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Are there any creative writers in the group? I like to write short stories, and I struggle to keep certain points of view out of my writing, but it’s difficult at times. Assuming you’re a writer, do your atheist’s beliefs, unbeknownst to you, filter into your writing?

JWDiaz 6 Jan 5
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16 comments

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Your point of view is what brings truth to your scribblings. Without it, the work will feel flat and without substance. Pour yourself into the work.

Gohan Level 7 Jan 22, 2018
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When I write, the points of view are those of my characters, not mine. Anything and everything is allowed. Sometimes I like to include other's points of view. It is an interesting exercise. Don't limit yourself, write what you want or what you know. I think that my life experience filters into my writing without me even knowing it. Good luck, continue writing.

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Sometimes it does for me. I had this story idea where there's this guy who becomes very influential in world politics and comes very close to achieving world peace. But the end of times christians fear that it's the antichrist (since they believe the antichrist would achieve world peace for a short time before plunging the world into darkness). So the end of times christians send someone to assassinate him. They succeed but it doesn't have the desired affect. The nations of the world start pointing fingers at each other over who killed him and it eventually leads to a big war that, ironically, plunges the world into darkness.

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Its the joke called ;the elephant and the Polish problem. A classroom of different nationality kids are attending class. The new teacher asks them all to write a story about an elephant. Which they all do except for the Polish kid who writes a story called the elephant and the Polish problem. We all bring our own agendas to our writing. One of my favorite authors is Graham Greene. Hardly any of his works do not contain some reference to Catholicism but then he was a convert in his 20s. To be fair he also maintained that there was very little reference to it in most other literature of his day.

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Yes, I write. I think it's important for your own viewpoints to creep into your work, as long as what you're saying speaks honestly without sounding preachy. This may require a filter, sure, but everything you write goes through one filter or another - that's not unusual or remarkable, is it?

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I used to write. I was published when I was younger- but sadly I am still not rich. Lol. Seriously, why would you want to filter your writing like that? Perspectives make stories interesting. A reoccurring theme in both fantasy and sci-fi is "things are not always as they seem ". Those twists that keep the readers attention come from various points of view. If you are a good story teller, most readers will finish even if they disagree. Case in point, one of my favorite contemporary authors is Mr. Card. I had the pleasure of dining with him and his wife. They are strict Mormon who didn't even drink soda. I lost no respect for him as an author. His beliefs define some of his better known books- like the Seventh Son series.

I love both sci-fi and fantasy genres, as well as classic fiction, I've had writing aspirations for a long time. That's so cool you got to meet him, really liked Ender's Game...I'm not bothered by his religion so much as his public statements endorsing homophobia.

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I'm a songwriter and all I do is write from my perspective. I don't think I've ever written anything about religion, but I have written a song about free will which I guess could be considered in the realm of religion. I let someone else read the lyrics and they didn't know what it was about. The thing is to write in a way where it's not blatantly about the topic that you think is controversial or divisive.

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But that's the thing about writing - it can be totally fictional! You can explore religion/no religion - Gods no Gods... etc... Enjoy what you do - don't beat yourself up for having imagination. I read all genres and seldom does any viewpoint turn me off.

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It doesn't for me when I'm writing fiction, at least not that I notice. But I also write news stories so I've learned to be very impartial in my writing.

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You and what you are should always filter into what you write, being creative comes from your own mind not from others or what they do or do not believe in and you should never suppress your own mind, if you do then it's not from the real you.

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Absolutely, but I also see my writing as a subtle way to introduce new ideas, simplify and explain science, and try to spark divergent thinking in others.

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Embrace it. Fiction is not neutral. Personally, I write things with a twist to Christianity sometimes, such as stories that point out Satan should be the hero of the Bible, rather than the villain.
Write what you write and don't write what doesn't work for you. Otherwise, you may come across sanitized or forced.

Glad someone else noticed that! And also what would be the point of existence without the knowledge of the apple? lol

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I like books even fiction to have points of view.

gearl Level 8 Jan 5, 2018
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No, though not sure what you mean by an "athiest belief." I know a lot of my readers are religious or even theistic, and since I would like them to both read my writing and think about it, I make frequent use of religious language and the like. Heck, you can find a Bible quote to support almost any position, it's incredibly handy that way.

@DangerDave buybull huh? Very,very good.

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I'm sure my current beliefs come into play, just as I'm sure my 'Christian' upbringing does as well.
When I'm crafting a story, characters will sometimes take turns I didn't expect, but when they do, I run with it. It really can be a big part of fleshing-out the people involved. Being able to write from lots of different worldviews is a huge part of creating a diverse group of characters. And, like it is with life, you don't have to agree with everyone you write.

Some of the best drama comes from those conflicts.

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Probably, depending on what I'm trying to say.

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