Nathan Bransford - The Forums

I recently surveyed my blog readers, and one of the things a lot of people said was to stop talking about politics.

But there were also quite a few people who said you can't NOT talk about politics. I've seen so many authors complain about how distracting the political situation is right now and how hard it is to write.

I've seen with my own writing. It's so easy to get transfixed by the latest breaking news, or to feel like I should be doing more to stand up for what I believe in. It's hard to be creative when you're agitated, scared, or furious.

Have politics impacted your writing?

It's made it hard to focus on my writing and it's made me ask, "what's the point?" But asking people not to talk about politics rankles even more, especially the implication of immense privilege it carries: that the person asking that doesn't like to have their own beliefs challenged, and that they don't have to worry about the very real ramifications to themselves from this current climate. I'm not sure how to square all of this and keep writing productively. I'm trying, though.

Yeah, I hear you -- I try to reassure myself that writing is one of the most important things we can do right now (here's my post on that), but it can feel insignificant relative to the moment.

Consult your readers by all means, Nathan. But talk about what you like. It's your blog.

And think how much of politics is about holy scriptures, constitutions, laws, declarations, secret documents, reports, print and digital news. The pen can still be mightier than the sword. Words DO matter.

The recent political climate makes me want to be quiet. I see my loved ones on social media denouncing all relationships with people who disagree with them politically. (And I disagree with them politically)

So I mostly keep it to myself.

Politics is primary for me, and writing is always second, which I guess contributes to the slow pace of my writing and publishing. Sometimes I can use creative non-fiction or poetry to get a written piece out in a timely way that is relevant to politics, and that's always personally validating, but it's very hard to convince myself that it makes any difference whatsoever. I had hoped that the polarized political climate, would open space for more interest in my writing, but despite the #OwnVoices, #WNDB and #DVpit initiatives, I'm not finding it any easier to get considered. One never knows how much is the writing itself and how much is either ignorance/misunderstanding or plain old fear of difference (I write about Palestine). I'm wondering if others think that the political climate has opened up real space for "diverse" books or if that's just hype.

Politics have seeped somewhat into my current WIP. I mean, the book is all about politics - politics among families, rulers and kingdoms, etc. (it's a YA fantasy). My basic plot hasn't changed but the struggles have become more acute, the disruption more tangible. Although I do make it a point to not fly far from the book's theme by delving too much into rhetoric that can be measured against our current state of affairs - I don't want people to read the book and think of any current, real-life political situation, for example. That wouldn't be true to the world I've built anyway.

I see a lot of people who are transfixed and are constantly commenting on the latest political developments, as if it's the most important thing in the world. Obvioulsy politics are important but the level of outrage and counter-outrage seems to me almost unreal. I think the atmosphere is too emotional and unhealthy. On the other hand, I think it has always been that way and political confrontations are hardly something new.

In my WIP a billionaire buffoon attains high political office. I wrote the scenes years ago and worried a little that readers might find them improbable. Not anymore!

This is me. I can barely write right now with all the crap going on. I want to but it's hard to concentrate.