Different narratives are bound to deal with human behavior, and in such a case, freedom of expression is dynamic: it serves as the very vein to creativity. For fiction writers, this liberty is the building block upon which creativity, invention, and telling the truth rest. Without it, the stories that are meant to foster change, motivation, and transformation will be suppressed and the world would be a bleak place.
The Influence of Story Telling
Writers of fiction are storytellers; on the contrary, they are seekers of the truth. With their work, they study human beings’ intricacies, consider social constructs, and dream of what is possible. Be it a dystopian novel that serves as a cautionary tale of what the world will come to, or a romance that defies the borders of an imposed culture, or a fantasy fiction that reimagines the fiction’s realm, fiction is the only one that has powers to initiate thinking and change.
Yet, this capability comes with a catch: storytelling must have the liberty to abduct concepts without the consequent fear of punishment or silencing. When a writer is never able to write anything, then the story of inspiring compassion, provoking injustice, or even delighting would have to be forgotten.
Freedom of Speech as a Creative Necessity
To fiction writers, freedom of speech means not only expressing opinions but also creative freedom. Political systems have corruption, human beings suffer from inequality, people are traumatized, and life itself raises deep questions. Fiction does not aim to always put people at rest; rather, sometimes, the aim is to disturb the reader and ask for active participation into realities that seem to be avoided.
To speak from a blunt angle, free speech gives you the power to have an opinion, and without than, self-censorship will be employed and henceforth, real control will not touch upon the writer but upon the reader. The choice to think will be withdrawn.
A Historical Perspective
Writers of fiction have not had to look far in history to discover numerous examples of censorship, repression or even imprisonment during the term ‘freedom of speech’. Orwell’s 1984 was banned in a number of countries due to its radical critique of dictatorial policies, one of the reasons being Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, which is still in contention due to its take on gender studies. Fiction is always at the mercy of those who wish to subdue it.
These stories persist because they address the universal truths. They urge us to reflect on the need to resist oppression, question authority, and fight for the freedom to think and express ourselves. Fiction writers possess a distinctive privilege that closely intertwines with their responsibility. A deep responsibility that must be exercised with caution.
The Role of Fiction in Society
Fiction is a form of entertainment, a means to escape reality, and most importantly, it can reflect a person’s life and the life of the society that they live in. We can see through the lens of another human being and have the opportunity to appreciate a world that does not match our own. The empathy component of fiction is perhaps the most powerful and important one in a world that is full of division.
However, fiction writers should be given the liberty to express themselves in any manner that they wish, even if it is for the good or bad of humanity. Love, loss, hope, despair, triumph, and failure are the norm in most societies, and people should be free to express themselves with no remorse. The ability to say whatever there means there is a possibility of these stories finding their intended audience.
The Peril of Censorship
A glaring threat hanging over fiction writers in recent years has been the rise of censorship – which can be both blatant, or subtle. Noted cases include governments restricting certain books from public libraries, social media platforms ignoring other people’s content, and public outrage towards certain themes. There certainly is a tendency to suppress. Something like banning sexually graphic novels from a school library is sensible. However, a book being removed from public libraries, or deliberately made unavailable on Amazon, borders on censorship. This tends to create a chilling effect, where writers are simply too afraid of backlash to create work that could be considered bold.
But fiction is bold by default. It is fueled by the willingness to take risks to give birth to new ideas, or go against the norm. It is a brave spirit that creates stories, and without freedom of speech, that spirit is lost – and along with it, the ability to create impactful and transformational stories.
An Appeal to Act
As advocates and defenders of creativity, and fiction writers alike, we need to protect free speech. Voices of fiction writers as well as other artist must be guaranteed to be made free from authoritarian control, and all forms of censorship must be refuted. Supporting the creators of stories which may be shocking to some is crucial.
Simply put, freedom of speech does not mean the freedom to talk only. It means the ability to fathom, innovate and express. For fiction writers, it determines whether people will ever experience a life transforming story.
So, let us not just preserve and defend this freedom in the name of our writers. Rather, let us embrace this freedom in the name of every believer who knows that stories have the ability to create a better world. To quote Ursula K. Le Guin, “We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel… is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.”
And fiction writers have, above all, the deepest understanding to how these guides scope our existence. And that is everything.
