Should you tell stories of a world better than ours, without prejudice, discrimination, and hate; or tell it like it is, with all the bias and ugliness you’re trying to oppose?
The worst thing you could do would be to find a balance. Balanced stories are neutral, boring, and forgettable. No one talks about neutral stories.
Some people read because books help them imagine a better way to do things, others because books remind them how badly the world needs to change.
Both kinds of stories are powerful in their own way.
You don’t have to please everyone.
In fact, the fewer people you attempt to please, the better your chances of making a living out of telling stories.
I like writing about things people don’t usually want to talk about. Mental illness, gruesome history, etc. Partially because I like to make people uncomfortable, partially because there are lots of issues that don’t get enough attention. A video I listened to recently discussed writing about “hot-button topics” as a way to get under peoples’ skin and make your writing memorable. Although I never went out and picked controversial things to talk about on purpose, I think the logic is sound. I think we can write about worlds that are objectively “better” than right now, but everything good comes at… Read more »
I sometimes think that the only things worth writing about are those that make people uncomfortable. If something’s not uncomfortable then it’s chit-chat or social grooming, which is great to do in real life but doesn’t really lead anywhere new.
Exactly. If someone’s uncomfortable (including yourself), you’re on the right track.