About Writing. In a historical novel or short story, set in Poland for example d

1. 78

   NewHorizonsposted 13 years ago

   About Writing. In a historical novel or short story, set in Poland for example during WW2, is it...
   
   allowed for the main character to say damning or hateful language against the Germans who were occupying his Country?
   2) Will the Germans of today take offence when they read the story?
   3) Can the writer get in trouble by such writing?

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2. 83

   SweetiePieposted 13 years ago

   No, you should be realistic and honest in your depictions of the time period.  Most modern Germans know the Nazis were bad people, and only deluded people that belong to the denial of the Holocaust conventions, and who hang out with Ahmadinejad would get upset about that.  Besides, no one makes people read books that offend them.  If someone is offended by something, well they do not have to read it.

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3. 0

   Old Empresarioposted 13 years ago

   The more realistic the novel is, the better it will be. A good writer always tells the whole truth. Who cares if people get offended? We have become such a whiney society that worries too much about what other people think and who will be offended. I'm a huge open-minded liberal and I feel this politically correct sensitivity nonsense is stupid. Don't feel ashamed to express your opinions, especially if you are reflecting history accurately. We are all sick of the "apple pie with a smile" historical novels anyway. Give us the ugly truth.

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   MickSposted 13 years ago

   If you write a story about life in Tudor England, is it going to be filled with wenches and rakes, hims and hers, he and she, and taverns, or will it be filled with, bars, and politically correct persons, sex workers, and the singular they/their?  You use the mode of dialogue and narration appropriate for the time you are writing about, without going over the top with obscure language.

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   Andy the Greatposted 13 years ago

   Some Germans might take offense. Most probably will not as they were either not born, or not old enough to be involved.
   
   As a writer, I'd highly recommend you sit down and decide who your audience is before beginning. The days of widely appealing novels are just about over. The #1 best seller in the US is The Bible. It didn't really worry too much about what Jews or Hindus cared about it.
   
   As for the 3rd question, you'd have to define trouble. Legally, assuming you're from the US, you can't get in any trouble by writing short of specifically threatening something or someone else with violence. If you're looking for a critical success, then as long as it's in the context of a specific time, and from the perspective of a character, I don't see it as being damaging in any way.

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   NewHorizonsposted 13 years ago

   Thank you all you good people.  This is the narrative I have written if you like to read a short historical short story:
   
   http://www.gozo-malta-reality-tour.com/slavery.html

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   PiaCposted 12 years ago

   NewHorizons, I think you may love reading City of Thieves. It's set in Russia, not Poland, but it will answer a lot of what you are struggling with. It's also a marvelous book.

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8. 60

   frochposted 12 years ago

   Writer can has a problems if he will promote nazi ideology by the way. If you will write a book DESCRIBING but NO PROMOTING, I think that all will be good.

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