A few weeks ago, I was teaching a class on writing authentic antagonists to a group of children. I asked the kids, aged nine to twelve, to yell out the name of their favourite villains so I could write them on the board. The idea was to get a list of favourite villains, and then break down their attributes and what made them such great antagonists in their own stories.
We started with the villains I expected: The Joker, Voldemort, Darth Vader, and so on.
Then a couple of the kids started laughing to themselves. They whispered to their friends nearby, and there was more sniggering. “Do you have another villain to add?” I asked, expecting, perhaps, Professor Pippy Pee-Pee Poopypants — the antagonist from the Captain Underpants movie, and a name guaranteed to make anyone with a juvenile sense of humour collapse into giggles.
But, no…
Instead, the kids shouted out the name of a prominent American politician.
Writers and Politics Don’t Mix
The issue of whether or not fiction writers should share their own political thoughts in public places, especially blogs and social media, is one that comes up time and time again. I’ve certainly been warned never to share my own politics online.
“You’ll lose potential readers,” common wisdom says. “You won’t get an agent. You won’t get a publisher. No one cares about your opinion. Your job is to entertain with your stories, not espouse your political beliefs in public.”
It’s a message that I’ve clearly internalised quite well. Even in writing this, I was reticent about completing the above anecdote. And that story isn’t even about my political beliefs, but those of a group of tween-age Australian kids!
But in thinking about my discomfort in talking about my class’s views on Trump, I got to wondering whether, in this day and age, that advice is still good. Or, in fact, if it’s ever been good.
Should Fiction Writers Comment on Politics?
Before answering this question, I think it’s important to stop and think about what we actually mean when we say “politics”.
Most of the time, we tend to think of talking about politics as being about supporting or opposing individual candidates or political parties. And it certainly can be. But back in the 4th century BCE when Aristotle wrote his treatise Politics, the words Republican and Democrat weren’t a large part of his rhetoric. (And, even today, they’re really only relevant in a small portion of the world.) Instead, he was writing about ethics, morality, and the role of the people in determining the creation of a “virtuous society” for all citizens.
Politics can relate to the activities of people in power, or the study of government. But it can also be an individual’s personal beliefs and principles, and how they relate to the use of power.
That may seem like a minor distinction, but I’m sure we’ve all had the experience of having someone say they don’t want to talk politics when talking about something completely unrelated to the government or political candidates.
For example, a couple of days ago I was talking to my mum on the phone and the topic of plastic waste came up, in relation to single-use plastic bags and straws. For a few minutes, we discussed the items in question, and then the discussion veered towards general environmentalism. “Oh, I don’t want to talk politics,” my mum said.
Protecting the environment? I don’t want to talk politics.
You can no doubt come up with your own examples.
So if I mention on social media that I think we should be doing more to protect the environment, am I starting a political discussion? By definition, I am — I’m voicing my personal belief about a topic that is often discussed by people in power.
The only way to truly avoid talking about politics, in fact, is to completely avoid sharing your personal opinion about anything. And while that’s no doubt possible, it seems to go against the whole idea of social media and, in fact, general conversation.
So, should fiction writers talk about politics? To quote John Scalzi from his blog post on this topic (all the way back in 2008):
Why yes, fiction writers should write about politics, if they choose to. And so should doctors and plumbers and garbage collectors and lawyers and teachers and chefs and scientists and truck drivers and stay-at-home parents and the unemployed. In fact, every single adult who has reason enough to sit down and express an opinion through words should feel free to do just that. Having a citizenry that is engaged in the actual working of democracy matters to the democracy, and writing about politics is a fine way to provide evidence that one is actually thinking about these things.
Is it Smart for Fiction Writers to Comment on Politics?
The reason that many people recommend avoiding politics as a conversation is the fear that it will affect who reads (or doesn’t read) your work.
That’s not entirely without merit. I know there are plenty of people out there who refuse to read Orson Scott Card’s work after reading about his personal beliefs and principles, for example. But does it make enough of a difference to really, truly matter?
J.K. Rowling is so well-known for her political tweets that Buzzfeed has published multiple lists of them. Stephen King isn’t shy about sharing his opinions. And while they were famous authors before sharing their political thoughts online, I’d imagine that’s got less to do with them waiting for the right level of fame and more to do with when social media became the platform du jour.
The Economist last year released an article with research that left- and right- leaning Americans purchased and read completely different books, with little (to no) overlap. The same is true of TV shows, with relatively few bridging the divide.
If you add that information to the knowledge that, like it or not, your implicit political beliefs and principles show up in your work (see Natalia Sylvester’s WU article from a couple of months ago for more on this), then how can being more vocal in your politics online make any discernable difference? People with similar(ish) beliefs are going to read and enjoy your books, even knowing your politics, and people who have completely opposite principles are unlikely to have enjoyed your book in the first place.
By being honest about our politics — our beliefs and principles — online, we may, in fact, reach readers who otherwise wouldn’t have read our books. And though we may lose other readers in the process, I’d suggest that the people we lose weren’t our target market in the first place.
All Writing is Political
I’ve written in the past about the impact of fiction on the world and social change, and if I can be gauche and quote myself from that article:
We learn what the world and people are really like by reading books and watching movies. The stories we’re exposed to, particularly when we’re young, become part of who we are. They teach us about the world, about ourselves, about “the other”. They create our values and beliefs. They become our guiding principles of what’s right and wrong.
Sharing our personal politics outside of our stories doesn’t detract from that. If anything, it adds to the power of our voices to create change.
As Mohsin Hamid wrote in the New York Times a few years ago:
Does fiction affect politics? Yes, inevitably. So is all fiction political? To my mind, yes again. Fiction writers who claim their writing is not political are simply writers who seek to dissociate themselves from the politics furthered by their writing. Making up stories is an inherently political act.
If that’s true — if the very act of being an author and making up stories is inherently political — then perhaps we’re asking ourselves the wrong questions. Instead of asking whether it’s a good idea to share our political beliefs online, maybe we should be asking whether we, as authors with the freedom and ability to use our voices for social change, have the right not to?
Do you write about politics on social media? Have you ever chosen not to share something because you’ve been worried about how it would affect your writing career? How do you feel about authors who discuss their personal beliefs and principles online?
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About Jo Eberhardt
Jo Eberhardt is a writer of speculative fiction, mother to two adorable boys, and lover of words and stories. She lives in rural Queensland, Australia, and spends her non-writing time worrying that the neighbor's cows will one day succeed in sneaking into her yard and eating everything in her veggie garden.
Brian B, King says
September 1, 2018 at 9:11 amI do not, intentionally, write about politics on social media, but it is possible for me to have done such a thing without being aware of it.
A writing career exist only in the furtherest regions of my mind, so no concerns there.
Have at it, author-writerly people. Talk about your views online. Do your worst. Do your best. Tell me who you think you are.
My feelings vary depending on how closely their views mirror, repel, conflict, or insult my views.
Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt says
September 1, 2018 at 10:57 amIf you are writing anything where an individual is in contact with society, you are already making a statement about that society.
But governance, per se, isn’t a sexy fiction topic (except in SF and certain kinds of dystopian fiction). Now the people involved in that governance, well, they are interesting.
H L Wegley says
September 1, 2018 at 12:28 pmMy stories are framed in a biblical worldview because it’s the worldview I subscribe to. The Bible has a lot to say about the state, purpose of government, ethics and morality — all at the heart of politics. If we exclude what we truly believe from our writing, where’s the passion going to come from? From what we don’t believe?
Pam Cable says
September 1, 2018 at 12:29 pmI have so much to say here, I don’t know where to start. Within my twenty-year career as a full-time writer, I am three times traditionally published. I’ve known a small amount of success. I studied my craft for decades, spent tons of money on writing conferences, classes, and book promotion. I’ve paid my dues, and connected with many “stars” in the business. I am truly grateful for the few awards hanging on my office wall. But I believe my political views have brought my writing career to a screeching halt. Temporarily.
Now, it doesn’t have to be that way for other writers. Most writers, whether they admit it or not, walk on tons of eggshells when it comes to voicing their political views. J.K. Rowling and Stephen King may be an exception. You might not agree with their views on the Trump Administration, but few readers will actually boycott their work. And let’s be honest. Most writers are not privileged enough to enjoy the success of Rowling and King. Most writers avoid public confrontation at all costs. The industry is tough enough, and book sales offer little compensation to the author. Writers want to be loved. We’ve all been told, over and over, social media can destroy your future work with one misplaced post. As a result, many writers have become complicit, complacent, and frankly, big weenies.
However. A great many writers listen to their moral conscience. They voice their political views despite the fierce opposition and lost book sales. I was one of those. So I tend to fall in the Orson Scott Card category. Unfortunately.
My last book was published by a company who endorses and publishes a great deal of Christian publishing. The shoe fit. A coming of age Southern tale, sweet and tender, and yet poignant for today’s political climate, my novel was set during a volatile time in America, the 1950s, and the social unrest at that time in history. A Christian message, it was best work to date. Within the pages of my novel and my promotion on Facebook, the evils of racism rang loud and clear.
It was a perfect storm. Published in 2016 only months prior to Trump’s election, you can imagine what happened next.
To be a Christian in 2016 and speak against the evils of Trump did nothing for me as a writer. I am no longer on any social media, with the exception of my personal email.
The question I am most asked today is … “After what you went through in 2016, will you continue to write?” I’ve never stopped writing or speaking out. It’s more important NOW than EVER. Even though I’ve been thrown under the bus by “Christians” I once thought believed in the equality of all mankind, I will continue my work as a writer, a patriot, a woman of faith, and an American.
The path has changed, I’m a little battle-weary, but old hippies like me never stop. We just change the scenery a bit, all while casting our vote and writing that next book.
A.C. Nixon says
September 4, 2018 at 2:19 pmThank you for sharing your story, and I’m sorry this happened to you. I have the utmost respect for your true Christianity. Hang in there.
Diana Stevan says
September 4, 2018 at 7:40 pmI appreciate your bravery Pam. I’m so sorry to read that being honest about your views on social media impacted your sales. I don’t know if my open comments on Twitter have hurt my sales, but they probably have. I’m not about to change.
Brian Hoffman says
September 1, 2018 at 2:20 pmMy opinion is that if everything is politics, then the word means nothing. But if we use the conventional definition then writing about politics it is often thinly veiled anger and boring. We have the daily soap operas on cable TV what else is needed?
Most political stories like The West Wing and the skits on SNL are too on the nose, too biased one way or the other, and too obviously pandering. They illuminate nothing.
Writers like Lewis Carroll or George Orwell wrote about their contemporary politics in a way that illuminated the absurdities of what they observed. Their work stood the test of time because they have something larger to say.
When writers and actors label themselves in a political way, they run the risk of wearing that like a sign. If I disagree, I have trouble suspending belief so I avoid them. If I agree with them, I also avoid their work.
Yes, writers have the right what they wish, the way they wish. But there is no reciprocal responsibility for me to read it.
Christine Venzon says
September 1, 2018 at 2:52 pm“Their work stood the test of time because they have something larger to say.”
i agree with Brian’s comment. If we write only to praise or denigrate a particular person or political faction, we risk alienating our readers and fueling the flames of divisiveness. If we write about good versus evil, right versus wrong, then our readers can draw their own conclusions about how our story applies to their own political views. Consider enduring works as diverse as 1984, To Kill a Mockingbird, and A Christmas Carol. Nowhere to they mention speficif political parties or figures of their day, but their views on the social and political atmosphere of their times come through loud and clear.
Laura K. Curtis says
September 1, 2018 at 6:40 pmI do, indeed, talk about politics on social media. I used not to so much, but politics, when I was younger, was not as important as it is today. In the past, I felt that we were headed—if not nearly fast enough—at least generally in the right direction. That is no longer true and if I have any influence I feel it is important to use it.
People have told me that I should not comment on politics online because it will lose me readers, but my politics are all over my books. There are abuses of power in them, there are LGBTQ people, brown people, immigrants of all stripes…although I don’t specifically talk about politics in my books, if you disagree with my politics, you probably won’t like my books, either. So what’s the point of keeping silent? So someone will buy one of my books and have a bad experience reading it?
Kris Bock says
September 2, 2018 at 1:02 amI read The Economist article, and it was only analyzing political books, not fiction. It would be very interesting to see if a similar divide includes fiction. My guess is that there is something of a divide. Liberal readers are more likely to pick up mystery novels with feminist main characters or environmental themes, for example. Meanwhile, those who believe in the importance of a strong military may be more drawn to spy thrillers. I doubt the divide is quite so strong when it comes to fiction unless there’s another element that would appeal to or offend certain groups.
That’s not to say writers should avoid sharing their political views in whichever way fits their work. JK Rowling probably didn’t lose many readers due to her politics, because the most conservative people always hated her books for their “witchcraft.” Didn’t hurt her reputation or sales.
Therese Walsh says
September 2, 2018 at 8:57 amI was raised, as many of us may have been, to keep my political opinions to myself. I’d apologize to my mother here and now for leaving that lesson on the roadside post 2016, but she’s too busy planning how she can drive people in need to their polling places this November to care about whatever I’m doing. And what I’m doing? It isn’t as much as I could be doing–or saying. I bite my tongue on social media literally dozens of times a day. I’m angry. I’m incredibly disillusioned. I feel stupid over that, like I’ve lived a life of willful blindness, and now I see it and cannot shut my eyes or blink and it’s f*ing awful. I’m tired. Scared, too. But more than any of that? I’m gathering. Gathering all of what I see, absorbing this world of mine as it is as opposed to what I thought it was, reconfiguring my brain in order to understand what can be done with it. What art can be made with this reality? How will the story end? Can it end well?
I don’t say much, but I do speak up. My views are as clear as they can be, though they’re still evolving as I process the velocity of the changing tides in this strange, new world.
Speak. Speak now or forever hold this horrific piece of history in your conscience.
Barbara Elmore says
September 2, 2018 at 9:20 amWhat Therese said.
People are too quick to make rules for writers. Have a platform, but don’t express a political belief. Be professional. Nobody cares about your opinion (if true, why should anyone then worry about expressing it?).
I’ve decided the rule of civility is the only rule I will answer to. That will mean different things to different people. For me it means expressing an informed opinion and not acting like a flamethrower, a stalker or a troll. And not denying someone else her or his own belief.
Being silent costs me too much. Thank you, Jo, for writing your piece.
Richard Mabry says
September 2, 2018 at 2:01 pmI recognize comments here by at least two of my colleagues with whose work I am familiar. I happen to disagree with their politics, but still consider them friends. My problem is that when I see posts by some espousing my particular political beliefs, they often encounter retribution by those holding opposing viewpoints. What ever happened to disagreement without ad hominem arguments?
Perhaps we writers need to put our fears aside and make our politics public, regardless of the effect on our sales figures.
Denise Willson says
September 2, 2018 at 5:55 pmJo, this is a wonderfully written post. Thank you, above all, for that.
It’s also a great representation of how one can express their thoughts and beliefs without insulting others. We all live in this world together. Sometimes we have to agree to disagree. And while politics often feel looming and large, they are only a small part of who we are as human beings.
Thanks, Jo, for shedding light on this sometimes overwhelming experience. It’s easy, in the trenches, to forget about the big picture.
Hugs
Dee
Keith Cronin says
September 2, 2018 at 6:18 pmThanks for spotlighting a challenging issue, Jo. It’s a tough one to navigate. On one hand, you don’t want to turn off potential readers. But on the other, you want to be true to yourself, in what are increasingly polarizing times.
Here’s another way to think about it: by making your political views (and/or your general system of values) pretty clear, you can also weed out people who probably wouldn’t like your work anyway. For example, my books have profanity in them, something I belatedly learned many religious conservatives find highly offensive. But that profanity reflects the reality of how I speak and think, and how my characters speak and think. So if that’s going to turn a reader off, they’re not really my target reader. So maybe I can save them some money through my social media presence by making it clear my voice is both irreverent and sometimes profane.
I think to some extent this may apply to politics as well. While I might not directly address these specific issues, my fiction is going to come from a place that will likely make it clear I’m deeply opposed to many things the current US political administration stands for. I’m not necessarily writing my stories with the specific goal of voicing that opposition directly, but I’m not about to hide the fact that I don’t think gay people, or Muslims, or Mexicans, or kneeling football players are evil, or that I think stricter gun control is sorely needed – just to try to sell a few more books.
As I’ve said, these are polarizing times. And while I don’t want to sabotage my writing career, I’m also not willing to let my fearful silence be complicit in empowering behavior I abhor. So I suspect I’m gonna piss some people off – and possibly lose some sales. But I’ll sleep better.
Diana Stevan says
September 4, 2018 at 8:10 pmThank you, Jo, for your thoughts.
I’m Canadian, and I’ve been told, why comment, it’s not your country.
But being well-read and curious, I’ve taken to making comments when some news shakes me to the core. Like the Parkland shootings, or the current American government opting out of the Paris Agreement on climate change, or Trump embracing Putin and other dictators, or the U.S. president turning his back on his allies who helped in America’s hour of need, or children being torn from families and taken God knows where. All of this is outrageous and though I attempt to be respectful in my remarks, I know I’m treading on others’ beliefs.
I have three grandchildren. I worry more about the kind of world we’re leaving them than whether I’ll sell enough books. What is happening right now is bigger than all of us. When you have someone leading one of the greatest countries on our planet and making choices that affect our future in a detrimental way, I’m compelled to comment. It’s the least I can do as a writer.
Marta says
September 5, 2018 at 10:42 amThis is definitely a topic I’ve thought about. I think about this with a lot of professions. For example, if I see a vehicle promoting a business (something like HooBaDa’s Plumbing!) and there is a very political bumpersticker on the back of that van, well, that may influence my decision on whether or not to hire that particular plumber.
But it is thorny field to wander into…though I don’t know how to avoid it.
Like you said above, a person’s beliefs are in their art whether they bother to say so directly. I’m okay with losing readers over some issues. If people don’t want to buy my books or my art because I support LGBTQ rights, fine. What’s the point of believing in something if you won’t speak up for it?
What does worry me though is speaking up for something and receiving death threats against me or my family. You want to put your money elsewhere, but don’t harass people. That is the thing that sometimes hold me back because I’ve seen what can rise up from the Internet muck, and it is scary.