Messages and Morals

Right so...the other day I made a journal about this guy who wrote to the newspaper. He kind of pissed me off.

But I keep thinking about it and can't help but wonder if he brings up a valid point. He wrote that the job of a writer is not only to entertain but to educate and ennoble. He wrote that a writer's success and literary value cannot be judged solely on the basis of how much entertainment his/her work provides.

If I tell you which author he was talking about in particular, we're all going to get biased and pissy. I know I did. So here's the thing: how many of you wondyful authors out there agree with him?

And how many of you try and incorporate morals and messages into your stories? If so, how would you go about it? How do you go about it? Can you show us some examples in your stories?

Well, I think it's true in some sense. I mean, it's like musicians, right? People look up to authors, like we look up to musicians. Wh wouldn't you use that to benefit people's lives?

...Though, the only story I've even tried to incorporate any subliminal messages in is If Music Be The Food Of Love...

There was a moral in Polaroids. And there is one in The Taste Of Your Sin. They're both pro gay rights. If you read it, you'd know.

The thing is, it kind of made me feel bad because I have a lot of great storylines and I don't think any of them have an actual "message".

So would it be right to force ideals and morals into a plot?

You don't have to. My first story had no moral. Not that I can remember. But I actually wrote Polariods for that message that I wanted to get across and I'm in the process of writing TTOYS for the same thing.

Don't Take My Brother
About brotherly love, or family love in general. Also has that 'forget regret' and 'live everyday as if it were your last' feel towards the end.

When the Savior Is Damned
Against suicide, no matter what the motives are.

After the End of the World
Anti-war.

Rainbows In the Gasoline
This addresses the issue of poverty in my country.

I think I have more, but I have to think of them first...

Yeah...I'm starting to get it. Kind of-ish. Its not just the "message" or whatever, but the overall theme that has to give some sort of message or be significant in some way.

In that case, I suppose one could say "Michael" has a theme. I guess its kind of family relations and adoption.

I can see how it's a good thing, but not necessarily required.
I mean, some stories are just fun. Sometimes it's good to read a story and just giggle along.

Muze, Daddy
I suppose it could be about responsibilities, but basically it's just a story with a plot.

That Wasn't My Brother, Room 242 and others.
Anti-rape, of course.

Some Days, Don't Go, That Wasn't My Brother and others.
Anti-drugs.

Leviticus 20:13, Billie Jo
These both have strong acceptance anti-discrimination messages.

Rebirth
Anti-war, anti-hate.

But I have several stories without real messages and morals. I don't think that makes them bad.
Decayed Dancer, Dangerous Face, Three-Month Blue Jeans, Moulin Rouge and Truffles, His Cute Little Slut, etc.

In my new story The Music Flows Through My Heart For You, it relays this message that even though two lovers may come from different parts of town, they can still work it out. If any of you guys want to read it, be my guest, because I don't really give a damn.

lyrical_muze:

The thing is, it kind of made me feel bad because I have a lot of great storylines and I don't think any of them have an actual "message".

So would it be right to force ideals and morals into a plot?

Well, the message could be simple, couldn't it?
I mean . . . love is a common theme.
It generally just illustrates some aspect of love.
-shrug-
I dunno if it counts, but if so I have lot more stories with messages than I thought . . .

Uuuuhm. I don't necessarily try to put across a message as such, the only time I've done that is in 'In My Shoes'. But I always try to make my stories thought-provoking and impactful. That's the most important thing to me.

Sick and Sain was all about how nothing's perfect.

And I think Matters of the Heart is sort of becoming a "you have to move on," type of story.

And It Takes Effort was about just because you don't like something doesn't mean you can just give up,

But that's all I think...

Fish Camp:

Sick and Sain was all about how nothing's perfect.

Yeah, definitely.
That story stirred up so much in me.
Accepting love, accepting yourself, accepting defeat, learning when to ask for help, making choice, what's worth it and what isn't, how to cope, how to go on.
So basically, yeah. Nothing's perfect.

Moral Matters- a lot of it IS based on Murphy's Law. Especially "If anything can go wrong, it will".

In one paticualer story I've been working on for a while it actually was somewhat built around a message.
About not letting the past hold you down, but still remembering it.

I think most stories do have a message that maybe only the author knows, but either way its still there.

Cherry Soda Boy has the biggest message. It strenches from Mob mentality in High School, Homophobia, the problems with close mindedness ruling this country. Dark Blue Eyes, the sequel, is mostly going explore the dangers of relationships and gay society- from abusive reltionships, to drugs, and partying, to careless reckless behavior, jail, and AIDS.

I am not too sure about my other stories. DGITIKTSF deals with High School mentality. Anonymous deals with abusive relationships.

I do agree with the guy, though, but not entirely. Sometimes people don't need to be preached at, sometimes they just need a good laugh or a good scare.

Explosions In The Sky
Every chapter is dealing with children and how everythnig in the world affects children before anything other. Children are the future, so they say.

Suicide is a Permanent Solution to a Temporary Problem
This one's self explanatory; it's anti-suicide.

The Flashbacks
It's a one-shot dealing with closure.

Playground Cemeteries
I tried to put out how much child abuse can mess up someone and lead them to suicide.

Truth Be Told, You Need To Listen
Another anti-suicide one-shot, but added brotherly love.

No One Sees What I See.
This one was by far my favorite one-shot to have written. It deals with the stereotyping in today's society, and I don't mean "emos" and "preps," but geeks and Spanish teachers too.

Loaded Bullet.
It's another death fiction, with closure, brotherly love, and violence. I just wanted to take violence to a whole knew level and try to raise the awareness a bit, I suppose.

Run Away.
It deals with abusive parenting to the extreme, running away, and discovering a new life with people who actually care.

It's Obvious That You're Dying, Dying.
Their pale faces and sad eyes tore at my heartstrings, some didn’t look much older than fifteen-years-old.

Just goes to show that age doesn’t matter when it comes to being fucked up.
That was the message pretty much.

Sometimes I inadvertantly add a message or moral into a story, but at other times, I just sew it into the context, hoping that the people who read the story find it.

Two Souls - One Body
Love can't be judged by looks

Money or Love?
I guess it would be which one means more to a person.

Sing Loud, Sing Proud
Simple message - do what you think is right.

My other stories have small messages in them. My newest one has a pretty big message. I can't give it away though, because it'll ruin it if anyone sees.