Anna - thank you!! This is wonderfully thought out and rationalised. I saw the comment on your other letter and instinctively replied that yes I think I do hold social responsibility as a writer… but no, you are so right. I am NOT responsible for my readers feelings. My book has some passages in that will evoke very strong feelings for readers, and when I met my commissioning editor yesterday he advised I take out the ‘humorous asides’ and distractions I had added in to give the reader a ‘break’. Actions of mine where I am almost apologetic for bringing them to a place of such intensity, where I felt responsible for pulling them back out. As he wisely said, it is not for me to judge whether a reader wants to stay in that moment or not, that I should stand behind the strength of those pieces of writing, and if the reader needs a break, that can close the book.
I am not responsible for my readers feelings. My new mantra.
I would argue even further, yes, we do have a social responsibility as writers, and that responsibility sometimes INCLUDES offending people. Society cannot advance without people taking offense.
It may be a little different for me; I'm a fantasy author, so nothing I'm writing is "facts". But for you as a non-fiction writer, like you said, you're writing down facts, and you can't control whether or not people take offense to facts. But I do know that the way you write the facts can influence people's opinions, through lots of skill (which I don't have, which is why I stick with fiction. 😅)
Keep writing without fear. If people take offense, that is their opportunity to learn and grow.
Anna - thank you!! This is wonderfully thought out and rationalised. I saw the comment on your other letter and instinctively replied that yes I think I do hold social responsibility as a writer… but no, you are so right. I am NOT responsible for my readers feelings. My book has some passages in that will evoke very strong feelings for readers, and when I met my commissioning editor yesterday he advised I take out the ‘humorous asides’ and distractions I had added in to give the reader a ‘break’. Actions of mine where I am almost apologetic for bringing them to a place of such intensity, where I felt responsible for pulling them back out. As he wisely said, it is not for me to judge whether a reader wants to stay in that moment or not, that I should stand behind the strength of those pieces of writing, and if the reader needs a break, that can close the book.
I am not responsible for my readers feelings. My new mantra.
🙏💕
I would argue even further, yes, we do have a social responsibility as writers, and that responsibility sometimes INCLUDES offending people. Society cannot advance without people taking offense.
It may be a little different for me; I'm a fantasy author, so nothing I'm writing is "facts". But for you as a non-fiction writer, like you said, you're writing down facts, and you can't control whether or not people take offense to facts. But I do know that the way you write the facts can influence people's opinions, through lots of skill (which I don't have, which is why I stick with fiction. 😅)
Keep writing without fear. If people take offense, that is their opportunity to learn and grow.