tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298336608815154749.post3367194502406493353..comments2024-01-04T14:46:02.961-06:00Comments on The Writers' Lens: The Business of Writing and Dealing with TragedyT.W. Fendleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07496256845481383834noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298336608815154749.post-38079655826139213592012-12-24T21:10:59.250-06:002012-12-24T21:10:59.250-06:00I've commented from my blogspot address, but I...I've commented from my blogspot address, but I seldom use it; I regularly use christineevelynvance.wordpress.com.Christine Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10653906784219413358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298336608815154749.post-37550157777327065002012-12-23T08:58:33.708-06:002012-12-23T08:58:33.708-06:00Thanks, Dave, for the opportunity to join your blo...Thanks, Dave, for the opportunity to join your blog. I agree with your stance.<br /> <br />One word of caution. A book on writing skills, I forget its name, cautions against tainting our nonfiction stories with our personal opinions. They can destroy our objectivity in the minds of our readers for reporting what we see with an unbiased eye. The book states that those, who inject their opinions, must do so with skill.<br /><br />In my unfinished ms., Tribute to Spookie: Homeless Pet, I deal with the abusive threats the police made about killing us when we lived in our abandoned building. I add my personal feelings to the story. But I do so in a way that represents factual reporting, not opinionating. What happened is a fact. How we all felt about what happened is also a fact. <br /><br />However, my opinions try to be as unbiased as can be reasonably expected. Disgust is shown for the bad behavior, not for the badge. My opinions also try to show the police as grey figures, not stark black-or-white characters. It shows the smile of the new cop standing next to the frowning seasoned cop, as the new cop receives on-the-job-training. You see the conflict between good and bad here even among the police.<br /><br />I don't mean to paint myself as an accomplished writer successfully injecting opinion into nonfiction. It is a never-ending battle of balance requiring constant reflection and editing, especially when your own emotions are involved. <br /><br />How do you tell the full story with color and drama while keeping within the nonfiction genre? I guess the answer is: Never get too comfortable with your answer.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05381101215115572153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298336608815154749.post-31281254455163740132012-12-22T09:01:41.656-06:002012-12-22T09:01:41.656-06:00Thank you for your add and the comment. I don'...Thank you for your add and the comment. I don't disagree.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298336608815154749.post-23193913512480647802012-12-22T07:42:49.339-06:002012-12-22T07:42:49.339-06:00I might add 'Loneliness' to your list; it ...I might add 'Loneliness' to your list; it seems that's at the root of a lot of poor or self-destructive behaviour. But then your list of social issues would deal with the outcropping of various negative human emotions.<br />I see one danger, though: by writing about these things we run the risk of painting an "everybody's doing this" picture because folks tend to grade themselves by a "Looks like 70% of the others do this; so what if I do, too."<br />A person needs to find the balance between lifting out the issue for examination in our writing and making it seem common-- therefore acceptable.Christine Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10653906784219413358noreply@blogger.com