Ethics Hinder My Writing
Five years ago, I created a report at Sundstrand and uncovered issues with our product. My boss asked me to change the conclusions, and I refused. To get around this dilemma, I re-wrote (faked) the conclusions, and somebody else submitted it under their name. Side note. Does this make me a ghostwriter?
That was the only time I compromised my work ethic. Incidentally, Sundstrand had extensive ethics training that everybody blatantly ignored. But what about my boss? He was fantastic, and upper management goals directed his choices. What about my coworkers? They said, “It’s what the boss wants. Just do it.”
The incident conflicted me. It was a minor lie, but my core personality hated lying. Before choosing to have a coworker submit the report, I considered quitting. Looking back, the whole thing was a minor fudge because of unrealistic requirements, and I should have been less rigid. Yet, the incident still simmers in the back of my bonkers mind.
I recently discussed the incident with a friend, which inspired me to think about my ethics. I came to an unexpected conclusion: I am a deeply ethical person. I thought my ethics were ordinary or perhaps a little below average. Sure, I do not steal or abuse people, but that is the baseline. I am not a saint, and there are people I know with higher ethics. However, my self-evaluation revealed that I have a higher sense of ethics than my peers.
I think it is a good thing to have high ethics. Society needs responsible people, and I am a trusted friend. Yet, high ethics presents a problem with my writing.
My good characters have strong morals, and the bad ones, meaning that even the bad ones have distinct ethical lines they never cross. A child abuser? Not in my book. Why? I feel it is essential for readers to connect with the bad characters as if they could be bad people in their own lives. The core of my problem is that I cannot make the bad character too bad, and the good character must be outstanding. For example, no character would ever use a racial slur. Yet, I know such terms are essential for authors to rouse the reader. They show ignorance and a lack of respect. And let’s not forget that a character/real person can use racial slurs and learn they are wrong. While true, I will never use such terms in life or writings.
Such ethical choices limit the story’s dynamic range and prevent me from ever creating an anti-hero. So, how do I write within my ethics? I mentally set a plotline and subject limit. This choice excludes horror stories where characters are poorly treated for the sake of being mistreated. My evil characters need a reason to be awful; they cannot simply be appalling. So, my villains never benefit from poor behavior.
Can I tell myself that writing is just fantasy? Go ahead, write a raw, gritty, and unsavory story. Readers will understand; they know the definition of fiction. The “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” author has killed; they only wrote a fictional story. This kind of story is a bridge too far for somebody like me. However, I appreciate stories that break ethical grounds, such as the Deadpool and Mad Max franchises.
Does this mean that my books will always be limited? Regrettably, yes. A large portion of literature and character types will be off-limits to me. Is this bad? Skilled writers challenge themselves to develop fantastic plots. They apply shock value and add excessive aggression to get readers out of their comfort zone. I know what my writing could be, but I have to live with myself. I do not want the sum of my achievements to be unethical, and I would much rather be a complete failure than be known as the author who created the award-winning Hannibal Lecter. Yet, I understand Hannibal Lecter is a fantastic character. Thomas Harris can be proud of that sadistic creation, but that character is not for me.
Since my life examination, I have better understood my ethics and how they affect my writing. I will push my envelope in the future. A tiny bit. I think there are many good ethical areas in my plot wheelhouse.
You’re the best -Bill
January 16, 2019 Updated December 23, 2023
That was the only time I compromised my work ethic. Incidentally, Sundstrand had extensive ethics training that everybody blatantly ignored. But what about my boss? He was fantastic, and upper management goals directed his choices. What about my coworkers? They said, “It’s what the boss wants. Just do it.”
The incident conflicted me. It was a minor lie, but my core personality hated lying. Before choosing to have a coworker submit the report, I considered quitting. Looking back, the whole thing was a minor fudge because of unrealistic requirements, and I should have been less rigid. Yet, the incident still simmers in the back of my bonkers mind.
I recently discussed the incident with a friend, which inspired me to think about my ethics. I came to an unexpected conclusion: I am a deeply ethical person. I thought my ethics were ordinary or perhaps a little below average. Sure, I do not steal or abuse people, but that is the baseline. I am not a saint, and there are people I know with higher ethics. However, my self-evaluation revealed that I have a higher sense of ethics than my peers.
I think it is a good thing to have high ethics. Society needs responsible people, and I am a trusted friend. Yet, high ethics presents a problem with my writing.
My good characters have strong morals, and the bad ones, meaning that even the bad ones have distinct ethical lines they never cross. A child abuser? Not in my book. Why? I feel it is essential for readers to connect with the bad characters as if they could be bad people in their own lives. The core of my problem is that I cannot make the bad character too bad, and the good character must be outstanding. For example, no character would ever use a racial slur. Yet, I know such terms are essential for authors to rouse the reader. They show ignorance and a lack of respect. And let’s not forget that a character/real person can use racial slurs and learn they are wrong. While true, I will never use such terms in life or writings.
Such ethical choices limit the story’s dynamic range and prevent me from ever creating an anti-hero. So, how do I write within my ethics? I mentally set a plotline and subject limit. This choice excludes horror stories where characters are poorly treated for the sake of being mistreated. My evil characters need a reason to be awful; they cannot simply be appalling. So, my villains never benefit from poor behavior.
Can I tell myself that writing is just fantasy? Go ahead, write a raw, gritty, and unsavory story. Readers will understand; they know the definition of fiction. The “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” author has killed; they only wrote a fictional story. This kind of story is a bridge too far for somebody like me. However, I appreciate stories that break ethical grounds, such as the Deadpool and Mad Max franchises.
Does this mean that my books will always be limited? Regrettably, yes. A large portion of literature and character types will be off-limits to me. Is this bad? Skilled writers challenge themselves to develop fantastic plots. They apply shock value and add excessive aggression to get readers out of their comfort zone. I know what my writing could be, but I have to live with myself. I do not want the sum of my achievements to be unethical, and I would much rather be a complete failure than be known as the author who created the award-winning Hannibal Lecter. Yet, I understand Hannibal Lecter is a fantastic character. Thomas Harris can be proud of that sadistic creation, but that character is not for me.
Since my life examination, I have better understood my ethics and how they affect my writing. I will push my envelope in the future. A tiny bit. I think there are many good ethical areas in my plot wheelhouse.
You’re the best -Bill
January 16, 2019 Updated December 23, 2023
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