As writers, we steal liberally from life. Our best friend’s passion for ceramic ducks or the way that our high school principal had of clearing his throat and then hitching up his pants—these details, our experiences, our observations—like pollen, they settle into our work. Like pollen, they dust and germinate, but they are not the story. But other times, we are completely aware that a piece is not just true, but factual—experiences and characters ripped out from our lives, directly by the roots. Before publishing pieces rooted in fact, a responsible writer considers the possible results and consequences of publication.
It is one thing to write poems into a notebook or type stories onto a laptop. It is quite another to make them available to everyone else. As writers, we are responsible for what we put out into the world, and we ought to be sensitive human beings, considering how our writing might help or hurt those who were involved in the real-life events. When considering whether or not to send an essay or poem out from your personal and singular possession, here are five questions to consider:
- Who will this effect? Of course, there are the people you mention directly in your essay or poem, but what you write might also have consequences for relatives, business partners, clients, neighbors, or even other people within the same industry. This is not to say that the piece should not go out into the light of day just because a handful of people might feel a slight change in the wind because of it, but to think about who might be touched and how they might be touched. With writing, there is always the possibility that anyone implicated will never know you wrote about them, but at least consider, “What if?”
- What are some of the potential consequences? Or, rather, damage control. What is the worst that could happen? What is the best that could come of your words? If you have witnessed the mismanagement of money at a school or hospital, it is important that people know about it, so that it can be corrected. But if you are employed by the agency you are exposing, are you prepared to lose your job? Are you prepared to have others lose their jobs? Alternatively, maybe you cannot, in good conscience, allow patients or students to lose out when they could be getting much better care.
Even if the stakes are not as high as someone else’s health and well-being, mentioning any job information that has not been expressly approved can create issues within a work place. Note that posting on social media and your blog are included under the umbrella of publication. Facebook friend or not, never assume that the boss is not going to see it, always assume that she is.
- Could this piece be rewritten as fiction? Is there a reason that you have to cover these circumstances as fact? If there is not a solid reason for keeping identifying references to people and places in your piece, consider that fiction can have just as much impact on people as a non-fiction story. Sometimes, since you might feel more freedom to change details in fiction, you can create an even more powerful piece. As fiction, you can safely mask all involved and protect both those who do and do not deserve to be protected. The art that is created might have even more of an impact without the strictures of non-fiction.
- Will your truth help others? All these considerations are not to scare you off from publishing non-fiction. Sometimes it is the appropriate medium. If what you have experienced will encourage others to seek help or receive help, your story might not be as effective if your personal testimony as a witness is removed. Or, perhaps, you are uncovering a terrible lie that has harmed many people. The good may easily overshadow the bad. If so, be confident that publication is worth the consequences.
- Is now the best time to publish? It is not unheard of for people to wait until someone has died before publishing. Or, maybe until you have a new job or after your divorce proceedings are over. Maybe a few years will put everyone in a different position to hurt less. If so, waiting will not diminish the quality of your work, but might allow some distance and soften the response from the real people involved.
When you first begin writing, none of these questions should be in mind—or even any thoughts of publication. During the early drafts, the only thoughts you should allow to creep in are how to make the piece better. Thoughts of publication can stunt any writer by bringing out the inner critic. However, once the piece is completed, keep in mind that publication does not only include appearing in a book or journal. With social media being one of the most prevalent ways of communication and the internet being available to nearly all citizens, anything that is posted on Facebook, a blog, or even Pinterest is published. It is poor decision making to tweet or comment on a news article without considering the possible results of letting your words go live. You have the potential to change the way that people think and view the world—before publishing, consider how you want to use that potential.
