As part of my degree, I completed level 2 and 3 in Creative Writing and this was the catalyst for starting the blog. I still have ambition to write ‘literature’ at some point and have the bones of several stories stewing away in the back of my mind. However, politics is something that I was always interested in, and is a constant source of material, so it was only natural that I would gravitate towards it.
Politics is always contentious and has to be approached with a certain amount of caution, as opinions differ and many are more easily offended these days. Some groups are more vociferous in defending their position than others but, as my old teacher used to say, ‘Empty vessels make most noise’. This is something to remember because there are those who believe that just because they shout the loudest, or that the media and social media appear to support their position, that they are the majority and everyone agrees with them. The problem with this is that the media and social media engage in heavy censorship creating a skewed impression but if you only engage with those on your side, you are really looking at/listening to an echo chamber for your own opinions. Thankfully, I am not one of the easily offended and would be happy to discuss any topic with anyone, at any time.
One of the good things about social media is that it enables you to engage with people around the world, in spite of the censorship, because I think it is important to listen to other opinions which can be a learning experience and an opportunity to engage with people you may not normally have to opportunity to engage with.
However, today is not about politics, it is about writing, and I would like to pass on some advice to younger writers or those thinking about writing as a career.
One of the main literary devices I took away from the creative writing course is the use of a narrative voice; who is speaking to the reader and just how much do they know. It can be a first, second or third person voice, limited or omniscient. This is a device I have employed on my blog, sometimes it is my satirical voice, sometimes my provocative voice and sometimes my prophet’s voice. Now I’m not claiming to speak for God or to be in touch with the Divine, (although maybe I could since this post it to provide a little Devine Assistance…) but prophet has several meanings. Usually associated with the bible, prophet can also refer to Mohammed, the prophet (a bit of inclusion there) or someone who speaks for a cause. But I remember reading that the old prophets were commentators on the social and political issues of their times. So, taking that definition, I like to think that I am a bit of a prophet or rather prophetess, being female (although I’m wondering if I can be a prophetess now, as it is exclusionary and gender specific, and since we now need a court case to define what a woman means, maybe I should be a prophet in a female role, like they did with the Oscars when they got rid of best actress? Hmmm, something to ponder…)
Anyway, writers now have to be careful when employing a narrative voice and having been subjected to censorship too for my writing, I thought I would pass on a little advice.
When employing a narrative voice you must always remember that you cannot be offensive these days, you must be aware of what the acceptable narrative is and always write in support of it, otherwise you will never be published or get a job in the mainstream media, if that is your wont. I have often used my provocative voice to highlight issues I feel strongly about, this is a deliberate literary device designed to provoke a response, for example, if you wanted to talk about certain types of irreversible medical treatments being carried out on minor children. You need to be aware of the language and tone you employ as it may offend those who support the ‘genital mutilation of children’. As you can see, I have used two voices in this sentence, the agreeable one that referred to ‘medical treatments’, and my provocative voice saying ‘genital mutilation’. The provocative voice can get you cancelled but this depends on where you are writing and who your audience are. One way around this, if you are aiming for a large audience, is to be so good and widely read as to be uncancellable, like JK Rowling. But in order to be JK Rowling, you have to get into print first and sell by the bucket load which is a bit of a catch 22.
You must also always be agreeable and not challenge the opinion of any group who have been designated as a protected minority. Because all minorities need protecting and are incapable of looking out for their own interests, and need those who know better to look out for them. However, since white people are the majority here, you can say what you like about them, and I can say that because I am a white person so I’m speaking about myself and playing my white privilege card while I still can. (See if you can work out if this is an example of my own voice or my satirical voice?)
If you intend writing fiction, you must also ensure that all races and minority groups are fairly represented. Years ago, this was known as ‘tokenism’ and was a device used by some groups to try and make themselves appear open-minded and tolerant, and supportive of people from minority groups and different cultures. This really only works if it is believable, so you need to be careful when employing it, especially if writing an historical novel. For example, the wives of English kings would all have been white so making one of them a person of colour would not really work and you could be accused of ‘tokenism’. The writers of South Park have highlighted the use of this device in their comedy writing and included a character from a different cultural background called Token.
Also, try not to make the hero a white heterosexual male. I know it works for writers like John Grisham and Tom Clancy but, like JK, they sell by the bucket load and had a well-established readership before political correctness became fashionable. Although, you can still get away with it if he is not heterosexual.
All female characters need to be strong and independent, and not in need of a man, especially a white man, to do anything for them. They must also be smarter than every man in the book and care for, or work, to improve the lives of protected minorities. Your female characters can be white or a person from a different culture because white women have been subjected to the tyranny of white male oppression for many years and so understand the issues that minorities have had to deal with. And, if she has a white privileged background, you can always make sure she is fully aware of this but like a modern day Mother Teresa uses it for the good of the less fortunate and not personal gain.
If there is a drug dealer ensure they are not from a cultural minority group, make him a white, working-class male instead as everyone knows white, working-class males are the epitome of toxic masculinity, as well as being far-right racists so you’ll be able to get away with that.
So, that’s a few helpful hints for future writers, I hope you find them useful and if you find that when you have completed your inclusive politically correct tome, that you don’t sell by the bucket load, you can be assured that it has nothing to do with the quality of your writing, or your realistic portrayal of life today, but is down to the lousy system being run by white males using their privilege to oppress the rest of us.
And, as a little exercise, you could through this again and see if you can identify the type of voice I have used in each paragraph, or any other type of literary device I may have employed, in trying to ensure that no one is offended, this will be a good practice for your future writing career. Good luck!