Writing and Authorship

[sea_krait]

I apologize if this is an inappropriate post for this forum. I wasn’t too sure where to put it.

I’ve been growing as an amateur writer for over a year, but I’ve been grappling with a loaded question for months now. From a strict Catholic perspective, when (if ever) is writing a justifiable exercise in terms of the fruit it produces? If I write a story, naturally it will be very likely to contain some level of immortality or “evil,” and also, at best, it’s likely that the text will only hint through symbolism at the truth of Christ, God, and maybe Catholicism. Is this ever good enough to be a justifiable work? Is trying your best to “help” people in this manner always good enough? Is there an answer in-between – if so, can you roughly define it?

Part of my problem is that I’m worried about affecting people negatively overall; or, if it’s wrong to produce positive change that simultaneously includes some negative change (says Scripture?), then I’m worried about producing even a little negative change. I can see writing a story that changes the world negatively and positively, perhaps leaning towards the positive, but I have difficulty envisioning a work of fiction that only produces positive change. I know and appreciate Tolkien’s works, but I’m not sure whether he did “the right thing” either – did he?

If Scripture doesn’t condemn the positive-negative balance in fruit (so long as it’s mostly positive?), then is it justifiable to write a story that seems to condone evil (a mostly negative story) and then use most or all of the profit for a good charity?

I suppose my favorite idea among these possibilities is writing a story that includes evil, but that clearly demonstrates evil’s association with misery, and that subtly glorifies love and Christ (along with the money, if I were to be so successful, first going to my college fund/basic survival and secondly going to charity). Does this sound justifiable?

Now here is where I sink further into confusion. I suppose the bulk of my problem also lies in where it would be best to spend my time. Even if writing, let’s say, a novel with such characteristics is a good thing to do, would it have been better to use all of that time (for me, perhaps a year’s worth of free time) to pray rosaries, chaplets, novenas, etc.? The more I research Catholicism, the more I wonder if the very best thing I could do for myself and humanity is to live in poverty and pray incessantly, like monks, instead of worrying about these “life goals” – but I’m not sure if this is true. Your thoughts? Did any of the saints have societal jobs? Did any of them write fiction?

Becoming an author is volunteering yourself to take on a huge responsibility, so these questions have truly consumed me.

Thanks!

 

[edwest2]

Speaking as a professional editor, I try to read books and articles that are clean and wholesome. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, clean and wholesome was the norm. I surround myself with this material to remind myself that:

A) I can write good versus evil stories where good is the winner and evil is shown to be evil.

B) I can also write stories where evil does not have to be in the form of something ugly or brutal but in a more benign form where the evil is just as bad but not as obvious.

Here is a link to something I use as a guide. It’s about movies but it applies to fiction writing in general too.

artsreformation.com/a001/hays-code.html

Here is a letter from Pope John Paul II to artists (which includes writers):

vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_23041999_artists_en.html

Peace,
Ed

 

[PAboy57]

I think there is still a huge demand for good wholesome stories. Whether you are a Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, etc and true to Jesus, then you will be in the market for good wholesome novels. Write novels that appeal to this group and you will have a solid fan base.

As an author you have to be true to yourself. If you love Jesus and what He teaches then your writing will not violate those truths. If you love Jesus then you are not going to write a novel that you would be ashamed for the Lord to read.

There are many ways to serve the Lord. Ask the Lord to help you decide how you should serve Him. He will help you.

God Bless

 

[paduard]

I apologize if this is an inappropriate post for this forum. I wasn’t too sure where to put it.

I’ve been growing as an amateur writer for over a year, but I’ve been grappling with a loaded question for months now. From a strict Catholic perspective, when (if ever) is writing a justifiable exercise in terms of the fruit it produces? If I write a story, naturally it will be very likely to contain some level of immortality or “evil,” and also, at best, it’s likely that the text will only hint through symbolism at the truth of Christ, God, and maybe Catholicism. Is this ever good enough to be a justifiable work? Is trying your best to “help” people in this manner always good enough? Is there an answer in-between – if so, can you roughly define it?

Part of my problem is that I’m worried about affecting people negatively overall; or, if it’s wrong to produce positive change that simultaneously includes some negative change (says Scripture?), then I’m worried about producing even a little negative change. I can see writing a story that changes the world negatively and positively, perhaps leaning towards the positive, but I have difficulty envisioning a work of fiction that only produces positive change. I know and appreciate Tolkien’s works, but I’m not sure whether he did “the right thing” either – did he?

If Scripture doesn’t condemn the positive-negative balance in fruit (so long as it’s mostly positive?), then is it justifiable to write a story that seems to condone evil (a mostly negative story) and then use most or all of the profit for a good charity?

I suppose my favorite idea among these possibilities is writing a story that includes evil, but that clearly demonstrates evil’s association with misery, and that subtly glorifies love and Christ (along with the money, if I were to be so successful, first going to my college fund/basic survival and secondly going to charity). Does this sound justifiable?

Now here is where I sink further into confusion. I suppose the bulk of my problem also lies in where it would be best to spend my time. Even if writing, let’s say, a novel with such characteristics is a good thing to do, would it have been better to use all of that time (for me, perhaps a year’s worth of free time) to pray rosaries, chaplets, novenas, etc.? The more I research Catholicism, the more I wonder if the very best thing I could do for myself and humanity is to live in poverty and pray incessantly, like monks, instead of worrying about these “life goals” – but I’m not sure if this is true. Your thoughts? Did any of the saints have societal jobs? Did any of them write fiction?

Becoming an author is volunteering yourself to take on a huge responsibility, so these questions have truly consumed me.

Thanks!

You might have been better placed to have put your topic into ‘moral theology’ instead of this one. Having said that however, you could try and discuss it with a spiritual director (if you can find one). Personally I would think you should continue with your writings/stories exactly as any ordinary author would do. Reading through what you have to say, in my opinion I cannot see anything wrong in the path you are proceeding along, and in that context you should consider carefully the possibility that you may be suffering from some form of ‘scruples’ - and if so take advice on that particular aspect of spirituality.

Good luck.