Ethics and the Novelist

[Paul Whybrow]

I've written three psychological thriller novels in the last two years, and am in the final throes of editing the third. My stories are set in Cornwall, where I live, and follow the investigations of an erudite, but troubled, detective.

So far, I've had him tackle serial killers, rustlers, people and weapons smugglers, poisoners, abusive husbands, racists and escaped lynxes and mountain lions. All typical of dozy old Cornwall...

I thought I knew where I was headed with the fourth book. I'd seeded the presence of a knife murderer in the first three stories, referring to his crimes, with my protagonist worrying that he's responsible for the deaths he's investigating. The problem is, that the killer exists in real-life.

It's one of the most disturbing cases I know of, as the Dogwalk Slayer has been active for 29 years, killing at least three women. Two other deaths are linked to him, and there have been recent attacks on women and children out walking their dogs. It's unusual for there to be so long between the murders. If you're interested, there's a short article about the crimes, here:

'Dogwalk slayer' on the loose: One man behind 'cold case' murders, says ex-cop

I've decided against writing about these hideous crimes. Fictionalising real murders would be wrong, for there are grieving friends and relatives still around.

There is, of course, a rich tradition of turning real crimes into stories, as well as chronicling them in nonfiction—think of the whole Jack the Ripper industry, for instance. But these books are published long after the crimes were committed. Fiction is also a battleground for comments on the state of society, personal feuds between writers and satirical humiliation of the pompous.

I'm changing direction with the next novel, to write of a sanctimonious husband and wife team of kidnappers.

Have any of you censored your writing over ethical considerations?

 

[James Marinero]

Dont't know much about ethics, I'm from thuthics myself.

No, I've never censored myself. Or have I? I recall one time when I scrubbed a passage on account of what my daughters might think.

 

[Bluma Bezbroda]

Yep, I do believe writers are responsible for what they write. And I did change my ideas, on occasion rewritten/erased whole paragraphs because I felt I am not dealing with the subject in an adequately sensitive manner.

 

[Robinne Weiss]

I've got several pieces that take mild opinions of mine to their extreme. I like them. I think they're powerful. They were good for me, personally, to write. I will never ever show them to anyone, because I would hate to start a public discourse based on them (which would be the logical response, given what they are about). I would hope that discussion would bring those extremes back to more reasoned thoughts, but as the vile Mr. Trump illustrates, once words are out there, they can unleash something horrible and ugly.

 

[Patricia D]

I censor myself with the question of how I'd feel about my family reading whatever. Of course, this applies only to things I intend to submit for publication.