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Mark Newman.
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June 15, 2008 at 1:13 am #71824
AlexGKeymasterContinuing with Inside the Writer's Studio, the next question submitted for your consideration revolves around your personal outlook or philosophy. Some might call it spirituality, for others it might entail a more organized form of religion and/or political view.
Simply put, whatever you believe at a personal level, secular or otherwise, do these influence(s) get reflected / expressed in the writing of your stories? Or not at all?
Some examples of this would be Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels – which is a fantasy story at one level, but also political (satire) commentary on the state of (then) English society. Then there are C.S. Lewis’s Narnia stories with all of its Christian allegories. Or Mack Reynolds sugarcoating his view of economics as entertaining sci-fi. The same could also be said of Frank Baum and his Oz books, which are loaded with turn of the 19th/20th century Populist sentiments.
My own opinion is, that the very best that do this, do it with a subtle hand rather then with a preachy, sledgehammer format.
“I like a good story well told. That is the reason I am sometimes forced to tell them myself.”
~ Mark Twain / Samuel Clemens (1907)June 15, 2008 at 6:28 am #71825Robert McNay
ParticipantPersonally, I don't usually write my life outlook or philosophies into any of my writing. I enjoy writing adventure stories mostly, pulp type stuff and maybe some science fiction. There's not much room in those for philosophy, it gets in the way of the action and excitement.
June 15, 2008 at 3:38 pm #71826JimmyDimples
ParticipantTo be honest, I don't see how writers can NOT let their world views filter through into their writings. They'll show whether they're based on scriptures or just one's carnal desires.
Me, I'd like to think that my rep as the forum's resident goody-two-shoes is secure, and that anyone reading my stuff can tell my two big "philosophies" are (1) Love God With All Your Heart, Mind, Soul, And Strength, and (2) Love Your Neighbor As Yourself.
And I feel I as an author owe it to my readers to make sure they're lifted up, encouraged, and inspired to Do the Right Thing as well as entertained.
I've had varying degrees of subtlety. Sometimes it's just my take of the Parable of the Men with Talents in Alysia and the Trial of Strength, or it's as blatant as Pastor Craig's message in For Their Own Good.
And on politics? Well, issues were originally just story hooks inspired from reading Time and Newsweek. But I think I inadvertently let my feelings show on the U.S. military's occupation of Iraq in FTOG: it was the right thing to do, but what if America (and the world) were declared the rogue state, facing a bigger, stronger, higher-tech force with a moral beef?
That's my two jiao worth, anyhoo.
June 15, 2008 at 8:12 pm #718271st_Tsurugi
ParticipantWell, I have a story that I'm currently brainstorming (incredibly graphic in sex and violence) that I am laying out a little of my beliefs in. It is the first time I am actively trying to do so, and perhaps all the graphic sex, graphic violence, and graphic violent sex warrants an explanation and leavening to reduce the shock.
Other than that, I tend to be very unable to write a good story AND include a moral tale or a treatise on my beliefs. Often people will note how I conveyed some point, when in reality I didn't even see it till they pointed it out to me. 😛
June 15, 2008 at 9:38 pm #71828Fonk
ParticipantI agree with Jimmy, to be honest – you can't help but include your personal philosophies somewhere along the line in a story. They run right through you, and though you may try to keep them out of your stories, they'll find a way in. In my case, it's that my heroines always try to do the right thing according to their own beliefs.
That sounds small and/or lame, but I'd like to think that it's fairly difficult to actually do so all the time.
June 15, 2008 at 10:29 pm #71829
TC2ParticipantI'm in agreement with everyone else, I think personal philosophies are ALWAYS included. Writing is after all a form of expression, and everything that is expressed usually comes from within. The only difference is that some writer do it more subtly than others, but personal philosophies are most certainly always included.
June 26, 2008 at 5:43 pm #71830Mimi
Participant[font=times new roman]~Mimi[/size”>[/font]
June 28, 2008 at 7:00 am #71831pelourinho
ParticipantIf it is an actual story with anything to say then it would be all but impossible to completely remove your own personal philosophy from your literature. I do agree with the point that a good story, even if it's intended as satire, presents a political or spiritual point subtly.
The difference between a decent author and a very good one is the ability to make a case with your philosophy woven into the story rather than overtly expressed through ham-fisted dialog. Hell, even the Turner Diaries might persuade a few people if it weren't so stilted and boring.
July 1, 2008 at 7:54 pm #71832The Highlander
ParticipantWell by definition we all put our own philosophies into our stories, since we all start with the idea that a extremely strong and buff female is a good thing!
But like others have said, the key thing is whether the philosophies are part of the story or are being rammed down the readers throat.
July 4, 2008 at 4:12 pm #71833Prophet Tenebrae
ParticipantI think it's fairly hard to write with any real… "feeling" and not include your own attitude and interests to some extent…
I think my personal philosophy is there… we need more bosomy Amazonic women.
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