Recently, I read a thread on a writers’ forum discussing the issue of whether or not a writer has a responsibility to his readers in terms of content. The question was asked in relation to younger readers. To me, the issue of a reader’s age is somewhat irrelevant. I believe that a writer, without exception, is always responsible for the content of his writing. True, you cannot control or dictate the specific behavior of your readers in relation to your writing, but you control the writing. When you write, you are essentially teaching. It does not matter if you are writing non-fiction, fiction, poetry, or humorous anecdotes about your cat. You are teaching. To shirk that responsibility or attempt to rationalize it away is cowardly. We do not write in moral vacuums.
Does this mean you need to analyze and predict what the net educational effect is of your writing? No. In most cases, I don’t think that’s possible. We are incapable of playing God. However, give your readers something healthy. Do you think a food manufacturer blithely dismisses any concerns about the healthiness, or unhealthiness, of their product? There is little difference between a story and a sandwich. They both provide sustenance.
“Do you think a food manufacturer blithely dismisses any concerns about the healthiness, or unhealthiness, of their product?”
I wonder how the existence of Twinkies answers that question from a food standpoint.
Heh. Twinkies (and the rest of that ilk) are a good demonstration of shirking responsibility.
Twinkies are not food. Actually, Twinkies are a good case in point: they’re not meant to “feed”, they’re meant to entertain taste buds and to make money for the manufacturers. I think there’s plenty of literary Twinkies out there, with the same moral implications.
Love the analogy ofbetween a story and sandwhich both providing sustenance! 100% agree, depending on the story – some stories are downright disturbing!
Just like a lot of food! Digestion can’t always compensate for how bad the food is…