Is the pen mightier than the sword? Some say yes, some say no. Can writing be world-changing? It depends on how you look at it. Yes, some books have had a profound effect on human history. Take the Bible, the Koran, the Analects of Confucius. Or Luther's 95 Theses. We'll leave out the Declaration of Independence, because it was a legislative resolution, but Tom Paine's Common Sense changed a lot of minds on two continents.

Books have started trends, both good and bad. The Sorrows of Young Werther by that young radical, Johann Wolfgang Goethe, was banned in places because it was causing bad behaviour among young men, notably romantic suicides and the wearing of weird fashions. Rousseau's Emile caused public weeping. Uncle Tom's Cabin may not have started a war, but it certainly stirred up feelings on the subject of Abolition.

But that's not what I meant to talk to you about. All of those books changed things in an overt manner, by setting out philosophies, or political or artistic points of view, that readers agreed with. Which is a fine thing, in its way. You could set out to do that, and more power to your typing fingers. But your goals in life may be more modest, or you may not find yourself inclined to want to lead a movement – or even start one. This does not mean that you can't change things with your writing.

In its short history, the United States has been, not only a magnet for the peoples of the world, but a centre of social influence. This has had its good side and its bad side, as we all realise. The Declaration of Independence, for example, was a pretty good influence. On the other hand, some of us would argue that the planet could well live without supersized Happy Meals, Disneyfied fairy tale parks, and corporate outsourcing. Culturally, it could be argued that US influence hasn't been a good thing. In fact, US novelist and historian Gore Vidal famously insisted that America's greatest contribution to world letters was the television commercial – an art form that can tell an entire story in 30 seconds flat. Yeah, and those commercials are everywhere now.

However, I would like to add that US television series have had profound cultural effects around the world, as well. Example: in Germany, people have demanded their 'Miranda rights', even though Germany uses a different legal system from Law & Order. The late Peter Falk chuckled that he'd met people in African villages who'd seen Columbo, and there's a statue of the shabby detective (and his dog) in Budapest. Back in the 1980s, this author had a conversation with a train compartment full of Romanian Young Pioneers, who wanted to know who shot JR. The medium shows up practically everywhere.

What effect does this have on the world, besides spreading odd notions about Texans and confusing legal systems? It can have deleterious effects, of course: squeezing out local traditions, introducing bad music, bad ideas, and really bad fashion. Nations otherwise spared from hip-hop, mullets, car alarms, whatever, will hardly thank the TV industry. And let's keep in mind that you can't say, 'Hollywood'. Half of those shows are shot in Vancouver, British Columbia. That's Canada, people. You can tell by how many actors say, 'eowt'. North American influence is what we're really talking about.

So what can you do with your writing that would have a positive influence on the world's audiences? Think about it. What kind of behaviour do your characters model? What do you imply about them? Do you watch TV? Of course you do, in some form, sooner or later. Think about it: does watching Monk make you more tolerant of people with mental problems, even if your society tends to be intolerant? Does reading/watching stories about the handicapped make you more aware of their issues? Do you find your attitudes changing as you become better informed?

What about cultural differences? Different nationalities? Gender conflicts? Ageism? The more you know, the less you dismiss. What author first made you aware of the challenges facing another group of humans? Was their work fact or fiction? Chances are, it was fiction.

Aha. Can you slip some of that insight into what you write? Sure you can. You can avoid stereotypes, and write about people in all their variety and glory. Your writing will be better, and you'll reach others. It doesn't require a sermon: in fact, sermons are counterproductive. Just think about how much you like Columbo. And you may never have met a working-class New Yorker in your life. What kinds of people can you share with the public?

Don't say, 'Oh, I don't know any interesting people. Everyone in my circle is pretty much like me.' In the first place, if that were true, you'd have to stop writing at once: no one with that narrow an interest has anything to say. In the second place, it can't possibly be true. Look around you. Observe. You'll find all manner of people to watch. You'll also find them in the storehouse of memory. Bring them back, those people from your childhood, youth, last holiday…give them life. By talking about them, non-judgementally, and letting people see what they do and how they do it, you'll be making subtle changes to the mental environment. Who knows? You may start a trend.

Writing Right with Dmitri Archive

Dmitri Gheorgheni

29.09.14 Front Page

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