My writing buddy Joann linked to a really great article in her blog yesterday by Jeff Lindsay, author of DEXTER, which originally appeared in the Huffington Post.
I’m going to go right to the part of the article that inspired Joann’s post – and now my post:
For the short time each day that I write, I am Dexter and everything is different – but otherwise, that stuff creeps me out. I don’t actually like murder and gore, and if I didn’t write Dexter I probably wouldn’t read it, either.
Of course, this squeamishness makes me hyper-sensitive to a question I get frequently, one that I think is pretty stupid. There have been two murderers that I know of who claim they were inspired by Dexter – in both cases, the TV show and not the books, but maybe that’s a quibble. And some reporters love to ask, “How does it feel to write something that inspired murder?”
Do I really need to respond to that? Seriously? Because the answer should be obvious to anybody with enough intelligence to tie their own shoes. Reading Harry Potter did not give you magical powers, and reading Dexter will not make you a killer. If you are not already capable of killing another human being in a cold, cruel, deliberate way, no book ever written will make you capable of doing so. There are no magic words that will turn you into a psychopath.
Thank for you saying that, Jeff.
Perhaps writers are a little sensitive to the misconception that we are what we write. This is because we’re NOT what we write, and the assumption – and yes, it’s a stupid one – that we have the power to inspire people to commit dastardly deeds through our novels is idiotic.
Do we tap into personal experiences to help enrich our stories? Sure we do. Fiction writing – for me, anyway – taps into a personal place, and it’s inevitable that parts of myself will seep into my work. But ultimately, it’s a fictional story. It’s made up.
As I said on Joann’s blog, if anyone were to insinuate that I’m somehow responsible for turning you into a psychopath… well, I’m sorry, buddy, but you were already there.
Or maybe it’s that thriller writers (and writers of dark fiction in general) get tired of the assumption that we’re all creepy, weird people with psychopathic tendencies we channel into our writing so that we don’t actually kill anybody. Well, shit, maybe that’s true for some writers. Who the hell really knows what goes on in Stephen King’s head? But as far as I know, he hasn’t murdered anyone, and neither have I, and neither have my friends who also write thrillers. We just write about murder, for reasons we can’t always explain, but that’s all we do.
And if you assume otherwise, I’ll stab you.
Kidding.
I understand this completely. When I share a novel that I'm writing that is based on murder, and a serial killer no less, people are immediately in shock. 'Gross, are you a killer?' in which I reply 'Yes, I decided that since I like to kill people I should also write about it.'
It makes for a better reaction, but in all seriousness I don't like scary movies, serial killers terrify me, and the story I'm writing is something that is very, very creepy, but I can't help that it has to be written, it's a good story and while I'm The Collector I am him, but when I'm done, I'm back to me 🙂
Fantastic post!!!
Great post and glad you found the article as inspiring as I did! When I mentioned getting an agent to some folks at work they immediately wanted to know what kind of book I wrote. Gave them my spiel and got those "I never would have guessed" responses. But people who don't write also don't understand how easy it is to dwell in darkness for the time you're writing and then rejoin the real world when the job is done. I think it comes down to levels of imagination. Some folks have a high-rise worth and some are hanging out in a single-level. 🙂
Well said. Sometimes I worry that my family and friends will think much less of me after they've read my book. NOT autobiographical, people!!
Hear hear! We are what we eat, but not always what we write. (That does not make us cannibals.)
A little sensitive are we?
The post, much like Lindsay's is brilliant.
p.s. Good luck putting Living Dead Girl down. I never did. One big gulp and I was finished (course it's super short). Phenomenal read.
"Reading Harry Potter did not give you magical powers…" That is the most upsetting that about the post.
I hate when people blame books, movies, TV shows, video games, music for murder. People need to be responsible for their actions, and we need to hold them accountable for their actions. From my experience, most books don't glorify violence, but help the reader work through issue and learn something.
As for me, I write fantasy. But I don't have magical powers. We write from our imagination and nothing more.
I think it's funny that people make these assumptions. Yes, we do visit dark places in the imagination — we all have that ability — it's what we do with the visit that makes a world of difference. It's too easy to blame someone else for our actions.
Wait, does this mean I can't blame CREEP for becoming a sex addict? Damn!
Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy weren't reading thrillers before they started killing. If your kids are torturing your animals and the neighborhood is losing pets, you need to be concerned. Don't go blaming it on books, movies or tv. People show signs long before it gets to the point of actual murder. I think it's sad that we live in a society where no one wants to take responsibility for their actions. We have parents raising children to think things aren't their fault – covering for them instead of making them step up and face the consequences of their actions. Sad all the way around.
Jen: I gotta try your answer sometime. Would be worth it to see the look on people's faces.
Joann: You're so right about the multiple levels of imagination vs. single level. That's a great way to think of it. And yes, I've already finished LIVING DEAD GIRL. Three letters: OMG.
Christauna: That's my fear, too. If people think CREEP is autobiographical, I won't have any more friends and my mother will for sure stop bragging about me to her friends!
Milo: LOL.
JB: I believe the term is "hyper-sensitive".
Theresa & Lynda: Exactly, it's all about accountability. Well put.
Jennie: You're a sex addict?! DOUBLE DAMN! LOL. In all seriousness, I remember as kid that parents were blaming Looney Tunes cartoons for inciting violence in their kids. Looney Tunes! Is nothing sacred?