How Politically Correct Should Writers Be?
A while ago a well-known author published a book about a rich, handsome man who pretty much had anything anyone could wish for becoming paralyzed in an accident. He and the woman hired to care for him then fell in love, but at the end he chose to commit suicide rather than carry on. This caused quite a few disabled people to be deeply offended, and this was pretty obvious in the reviews. Several suggested that she hadn’t done her research properly, or she would have realized that it was very insulting to those in similar circumstances in that it suggested that living in that way was so unbearable that death was preferable. Most of those real, live people strive for the best lives that they can. They don’t generally give up, and I’m sure that they have just as much joy during the course of their lives as anyone…
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Jo Robinson 
October 6, 2016 at 6:33 pm
Great post, and an interesting topic. I agree though, as long as characters/plotlines are being used for the sake of the story or to highlight an issue, rather than to exploit, then I’m all for writers having potentially politically incorrect characters. After all, there are rather a lot of politically incorrect people out there in the real world, so if anything it only serves to make things more believable.
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October 6, 2016 at 6:45 pm
As writers Jo, we both know that whatever the subject, unfortunately some people will be offended by anything we write about…
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October 6, 2016 at 10:22 pm
That’s tantamount to suggesting no-one has ever committed suicide after finding themselves in circumstances they couldn’t cope with. Are we expected to write, this person died by their own hand but of course no other person in the same circumstances would? It’s real life for heaven’s sake with all the options that life carries.Of course we must be allowed license to describe someone;s state of mind if indeed that state of mind is a possibility.And plenty of psychiatrists can verify there is no norm.
xxx Massive Hugs Jo xxx
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October 7, 2016 at 9:52 pm
Life is full of flawed characters. Ignoring them is not realistic if they are pertinent to the story.
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