#WritersCoffeeClub Dec 14
Is it okay for a book to be purely entertainment, or must it have meaning?
(I assume the question applies to trade fiction, not non-fiction!)
Different readers enjoy multiple different aspects of a fiction, so it's prudent for the author to make a story both entertaining and meaningful. Which aspect they choose to emphasize is another question. (I try not to beat my readers about the head with my opinions: they're present if you're interested, not front and centre.)
@cstross This implies that a story can be written “purely for entertainment” which if it is read by humans, is not possible. All works have meaning.
Is it okay to write something that has no intended *message* or *lesson*? Of course! There will be messages and lessons in it anyway, because even if the writer manages to succeed in this (likely impossible) challenge, the read will make meaning regardless.
Now, is it ok to write something when the writer is unaware of its meaning? I’d say “soft no” with the caveat that no one knows everything they don’t know.
There *are* some things at this point that people should really be expected to be aware of if they’re going to share a story with the world (realities of racism, implication that climate change isn’t real, works that sow doubt in vaccine effectiveness, etc.).
Freedom to write such a story? Yes.
Freedom for others to say it’s “ok”? Nope.