Behave…The Internet Never Forgets
When we interact with people in real life, we’re often advised not to talk about politics or religion. Bringing up those emotionally charged topics is a good way to start arguments with strangers and friends alike. Yet I’ve seen countless authors, aspiring and published, break this rule online.
If they’re writing about religion or politics in their books, expressing their opinion about those topics fits with their brand. Maybe they’re writing Inspirational Romance. Or maybe their book is targeted toward those who think X religion is made up of crazies or Y political party members are all idiots who hate the country. But most of our books don’t fall into that category.
I can think of a dozen authors that I will never buy books from because they stated their opinion on social media with no room for anyone with opposite opinions to feel welcome. To me, whether I agree with their opinion or not, that unwelcoming attitude says they don’t want my money. If confronted with their behavior, those authors will often state that they don’t stop believing in certain things just because they’re authors. And that’s true.
However, Twitter is usually compared to an online cocktail party. How many of us would shout our beliefs at the top of our lungs at a real life cocktail party? And worse, how many of us would word it as “anyone who doesn’t agree with me is an idiot”? Why do we insist on behaving a different way online than we do in real life?
As I’ve said before, “Branding is something that happens whether we’re ready or not. Essentially, our brand is what others think of us.” Or as Kristen Lamb says:
“We must remember that everything we say and do on-line serves as part of our brand. Social media is a loaded gun that can be used to feed our family or to shoot ourselves in the foot. … What takes YEARS to build can take only minutes to destroy.”
Whatever we do online creates our brand.
And whatever we do online remains forever.
Almost exactly one year ago, I pointed out, “An odd dichotomy exists within the internet, as it possesses both a short attention span and a long-term memory.” Some of you might have heard about this week’s exhibit number one proving that long-term memory: Terrell Mims.
Over a year ago, I helped spread the word about Terrell Mims’s plagiarism. That post is on my Most Popular Posts sidebar because it continues to get a fair number of hits from people Googling general plagiarism issues.
After being outed, Terrell disappeared for many months. Then on Monday night, a comment on that old post accused Terrell of returning with a new name, Chris DeLaune. As a new commenter, the accuser’s comment automatically landed in moderation. Before approving it, I checked out the links (s)he provided.
Sure enough, Terrell had kept his old Twitter account and just changed the avatar and handle to @AuthorCDeLaune. In an extraordinary show of gall, he’d taken up interacting with Kristen Lamb and the same group of writers he’d victimized last time—none of them aware of who he really was. (Nuclear explosions would have been quieter than their shock at the news. *smile*)
I took oodles of screen shots, prepared to make the case, and approached my Tech Guy for insight. He made his own copies when he discovered that Terrell’s post just last week at his new blog under his new name was…hmm, let’s say “strongly inspired” by a post at Forbes (with no credit, of course).
Tuesday morning, Kristen, my Tech Guy, and I all confronted him on Twitter. His first response was to deny everything. And then we brought up the proof. I captured the Twitter confrontation on Storify (tangent: I love Storify!), and in the end, he admitted everything.
I’m not bringing this up to turn this post into a slamfest against Terrell. I was never directly victimized by him, so others can handle that aspect.
(For a far better look at that angle, check out Kristen Lamb’s post from yesterday with the background of all the ways he’d betrayed her. From threatening her reputation to taking a brand new laptop from her, Terrell’s crimes are beyond simple plagiarism and into full-on fraud (and worse). For my efforts in outing him this second time, she dubbed me “Digital Wonder Woman.” (I do have dark hair and the power of truth. *smile*))
I am bringing up this mess with Terrell to illustrate my point of how everything we do online becomes part of a collective memory that will never go away. As I commented on Kristen’s post: “Someone might be able to fool some of us some of the time, but not all of us all of the time.”
This latest outing of Terrell Mims happened because of a post over a year old. Internet searches, quotes of conversations on blogs, copied chat messages, Storify, the Internet Archive/Wayback Machine, and Google caching all ensure that internet data remains forever.
And contrary to the beliefs of those who scream loudly, people tend to watch out for each other. Commenters defend bloggers from trolls. Fans of author Holly Lisle regularly let her know where they find pirated copies of her books. The internet is not just a faceless mass of words. The internet is people. People like you and me.
So we all need to keep that in mind when we feel like ranting, or lying, or stealing, or anything else that can negatively affect how others perceive us. Biting our tongue—just as we’d do in real life situations—can sometimes be the only thing that prevents us from having to dig out of a hole bigger than our ability to escape.
As for Terrell Mims, whether it’s the fact that he knows he was caught and is simply attempting to play everyone a third time or my Digital Wonder Woman “Lasso of Truth,” he has (as of this writing) updated his Twitter bio to include “Terrell Mims. Former plagiarist.” (Update: He’s deleted his Twitter account, will he try another new name?) Also, he posted a full admission of his past crimes to his blog (no mention of his oh-so-recent “slip” with the Forbes post) and stated that he’s a plagiarist on his blog’s About Me page.
However, the Storify of his Twitter confrontation with his plagiarism victims reveals several arrogant statements that make me doubt his sincerity. More importantly, his other what-he-thinks-is-more-private online activities make me doubt him even more, not to mention what I know from those who know him in real life.
Could he conceivably turn over a new leaf—completely changing his long-term character traits—in the twelve minutes between his “prove it” tweet to my Tech Guy and his “that was a slip” tweet in regards to the recent Forbes article plagiarism? Eh… Let me put it this way: I wouldn’t find it believable in a fiction book. *smile*
Has an author’s behavior online ever made you change your opinion of them or decide not to purchase their books? Do you talk about religion or politics online? If so, does it fit your brand? Whether you discuss those topics or not, what would make the risk in discussing them worth it to you? Before you post anything online, do you ask yourself if you really want this associated with your brand?
Photo credit: VinnyPrime
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How interesting! It’s certainly something to think about. As an aspiring author, it can be hard to establish my ‘brand self’ while still keeping things personal and true to my life. Then again, my book has Christian content so presumably it would come as no surprise that I am in fact a Christian xD However, in the past few years on line, especially on tumblr, I’ve learned how important being kind about my beliefs is. I try to love everybody ^^ So hopefully no one could find anything too horrible I’ve written online. Thanks for your usual awesome insight, Jami!
Hi Stefanie,
Great point! Yes, we want to be true to ourselves and not “hide” who we are. So this is more about ensuring we’re doing the online equivalent of showing our “good side” in pictures. 🙂 I have a tag labeled “Jami’s rants,” so it’s not that I never let my opinions show. LOL! Rather, I just make sure those opinions match who I really am inside and aren’t just a brief venting outburst. Thanks for the comment!
[…] Update: Here’s my follow-up post with more links to Terrell/Chris’s confrontation with his plagi… as well as his current […]
Wow, Jami, I had not heard of this situation. I just read Kristen’s blog too. It’s appalling what some people will do online, isn’t it? From Manti Te’o’s catfishing situation to a boy at my daughter’s school who fake-dated a girl online whom he thought was real. She was outed and apologized, but the boy ended up killing himself a few months later. Have you watched Catfish on MTV yet? Those people posing as something they’re not are really sad and pathetic.
We want to believe the best in people, that what they’re putting forth on the internet is their true selves, but it’s situations like these that really make you wonder sometimes. Yay for Digital Wonder Woman and White Hacker Jay. You go!!!
And I wholeheartedly agree with yours and Kristen’s statements about authors (and anyone in the public eye) who rant about politics, religion, etc. If it’s your brand, fine. If not, many people who follow you will be insulted.
I love your cocktail party analogy. That’s exactly what I do. If I wouldn’t say what I’m about to post online at a cocktail party or to one of my best friends who happens to have opposite political views than me, I won’t say it online. In my opinion, it’s just plain rude and inconsiderate. She’d be like, “Screw you, Laurie. You suck.”
Hi Laurie,
I haven’t heard the term “Catfishing” and I don’t think I want to know. 🙂
Yes, for some reason the faceless nature of the internet makes it easy for us to be trapped in (or think we’re safe in) an echo chamber of people who think exactly as we do, but that’s not the case. We all have our own histories and motivations for our beliefs. Here in the U.S., half the country believes one thing and half believes the other, and I don’t see the point in pissing off half my potential audience. I don’t behave in ways to piss people off in real life either, so I certainly wouldn’t do it here. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
I get what Jami’s saying here. That said, we also need to remember that just like in real life, people are not perfect, we’re all not in politics, and sometimes you have to face hard conversations, offline or on, you just have to be respectful. I’m not counting the guy Jami used in the post above (I never knew of that, so I have no opinion) but I have said some things I’m not proud of, yet I didn’t say them to be a jerk, but they were things I actually care about, and I’ve thankfully learned to be more tactful. I’ve also met folks I had issues with for similar issues as cited above, but we became close friends over time, or at least developed a new respect for each other, I know that’s not atypical given Jami’s post above, but it does happen, just saying… I wouldn’t not buy or read someone’s books just because they had a big blow-up or two, it still all comes down to the writing and my interests, period. The only exceptions are a couple women authors whose views on men make me gag (I’m not naming them so I hope says something about me tact…), and I’ll stop there now. While I’m not for treating people like sleazebags, sometimes you HAVE to speak to something, even if it’s not the most happy thing ever. That’s a difference in my mind to just trolling people, which even at my worst, I don’t do.… — Read More »
Hi Taurean, Yes, unfortunately, I’ve seen too many authors skip that “respectful” aspect. I’ve seen some tweet: “If you believe X, just unfollow me and don’t buy my books. I don’t want your money.” *sigh* Yeah, I’m not kidding. Even if I don’t believe X, I usually think the situation is more nuanced than they’re making it out to be, so I still feel excluded by their extremism. They don’t realize that proclamations like that exclude not only those who believe X, but also those who aren’t as adamant as they are that all X believers are evil and need to be “shamed.” Kristen points out in her post that readers don’t typically follow authors for their political rants. If they wanted that, they’d follow someone whose brand was about political ranting. 🙂 On the other hand, you’re absolutely right that we all make mistakes. My Pollyanna nature wants to forgive and see redemption stories everywhere. 🙂 That’s one reason I specifically stated that I didn’t want this post to be a slamfest against Terrell. I’ve seen too many “witch hunt” type behaviors from those who call out those who make mistakes. Attacking isn’t a good reaction, in my opinion. So I completely agree that we shouldn’t be so scared of making a mistake that we never reach out to others! I’m almost always willing to give people another chance–even Terrell. I doubt he means his apologies any more this time than he did the last time, but I’m willing… — Read More »
Great post Jami!
I laughed when I saw Terrell had deleted his Twitter account. And we now have the answer to if Storify keeps Tweets after they’ve been deleted – they do. Yay!
One thing I teach is the permanence of electronic information. Yay for you being such a good student! 🙂 If my office phone number from 1996 is still online, someone’s most embarrassing moments or divisive comments will certainly be.
And don’t even get me started about the proliferation of personal information out on the Internet. I could spend all day helping people keep online stalkers from showing up at their door…oh wait… some days I do. 🙂
-Jay
@jaytechdad
Hi Tech Guy,
I’m disappointed that he deleted his account, actually. a) That makes me suspect that he’s going to crop up again, pulling the same thing under a different name, and he thinks that will make it harder for anyone to find him out. b) That makes me think that he’s not serious about trying to prove himself. I know, I shouldn’t even hope that he meant what he said, but really, I am a Pollyanna. LOL!
I can’t wait for your online security class. *whispers* Uh-oh, was I not supposed to talk about that yet? 😉 Thanks for the comment!
You know what’s funny? Just before this post popped into my inbox, Jeaniene Frost tweeted to authors, asking them not to respond to bad reviews. Which reminded me of another author and the flame war that ensued in the comments on various review sites. By the end of it, one blogger, who’d posted an honest review of the book, had her life threatened. The author did little to get her readers to calm down, and the apology she offered the blogger was perfunctory at best. I’ve been known, on occasion, to post about current events or politics on my own blog, but I don’t do it nearly as often as I used to. Part of it is yes, I am a little more wary of what I put out there, but it’s also partly because I don’t watch/read the news much anymore (too depressing!) When I do choose to, though, I feel I can get away with it because that’s the sort of thing that’s been on my blog from the beginning, and my blog followers know it. And yes, sometimes my snarky opinions end up in my projects (one book centered on an indie bookstore taking on a corporate giant, so I got to sound off on big business killing indies). But those times I do choose to post about something potentially polarizing, it’s always something I feel very strongly about. Victoria Dahl’s another awesome example-she’s big on reproductive rights and isn’t afraid to tweet or blog about it,… — Read More »
Hi Amanda,
Yes, good point! Sometimes we choose the art despite the person. We see that with some actors/musicians as well. 🙂
It’s funny that you mention our worldview leaking into our books. That’s certainly true, although often in indirect ways. My belief in the power of love and the chance for redemption definitely shines through! But my religious or political beliefs really don’t. Many of my characters hold opposite opinions to mine, and I’m actually proud of that. I’ve heard it said that if we can’t have friends with differing beliefs, there’s something wrong with us. So not only can I have them as friends, but I can write believably, sympathetically, and empathetically about their beliefs. Yay! I’m very nuanced about most things. 🙂
I also very much believe that those who instigate (or as you said, do nothing to quell their followers) share responsibility for whatever their followers do. That power we have over our network is both a benefit and a responsibility, and it’s up to us to not abuse that power. (Which is yet another reason I said I didn’t want this post to be about bashing Terrell.) Thanks for the great comment!
I don’t talk politics online, largely because of lack of interest. I also avoid current events where there’s a lot of polarization about the issue because it’s not how I want to spend my time. Religion has always been the more difficult area for me. I don’t write Christian fiction, but I am a Christian, so I’ve had to find a way to be true to both of those aspects of myself. I don’t hide my faith, and if anyone wanted to talk to me about it, I’d be happy to. But I also don’t write blog posts about my beliefs, nor do I argue my points in my ethical-type posts based on “the Bible says.” I think by being open and authentic about who I am, while also sticking to blogging about what does relate to my fiction, I’m able to find that balance. I hope so at least 🙂 One thing that I’ve noticed is that those of us who are worried about destroying our brand or are worried about accidentally crossing the plagiarism line are the ones who probably won’t make those mistakes. I’m constantly thinking about whether I should or shouldn’t post something or about whether I’ve added my own take on something enough to share it. I would be devastated if I even accidentally overstepped the line. It’s difficult for me to understand how anyone could justify intentionally stealing and deceiving others. I’m very thankful to people like you, Jay, and Kristen who try to… — Read More »
Hi Marcy,
I understand. I don’t really talk about religion or politics in real life either. It’s not that I’m disinterested, but that I tire of the polarization. Honestly, I’m so nuanced about most things, no one group speaks for me about anything. 🙂
I think you’re spot on with your approach to religion. You’re true to yourself, and your beliefs shine through in your writing and in how you interact with others. But you don’t do anything to form an impression of “my beliefs are better than yours.” And that attitude of superiority is what really rubs me (and others) the wrong way. 🙂
You’re also right that those of us concerned about these issues are probably the ones least likely to overstep. But just in case I ever forget, I like to remind myself sometimes. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Thanks for another great post 🙂
First of all, way to go, Jami! 🙂
Second, yes, I do think about what I post before I post it–both as to how it affects brand, and as to how it might impact the privacy of my family.
I am friends (in real life!) with people who hold very different views than I on many things. But we are still friends, because we have similarities that outweigh our differences and because we agree to respect each other’s right to have a different view. I try to keep that vibe online, too. Besides, it’s interesting to talk to people that don’t see the world the same as you!
There are certain things I will speak up about, because I feel strongly, but I try to be respectful about it. If it is something factually incorrect, I post a link to back me up. As I get older (don’t ask!) I find that I am more willing to stand up for things I believe in, even though I hate confrontation. Most of the time it is when I encounter hateful, spiteful or bullying behavior. I just can’t stand that. There is no need for it and it has no useful purpose. All it does is widen the gaps between us and hurt people.
So, yeah, I try not to get in the middle of political or religious frays, but there are times when something needs said. And then I try to say it with respect.
Hi Kerry,
Great point! Yes, I very much think about privacy considerations before everything I post as well.
As with this plagiarism issue, there are times we have to speak up. I could have stayed silent for fear that Terrell/Chris would attempt to retaliate against me, and I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind. But I spoke up, regardless, for two main reasons: a) I wanted to alert my friends of the truth, and b) I wanted to communicate with him about how he could do this the right way, because I still wish he would learn from his mistakes and get on the right track. I’ll admit that it also helped me to speak up knowing that I have the best group of friends and the world’s best Tech Guy at my back. 🙂
So yes, there are certainly times when the risk is worth it. 🙂 Thanks for verbalizing some of those reasons and thanks for the comment!
I can’t believe he was stupid enough to do it not once, but twice. When Kristen’s story came out this week, my jaw dropped at what he did. Unbelievable.
Hi Angela,
Yes, we always suspected he’d change his name and start writing again, but to then go back to the same group of writers? Not to mention steal content again?
The really crazy thing is that he went and wrote up his own examples for the points of the Forbes post. So he would have been 100% good if only he’d said, “Hey, I read this really interesting post on Forbes (link) and that got me to thinking…”
We often take inspiration from others and build on it. I have many blog posts along those lines. But you can’t build off of something and not acknowledge where the foundation came from. Such an easy fix that would have made his post perfectly acceptable. This latest plagiarism occurrence is pointlessly stupid, really. It should never have been an issue. Would it have killed him to include a link? *sigh* Thanks for the comment!
That’s a good point. In fact, I did just that Monday. In the first line, I said that Flavorwire did this post on literary board games, linked to it, but took it further by giving the info in a bulleted list with the buy links (which wasn’t available on all of them in the original)… I worried if I was stepping over the line, but I linked to it, said what I was taking from it, what I was adding, etc. Now, I’m worried I didn’t do it right, but I think I did. Right?
Hi Angela,
Yes, I think your post was fine. You didn’t take their content and say it was yours. You didn’t excessively quote their content. Etc., etc. You gave credit, linked, and then added value. 🙂 Thanks for sharing that example of how to do it right!
Brilliant post, as always. I know that when I advise against blogging on sex, politics or religion (unless it’s part of your platform) I get a lot of writers who wail and scream about freedom of speech and that I am denying them the right to have an opinion, but the Internet can just blow up in our faces. I have seen it happen too many times. A fairly innocent post goes DEFCON-5. Unlike taking a political stance in a book, where the “politics” are subtly woven into a narrative, FB, tweets and blogs are more like a punch in the face. Star Trek changed society’s views of women and minorities by using the power of STORY. We as the “audience” didn’t feel attacked. We eased into the idea and soon? We changed. Rants just put people on the defensive. I never mind buying from authors who have different beliefs than mine. What I WON’T tolerate is being called a hater-idiot-moron non-stop and then them expecting me to part with cash after using their platform to bludgeon me AND my beliefs. I am friends with all kinds of people who are different from me. That’s what’s beautiful about the Internet. We can connect, get to know one another. Recently, I had a staunchly liberal gun-control friend on Facebook start a dialogue with me and my husband about guns. Instead of calling me names, she asked a lot of respectful questions, and we had a really awesome chat and are even… — Read More »
Hi Kristen,
You know what’s really funny? This issue doesn’t just apply to authors. EVERYONE is creating a digital footprint that will follow them around. Oh, you’re applying for that government job? Huh, they might not look kindly on that picture of your underage drinking on Facebook from 4 years ago.
We’re talking about authors creating their brand here, but when we stop and go back to that definition of what is a brand–the impression others have of us–we see that everyone, whether in the public eye or not, creates impressions wherever they go. We’re going to have to raise our children to have this same “don’t post anything on the internet that you don’t want your future boss, spouse, mother-in-law, kids to see” attitude. This is a huge adjustment for everyone.
I’m like you–I don’t care if people believe different from how I do. Heck, I’m such an odd bird that I expect it. 🙂 I’m unique, so I couldn’t possibly expect someone to have the same beliefs. What I do care about is being insulted for my beliefs (or seeing others being insulted). Crazy, I know, but I’m just not big on insults in general. LOL!
Community is what the internet is all about to me too. And I’m happy to have your back. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Now and then I’ll make comments of a political or a religious nature. However, just by my nature I am not a hateful, spiteful person, so when I do it’s usually posted in the most diplomatic way possible. I’m a practicing Buddhist, and it pops up in many ways in my works. No one so far has been offended by anything I’ve said, and for the most part people are curious to learn about a different perspective. My posts aren’t pushy or preachy. Since I write horror and fanatasy, a post a good deal about monsters, folklore, and mythology on my blog. So if I am talking about Buddhism, it’s often in that context. Now I do have a day where I write personal posts, which might be more “ranty” in nature. But usually it’s more of a “can’t we all get along?” type deal, or a response to some current event, once again phrased as diplomatically as possible. The internet does have a very long memory, which is why it pays to be kind and reasonable :). And not to plagiarize. I used to talk to Terrell on Twitter. Seemed nice enough, although got pretty arrogant and offputting when talking about how much of an ‘expert’ he was about writing. Tried to get me to enroll in a workshop. Then he disappeared not too long after, which must have been when he was outed. Seems a shame to me really, since he shot himself in the foot and killed… — Read More »
Hi Andrew,
I understand. I’m opinionated and I certainly let my opinions be known. 🙂 But like you said, we can state our opinions in a way that doesn’t make others feel attacked, inferior, etc. And yes, many of my “rants” are about people getting along and doing the right thing too. LOL! Thanks for the comment!
Heck of a post, Jami, and one whose many links have caught my interest at the very least. I’m such a Pollyanna I don’t even get this kind of stuff exists. (I suppose I keep myself sheltered, but I plan to be enlightened by following up on your links–thanks, DWW ;)). So sad when people have to go such an averse way. One asks herself why.
As per my opinions, they’re mine and I’m entitled to them. Think I once went into a small rant in my three or so years blogging. I’m not about debating. I’d rather live my life and let others do the same. And if I can help or serve others in the process, that’s simply gravy. Thnx.
Hi Joanna,
I definitely understand the Pollyanna attitude. 🙂 And like I mentioned in a comment above, I’m certainly opinionated, but I’d never think of pushing my opinions on others because like you, I’d rather let others live their lives. Thanks for the comment!
Interesting. I do think that it’s more hurtful if one bashes someone else’s religion, than if one talks about how happy their own religion makes them feel. On Facebook, I sometimes post things about how grateful I am that I have God to watch my back; but now I’ve set my privacy settings so that ONLY my confirmed Christian friends and Christian sympathizers/ those who seem to like God can see these posts. 🙂 Privacy settings are wonderful!
Straying away from the internet though, about my short stories, I do worry that some of them are so heavily Christian (i.e. they assume that God’s existence is an established fact, lol), that they might repel my atheist friends 🙁 However, books are different from the internet, as one can always view my books as catering to a Christian audience rather than the general public, so maybe the overt Christianity in there can be excused? XD
Hey Serena, just jumping in to share MHO on your comment. Your books are yours to write as you see fit. Others may or may not choose to buy and/ or read. Chances are your atheist friends won’t be picking up ANY Christian books but people who like and seek inspirational, faith-driven stories will. I’ll assume the latter is the audience you’re trying to reach anyway. Best wishes.
Hi Serena,
Exactly! There’s nothing wrong with having opinions. (I’m full of them! 😉 ) But too many act like their opinion is the only way and that other opinions are inferior, stupid, etc.
Personally, I’d say you have to write the stories that want to be written. I have characters of all different religious backgrounds and beliefs. None of the stories are about religion, but we see aspects of the characters’ beliefs (or lack of them) from their words, thoughts, and actions. The characters are who they are, and if their beliefs determine why they do or don’t do something in the course of the story, not mentioning anything about their beliefs would just be silly. That’s my opinion anyway. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Thanks, Joanna and Jami for the encouragements! 😀
Yeah, I hate it when some people denigrate others’ opinions and beliefs. 🙁 My professor in my abnormal psychology course made several disrespectful remarks about religion which made me dislike him. XP (The other reason why I didn’t like him was because he made such crude sex jokes O_O) Another interesting example was how, in my friend’s environment course, the prof assigned them to write an essay to disprove creationism. What if some students’ religions believe in creationism? Why is the prof making them turn against their religion?? Yeah, there’s my rant. XP
Also, about books again, do you have any advice on writing about homosexual characters? I’ve had conversations with people in the past where I made NEUTRAL comments about homosexuals, but this provoked strong reactions from them and they hated me–though my comments were neutral, they were obviously not interpreted in that way.
So now I’m doubtful whether I should write about any homosexual characters at all, since it seems that any comment about homosexuals, even if they are positive comments, will inevitably be construed by some to be negative. I do have a lesbian character whom I like very much as a person, but after that incident, I’m wondering whether I should hide her homosexuality and simply have her never fancy boys.
What do you think?
Hi Serena,
Ugh! Those sound like awful professors. If that one professor was teaching Debate, sure. Debaters are expected to argue every position, regardless of their personal beliefs. But “environment”? No. 🙁
That’s a great question about how to handle LGBTQ characters. I think that’s one area where there’s no one definition of “neutral” because it’s such an emotional charged subject. Some will think neutral means “tolerance,” and some will think neutral means “acceptance,” and those are two different things. A statement meant to be neutral and tolerant could be seen as negative by someone who wants acceptance.
As far as your question, maybe only “label” your character if the story demands it. In one story of mine, the gay character labels himself because he (mistakenly) thinks the heroine is alluding to a relationship between them and he wants to cut off that idea. Then hero and heroine bring it up once more as they’re dealing with a jealousy issue. But other than that, it’s a non-issue because that’s not the central defining characteristic of who he is. And I think that’s the main thing to watch out for.
Just as much as hetero characters aren’t defined by being hetero (their character is about a hundred things other than their sexuality), LGBTQ characters should be treated the same way. They should be individuals and their sexuality is just one of many characteristics. That’s my opinion anyway. 🙂 I hope that helps! Thanks for the comment!
Thanks, it does! The issue of my character’s homosexuality should never come up unless she falls in love with someone and I’d have to show the reader that her crush is a girl. But I can hopefully avoid this scenario.
Good luck with it, Serena! 🙂
I’ve had several instances where I was following authors whose books I really liked and had to un-follow them because they go off on a political, religious or other tangent that is just plain rude and castigates anyone who perhaps doesn’t share that view. In some of these cases I may have shared the general viewpoint but not the way the person went about expressing it. The best examples of this were during the recent US election hoopla (as well as some of the more recent news events in the US.) One person had tweeted that if any woman voted for the other guy they were worse than a moron and called them some other unpleasant things. (It was so bad –and way vulgar-, but I won’t repeat it here. I don’t think I could even type some of the words they used when referring to supporters of the other political party, it was that bad.) In terms of who the person supported and them tweeting about it, I could care less. But the fact that the person made such a broad statement and was that disrespectful to anyone not agreeing with them, well let’s just say I was beyond disgusted. I get that authors are people too and have opinions, but writers (or anyone really) shouldn’t be shocked when people start un-following and refuse to buy books after going on disrespectful rants filled with inflammatory statements. I mean talk about showing not only the unattractive quality of being close… — Read More »
Hi Kat,
Well said! It’s terribly short-sighted to insult half your potential audience, much less the additional people who are on your side but get turned off by the attitude.
I’ve seen some of these authors go so far as to assume that all their audience must feel the way they do because the other side would never read their kind of book. *rolls eyes* I know liberal pagans who read Inspirational Romance, and conservative Christians who read erotica. So no, those religious or political groups don’t necessarily have anything to do with what we enjoy reading.
Great point too about how these authors should know the power of their words. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Hi Jami,
I hope all is well on your writing. I really liked this blog post you posted today, I have two situations in which I didn’t buy the authors book based on their behavior on the internet.
One way I didn’t buy an authors book was because it was a originally a fanfiction, I find it unethical to pawn on another authors hard work and universe.
Another way I wouldn’t buy the book is the authors behavior. I don’t know if you know this, but there was a book blogger that posted a review about THE SELECTION BY KIERA CASS and the agent was lashing out at the blogger on her twitter account and was liking the book to get it popular again. The book blogger had over 2000 followers on the blog so you can imagine the reaction to her readers when she posted about the situation. The book bloggers who were following the blog didn’t want to purchase the book after seeing the behavior from the author’s agent. That incident also sparked the article on Pubilsher’s Weekly and Media Bistro about if authors should respond to those who write reviews on their books.
Thanks for Letting me comment!
Hi Vanessa,
Thanks for sharing more examples of bad behavior. I’ve seen plenty of bad author behavior when it comes to reviews, so I wouldn’t call out that particular situation as the agent was more at fault than the author. But yes, I agree that how authors react to reviews is certainly a minefield of potential bad behavior. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Hi Jami,
When it comes to book reviews, every reader has their own thoughts and feelings about a certain book. I have friends who loved Twilight but I didn’t like Twilight that much. Every reader has different tastes when it comes to reading as well.
Thank you for allowing me to comment on your blog
Hi Vanessa,
Yes, those different tastes in reading are like the different opinions about issues. 🙂 We’re all unique and that’s a good thing. Thanks for the comment!
[…] Gold: Behave…the Internet NEVER Forgets. Excerpt: “When we interact with people in real life, we’re often advised not to talk about […]
For me, it is in the “how” of the presenting. I enjoy a well-thought-out, well-written opinion post, even if the opinion is vastly different from my own and on a “hot button” topic. The key for me is that the post is written in a tone that respects other opinions (for example, as a fairly liberal person a good read from a conservative viewpoint DOES help me understand why others feel differently, but not if it bashes liberals and insinuates that anyone who doesn’t agree is wrong/stupid/etc). I’ll read your book regardless of your feelings on other topics if you present them as friendly conversation rather than a “beat-the-reader-over-the-head-with-how-right-I-am” point of view.
Hi Pam,
Exactly! As I mentioned above, I expect everyone to have opinions different from mine. 🙂 It’s all about whether those opinions are respectful that others might have good reasons for believing differently. Thanks for the comment!
I referred to you and this on twitter to spark some conversation. Hope that you do not mind. 🙂
Hi Deanna,
Of course! Thank you! 🙂
Wow! I never knew about any of this!
I never talk about religion or politics, not on my blog or in real life. I like to make friends, not get them into a huge fight over something that can get blown way out of proportion. Plus, I believe everyone is allowed their own opinions and its not my place to tell them that their choices are incorrect, or something.
Unless, of course, they’re a murdering psychopath who thinks cutting internal organs out of people while they’re alive and then rolling around in their blood is fun. Then, I might intervene with that opinion. 😉
I love this blog post. This is why I tend to over think everything I type onto a laptop.
Hi Daphne,
LOL! Quite true. After all, I was very opinionated with my statement that plagiarism is wrong. And you know what? I’m totally okay with being judgmental about that. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Oh. My. Gosh.
You are amazing! AMAZING, I say! I can’t believe you were able to do all that sleuthing and catch that guy in the act. You really are a Digital Wonder Woman. 🙂
Hi E.B.,
LOL! Thanks! I have to say, the Lasso of Truth is pretty cool. 😉 Thanks for the comment!
[…] Writing Stuff In the comments of my last post about watching our online behavior, some people worried about the bigger picture. Can we still be true to ourselves? Should we not […]
[…] Behave… The Internet Never Forgets by Jami Gold […]
[…] Writing Stuff The recent talk of watching what we say on the internet and being aware of our brand has brought up several ways people come to odd conclusions about us […]
[…] Gold reminds us that the internet is forever—bad author behavior or plagiarism will not be forgotten. The story of Terrell Mims is a case in […]
This goes for everyone, not only writers. I tell my kids this all the time and how they need to be mindful of what they post on social media.
Hi Hunte,
Exactly! Very true. I pointed out this same issue in my reply to Kristen above. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!