This topic came up recently in my crit group, and it made me think. In this case, the person who asked the question had seen a lot of comments online about the Game of Thrones TV series, and how, since George R.R. Martin wrote about certain things, this made him a pedophile and a rapist. Apparently, some people think that since he writes about such things, that means he’s endorsing them. Let me say first of all that I haven’t read any of these comments myself. I’m sure they’re out there; that seems like something people would take offense at. I just haven’t seen them personally. But this idea, that writing about something means that I’m endorsing it…that bothers me on a lot of levels.

As a writer, I do think I have a responsibility to my readers. I have a responsibility to be true to my story, my characters, and the world I’ve set up. I’m responsible for writing the best, most entertaining story I possibly can. For getting my readers’ emotions involved, for making them laugh or cry or roll their eyes or growl in anger. For creating characters that they can care about. But most of all, for telling the truest story possible. Notice I didn’t say “for telling the happiest, most fluffy-bunny, sunshine, and unicorns story possible.” No. The truest story.

That does not mean all my stories have to have happy endings, although personally, I prefer them. (Just because I prefer them, doesn’t mean my characters will deliver.) This also does not mean that things that are ugly or painful or horrible will never happen to my characters. I’ve written about murder, and rape, and torture. These things happen in real life each and every day, how can they not happen in my fictional worlds as well? I don’t live in Utopia. Or Shangri La. Bad stuff happens. It happens to good people. It happens whether or not people deserve it. It happens. Just because I write about it, that doesn’t mean I endorse it.

If writing about something means the author endorses is, does that mean that someone writing about the movie theatre shooting in Aurora, CO last week is endorsing violent shooting sprees? I think not. Does that mean that since James Cameron destroyed Hometree in Avatar, he is endorsing the destruction of the rainforest? No. (Actually, I think he’s trying to do the exact opposite.) So what makes some people think that just because a writer writes about something, that must mean the writer is endorsing it?

I’ve never actually met George R.R. Martin, but I think it’s highly unlikely that he’s a huge supporter of rape, pedophilia, or public beheadings. I mean, seriously, people? He writes fiction. Which, by definition, deals with events that are not factual. Not to say that they don’t happen, but the author does not claim to be writing about actual events (unless the writer happens to be James Frey. In which case the definition of fiction is somewhat…skewed.).

So…just how responsible are writers to their readers?

I wish I had something terribly profound to say about writing (or really, about anything) today, but I don’t. I’m tired. I have a lot going on. I’m a little bit stressed. I have a lot on my mind. It’s hot. My new tattoos are itching and it’s driving me crazy. (Profound thoughts: I have none. Excuses: I have many.)

Writing means different things to different people. (And by “writing” I mean actually writing. By hand.) For some, it’s a necessary evil. For others, it’s just necessary. For me….well…it depends on what I’m writing. Grocery list, To-Do’s, definitely handwritten. Novel-planning, plotting, and brainstorming, are all done by hand, as is journaling. I think the physical act of writing ideas down links things together in my brain and allows me to make connections I wouldn’t have otherwise.

First drafts are computer-drafted, as are most forms of my communication (email, Facebook, texting). I am making an effort to handwrite letters, though. It’s just more personal. It does seem a little bit odd that the main creative portion of my writing (the “planning” stage, if you will), is something that I have to do by hand, but the actual writing is always on the computer. Hmmm…..

But I think handwriting is a skill everyone needs. Check out this link: Is Cursive Obsolete? What do you think? Is it obsolete?

You know what sucks? (Okay. Besides, you know, natural disasters, mean people, and running out of ice cream at an emotionally difficult time.) Let me rephrase that question. You know what my least favorite part about writing is? Endings. Yep. You’d think, after spending all that time with the characters and world and story, everything would just sort of wrap itself neatly up with a bow on top. (All of you writers out there, stop laughing. I know. But I used to think that’s the way it should happen. At least, until my favorite character died tragically at the end of my first story. Sniff…)

Seriously, though, endings are hard. Very hard. For me, anyway. Even if I know where I want the story to go, it’s difficult to make the denouement live up to the rest of the story. And that’s very important. If the ending doesn’t resolve things satisfactorily, then, as a reader, I’m left with the impression that the entire book sucked (for lack of a better word). If it does live up to the promise of the rest of the book, then a shiny golden aura surrounds the book in my mind. I want that aura around my own stories, so I get a case of…performance anxiety about the ending. Two movies I saw recently are good examples of good endings…and not-so-good ones. (No spoilers. I swear.)

I saw Priest a couple of weeks ago. Still not sure how I got talked into that, since I don’t do scary movies, and the trailer looked…quite scary. Vampires, Paul Bettany, and Karl Urban would normally be a sure bet for me, if it weren’t for the scary part. The movie had an interesting premise: vampires had once almost overrun the world, and a bada** group of warrior-priests were created to fight them and confine them to reservations. We’re not talking about cute, sparkly vampires here, either. Gross, slimy, beastly monsters is much more accurate. Anyway, the niece of one of the priests gets snatched by vamps and he defies the church in order to go after her. Turns out, his old priest buddy, whom he thought was killed by vampires, is actually the first known human vampire and is in charge of a nifty new vampire army intent on destroying all humans. It had all the makings of an epic showdown. The reality was….well, the words “anti-climatic,’ “convenient,” and “disappointing” leap immediately to mind.

Last night, I saw the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie: On Stranger Tides. Now, pretty much everyone on the planet should know the basic premise of the Pirates movies (and if you don’t, exactly what rock have you been hiding under?). They’re not deep, soul-searching types of movies. But fun and entertaining, yes. So, Captain Jack is trying to reach the Fountain of Youth before the English delegation, led by his old nemesis Captain Barbossa, and the Spanish delegation. Oh, and he’s up against the notorious Blackbeard, and Blackbeard’s daughter, whom Sparrow has a history with. Of course, much chaos and hand-gesturing ensues, but in the end, you know there’s going to be a big, violent showdown with lots of Captain Jack’s tricks and maneuverings. And the movie doesn’t disappoint. That’s exactly what happens. The viewer is not disappointed. Guess which movie I liked more?

So, as I get ready to start outlining my new story, my thought is this: I want a Pirates ending, not a Priestly one. (And as a side note, the vampire mermaids in Pirates are pretty freaking cool!)

Emotional catharsis comes in a lot of forms. Runners log miles. Artists throw themselves into their paintings. Writers….write. For me, writing has always been a catharsis, whether it’s journaling or immersing myself in a story. Whatever I’m feeling, I pour it into the writing. Anger. Frustration. Despair. Joy. Hope. All of those go into the writing. One of my favorite writing quotes (from Red Smith) is “Writing is easy. I just open a vein and bleed.” This statement is so true. So very true. I think better on paper, whether “paper” is actually paper, or a computer screen or text message. Verbalizing things…I’m not so good at. I don’t like confrontations. I don’t like arguments. I despise drama. It’s more difficult for me to get my point across if I’m emotionally involved in the situation. That’s why I turn to words. They’ve been my salvation many times.

But what happens when words aren’t enough? When there are things you want to say, so many things, but you don’t get a chance to say them? Maybe you were never given the opportunity to actually say the words. Maybe words—or a lack of them—are actually part of the problem in the first place. Maybe a situation escalated because you were never told what was going on, and without that knowledge, it felt like something totally different was occurring. If you’d had the words, the situation never would have happened in the first place.

It’s hard enough to put words to what is actually occurring in your own life. If you’re on the outside of someone else’s life, and you’re never given any hints as to what they’re going through, choosing the wrong words is inevitable. Wrong words = misunderstandings and hurt. They can cut like a knife in an instant, and do damage that will never heal. Or they can drive a wedge between two people that will never disappear. But the right words can heal anything.