TO PC OR NOT TO PC - THAT IS MY QUESTION

[STUART KAY]

Hello Fellow Litopians

I’m canvassing for views on PC in fiction. Or ‘wokeness’ or whatever it will be called next week, though I don’t think PC and Woke are completely interchangeable. For the sake of continuity, I’ll refer to it throughout as ‘PC’.

The protagonists of either sex in my novels are invariably non-PC and this, unashamedly or regrettably, depending on your views, mirrors my own stance. This may earn me some instant opprobrium, as one thing I have noticed about proponents of PC is that they are not very tolerant of the opposite view.

For the moment however, I would like to think (hope) that I can garner some balanced input on the role of PC in fiction. A series character I have created, who is also the narrator, starts in book 1 of a 6-book series being a predictably self-obsessed womaniser (or roué, or lothario, whatever term is current). He also happens to be very much on the wrong side of the law. In short, he is generally unlikeable. I created him this way to place him at a moral low-point from which to launch his stories. This device meant that I could reform his character little by little to, ultimately, a completely new person. Just to be clear, he is not racist and expresses no racist views (me either).

To come to the PC point, on the way to redemption he commits many non-PC acts and makes many non-PC utterances, notably to women. By the way, is it PC to call women women? From some reviews of my books featuring this character, the theme has worked as intended, in that readers of both sexes understand, as early as halfway through Book 1, that there is more to the man than the bad stuff he does in life, and his narcissistic attitude towards women – an attitude that amounts to rating them on the basis of how good a ‘lay’ they will make.

His attitude and his transformation over the series are done, to some extent, tongue-in-cheek. This may not be apparent to hard-line PC readers, though I do my best to lighten up my protagonist’s outlook and commentary. And, as I say, his character reforms as he progresses, but it’s a slow, laborious process.

All this finally brings me to my question. I want the opinion of Litopia members who might be more switched on than I about the PC scene might: in this day and age is it OK to swim against the PC current and write about characters who are manifestly not PC, and even deride it? Will that stance earn me and/or my fictional character so many enemies that it might even depress sales of my books and/or my reputation, for what it’s worth, as an author?

All comments welcome, except ones that cast aspersions on me or my attitude or qualities as a writer. This is meant to be a subject for intelligent, impersonal debate that may be of use to other writers facing a similar dilemma. I’m not looking to start World War III. I’ll leave that to Vladimir Putin.

Hasta la vista!

 

[KateESal]

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by non-PC, but perhaps you're talking about a worldview that tilts towards non-progressive opinions in terms of attitudes towards women and various marginalised groups?

It also sounds as if you've mapped out your MC with a character arc by which he becomes more enlightened (understanding of others' differences to him, perhaps?) in the course of your narrative/s.

That sounds to me like a perfectly acceptable approach to constructing a POV character: I think it's more important that we find the MC interesting and engaging, rather than sharing their worldview. Likewise the author!

As a writer, it's a good idea to be open to a range of different worldviews, whether they chime with your own set of beliefs or not. That way, you are likely to create a more diverse range of engaging and authentic characters. One of the great things about reading (and writing!) fiction is that is encourages empathy with characters who don't share our background or cultural heritage.

Also, as a writer, creating complex characters means you are constructing fictional entities that are more believable(and relatable) than someone who is merely characterised as "non-PC" or "PC" or whatever. We are all made up of a jumble of experiences and opinions, interests and so on and these also evolve over time. If you can render that complexity on the page, then you've nailed it!

Stephen King is very good at crafting believable characters from across the political (small p) spectrum: read a few of his to pick up tips!

 

[STUART KAY]

Thanks for your considered comments, Kate. All very valid in their own way.
The reason I mentioned my own non-PC outlook is that I need to empathize with my fictional characters, especially in the case of first person narratives. I have created other stand-alone characters, female as well as male, and I would like to think they all have a balanced outlook on life and other human beings in all their complexities.
I also believe that, in most of my books, I have, as you put it, 'nailed it'. At least, in over 100 reviews through sundry media my women readers in particular haven't raised any issues. Most of the men don't care much about PC one way or the other, in my experience.

 

[izi 出久]

Oh I’m certain plenty of men care. I find I’m the least PC in many of my circles, and my circles consist of guys for the most part.

But to address PC…. Having a character who is a clear womanizer isn’t non-PC. He’s just a character. Many of my characters have vices. My MC tricks and manipulates her way into earning the trust of a discriminated-against people to use them as an expendable military. She comes around…. But she really sucks at first.

Non-PC would be pushing hurtful stereotypes and opinions that are clearly your own, thinly veiled within the story. Racism, eugenics, misogynistic ideas, etc. if you’re not doing that, you’re good.

Non-PC characters are, again, just characters. As long as you find a way to make it clear they don’t reflect your own ideas. People suck. Frequently. So can our characters.

Edgy doesn’t mean non-PC. It just means maybe kids shouldn’t read it.

 

[Rich.]

I want the opinion of Litopia members who might be more switched on than I about the PC scene might: in this day and age is it OK to swim against the PC current and write about characters who are manifestly not PC, and even deride it?

Kind of echoing @KateESal here, but I'm not sure what you mean by the "PC scene". In any group, community or society there are social norms. Some people will embrace those norms while others won't (and of course those norms have a tendency to change over time). But in all but the most extreme cases any given person's views will be a complex amalgam of opinions. So if one treats the views of any particular group as monolithic, one runs the risk of writing one-dimensional characters.

If you write a loathsome character, the character will be – in general – loathed. If you write a complex character who eschews certain social norms but with whom a general reader might empathize, the character has a chance of being read beyond page one. I guess that's what it boils down to.

 

[STUART KAY]

Thanks for responses about my PC question. From what I have read, my character/s are not infringing any of the behavioural norms and will never be a problem for open-minded readers.

 

[LJ Beck]

Hi @STUART KAY , I agree with all the thoughtful comments you've gotten, however, one thing kind of sticks out for me.

If your character is repeatedly disrespectful specifically to women in that specific way that harks back to the 80's, I would be quite put off from reading the story. Not because it's un-PC, but because I've had enough of it, and the stereotypical-ness of it wouldn't interest me.

I think a character can be a shallow player, and selfish, even narcissistic, without going over the top disrespectful to women specifically. Maybe the character treats everyone equally disrespectfully, or there's a more creative rating system that you can come up with that's more unique to your character (not sure what rating system would determine a good lay, but you could get creative here, and not have it be physical - you may be doing that already), or maybe your character has other rating systems that are equally un-PC for other things, men's lay-ability in a competitive kind of way, profession-respectability, hair styles, how hard someone is trying to be younger than their years... for some random examples.

I think there could be a way, and sounds like you're already doing this, to have this character be un-PC in unique, creative, character-driven ways, more than just in a stereotypical 80's way of viewing women. I personally would find that tiring and not that interesting.

In short - Be Un-PC, just don't be boring.

 

[Mel L]

I would say, in addition to all the other good advice here, it's hard to talk about your character and the whole PC thing in theoretical terms. Why not workshop the opening pages in the Laboratory or better yet, bring something to a huddle for live feedback? As they say, 'show, don't tell!'

 

[Eva Ulian]

I have lived in communities who have been two-faced all their lives and when Political Correctness was "imposed" I felt that too to be a slap in the face of sincerity- another extension of two-facedness in people. Why oh why can't people be allowed to be natural?

 

[STUART KAY]

Thanks for your comments. Interesting idea about workshopping the opening pages. The opening pages wouldn't work as they cover a killing. However, I could lift a section when my protag's attitude to women makes its bow. Remember though, the character development throughout the whole series requires him to starts at a low point (for more than one reason - it's not gratuitous) and gradually become a better person (in more than one way). Making him a bit of a social scumbag is a deliberate plot device.