Like the parent of a child, people often hold writers responsible for their characters and assume their words and actions are the writer's fault. But is this the case?
Sometimes my characters say some pretty 'rough' things. Throw in a heaping cup of profanity, rudeness, and obscenities, and you've got one of my books. Hey, it's just the kind of characters I write about. 🤷♀️ But it hasn't stopped people from discussing their 'sensitivities' regarding bad language, character decisions, and the topics I choose to write about. Having said that, there are a few things I try to explain to them.
First of all, I'm NOT the characters I write about. For some reason, people often have issues separating me from the books that I write. You would think that the fact that I write about characters that live vastly different lives from me, (rock bands, vampires, and gangsters) would make this obvious. It's hasn't. Be mindful that I can't write about a criminal and expect him to speak in the same manner as someone with a vastly different background and experience. It's just not logical.
The writing process doesn't necessarily draw from the writer's personal life and experiences. It's a fictional world, therefore, it's my world to wander into the Garden of Eden or possibly landmines, if not anything in between. If I wrote about my own experiences and thoughts, would anyone read? My life isn't that interesting.
