Responsibility

Back when I was looking for a home for lost dog, I spoke with one agent who expressed some interest, but ultimately passed because, she said, she'd gotten tired of books about men killing women. An interesting response, I thought. I would never describe lost dog as being about "a man killing a woman," but that's what she saw.

Yesterday, Flood wrote a thought-provoking post in which she addressed the limits we have when we read and write. Having written a story that offended a reader, Flood reflects not only on what her goals are for her own writing, but also on what she finds offensive as a reader. She ends by asking the questions, "What is your line in the sand as a reader? What line will you not cross as a writer?"

Today at the Killer Year, Sandra Ruttan expands on those questions, asking about the extent of our responsibility as writers for the influence of our creations on others. Where does responsibility for actions ultimately land in a world in which the lines between art, entertainment, and the real world seem—to some people anyway—to be increasingly blurred.

At what point do we say, "No, I'm not going to go there"? And is there a point at which we say, "And you can't go there either."

For myself, my line is pretty blurry, both as a reader or a writer. Ultimately I hope that whatever I write reflects the real world in a way that feels genuine. Some of it is disturbing because disturbing things happen and as human beings we have to deal with them. I don't set out to be gratuitous, and I'm not looking to write a operator's manual for violent acts. But violence happens in my work. (Go figure, I'm a crime writer.)

I want readers to be upset by the bad things that happen in my work. But I hope also they see the redemption that occurs as well. For that one reader I mention above, lost dog crossed into an area beyond her line—she was a reader I lost. As Sandra suggests, I believe I have to always ask the question, what purpose do the violence and darkness serve? Do they advance my story, or do they only titillate or turn-off?

My lines will not always be the same as my potential readers, and that's fine. But as a writer, especially a crime writer, I feel like I must always stay mindful of those questions.