Politics in Writing (aka-Stuff I try not to include)

I should probably let you all know that one of the main inspirations for starting this blog was finding out that a majority of my favorite authors had blogs of their own. I started reading one in particular (though I won’t name names because of what this post is about) and I’ve also found that I really do like reading about her day to day life. For me, this is a non stalker way of finding out how an author writing for their daily bread actually lives their day to day lives. It’s fascinating to me to think of this person as a real human being rather than an abstract concept who’s name happens to be on the books I like to read. They have real fears, hopes, dreams, desires..and politics. While this author has so far been very good about keeping her own personal politics to a minimum, but I guess what irks me a little is that in a recent blog, they brought up a particularly touchy political issue. This made me think-should an author publicly broadcast his or her political leanings over their blog? The answer I came up with was a resounding and emphatic no. Not only is this not a smart move in terms of readers (you’re going to have some of every political leaning), but to me, it’s also a tad unethical. It’s up to a person to make up their own mind about what they believe and what they think is right. They should be doing this based on personal experience and deep thought, not based on the blog of their favorite author. A lot of children also read fantasy when they are at an extremely impressionable age (Tweens and teens), and they don’t need another set of confusing morals thrown at them by said author. Fantasy should be a stress escape, not a subliminal message.

The moral of all of this, of course is to like an author for their books, not their beliefs. This is true for a number of different cases, religion and political differences among them. If you like an author’s books, but hate their beliefs, keep reading their books. Maybe buy them used so you’re not directly supporting the author, but don’t let it keep you from reading what you like. If the author’s works are anything but a subliminal message, then by all means, keep on reading. If hints of politics creep in, ignore them. If more than hints creep in, put down the book. If you can bring yourself to pick it up again, then keep reading. If not, either sell or burn the thing (depending on how bad it is). I know that there are probably many people that would disagree with me on this. They would tell you that an author’s morals are just as important as their stories. I would answer these people and tell them that a good story should be judged on its own merits.

Remember, if I ever get political, someone hit me and tell me I’m not allowed to write anymore.

Comments are appreciated. They make me feel loved

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