I usually post a new short story on Fridays, and this one was to be no different. For the first time in a long time, I had a clear idea of what I was going to write well in advance of writing it. There was a central character(based on current events) and a theme. I even wrote about 90% of it and was within minutes of posting it when something happened that normally doesn't with me.
I hesitated.
Those who know me know I'm not normally one who shies away from controversy. I always figure that it's better to get topics into the open so that they can get aired out rather than hide behind a tired morass of denial. However, even I have limits, and I hit one in writing the story.
You see, my story was going to be about Robin Williams and the hell he must've been going through. I wanted to use the post as a way to work through my feelings about him and his life, and as a way to try and understand what he felt.
Unfortunately, the more I wrote, the more I started to see that the post, regardless of intention, would be taken wrong by so many. Courting some level of controversy is fine for writers since it can create a buzz, but too much can alienate readers, even if you never meant to do so. I wanted readers to try and get what might've been in the mind of this tragic genius, but I realized that most would be unable to get beyond the initial shallow reading of the story and into the sincere and serious message I wanted to impart.
Therefore, I've shelved the story. It's too soon, and the emotion is just too raw right now. Perhaps I can take this as a lesson on timing and audience understanding. Maybe one day the world will be ready for the story I envisioned, but I don't know when that might be.
A new story will come next week(I promise). For now, I'll just contemplate what might've been.
I hesitated.
Those who know me know I'm not normally one who shies away from controversy. I always figure that it's better to get topics into the open so that they can get aired out rather than hide behind a tired morass of denial. However, even I have limits, and I hit one in writing the story.
You see, my story was going to be about Robin Williams and the hell he must've been going through. I wanted to use the post as a way to work through my feelings about him and his life, and as a way to try and understand what he felt.
Unfortunately, the more I wrote, the more I started to see that the post, regardless of intention, would be taken wrong by so many. Courting some level of controversy is fine for writers since it can create a buzz, but too much can alienate readers, even if you never meant to do so. I wanted readers to try and get what might've been in the mind of this tragic genius, but I realized that most would be unable to get beyond the initial shallow reading of the story and into the sincere and serious message I wanted to impart.
Therefore, I've shelved the story. It's too soon, and the emotion is just too raw right now. Perhaps I can take this as a lesson on timing and audience understanding. Maybe one day the world will be ready for the story I envisioned, but I don't know when that might be.
A new story will come next week(I promise). For now, I'll just contemplate what might've been.
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