's worldview.
When you write a book, or better yet, when the book writes itself through you, we are honor bound to fit word choice to the voice, tone, and setting of a work. That also means, readers who are offended by our word choice are honor bound to close the book, and pick up another.
People will dislike me. People will dislike my words. But one thing no one can ever accuse me of is shying away from my character's voice. More power to writers who are unafraid of their words. They are the Harper Lee's. They are Mark Twain writing Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Thoughts?
If that is her world, those are the words she needs to use. I think having those words in her description will at least keep those who will be offended at their use in the book from picking it up in the first place. Probably best in the long run.
ReplyDeleteShannon at The Warrior Muse
It's fiction. You have to be true to voice. If writers censored their words, books would be boring. Words, even ones that seem harsh to some, are important, as much for their harshness as their context. The world isn't all kitten and rainbows... but GOD, I wish it were. Any way, be true to the profanity!
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteSometimes we can't help who are characters are. If they are the racist neighbor next door or a misogynistic boss, whatever; they are going to speak in racist tones or use misogyn slurs.
That's not who we are as authors (hopefully), but in order for our characters to be real they have to walk the walk and talk the talk, so to speak. I think we owe that to our readers.
It's a shame that some folks judge us on our fucked up characters and not the "real" literature we create.
I could go on and on about this.
Some of us out there who have corporate jobs or teaching jobs or jobs where we are constantly in the public profile have to use pen names as so we do not have to deal with negative repercussions of our work.
I know the 1st Amendment protects our freedom of speech, but sometimes exercising that right isn't worth the hassle of defending our artistic right. It sucks. But I guess, as they say, that's life. Did I totally miss the boat on this rant or do other's agree with me?
I write Southern Gothic and Satire so this subject is something I've faced head on for quite a while.
The late Harry Crews nailed it when he said: "write naked." We owe it to ourselves as artists to write naked.
Oh and I love your work, J.A. Just discovered you recently. I'll be putting up some reviews on Amazon soon to show the love.