“The Writer’s Duty”
Do writers have an obligation to readers, an unwritten code of ethics, of honor? Certainly, those who write non-fiction are more at risk for condemnation if they present an idea as authentic without facts to support it. And even with those facts, opposing views will appear with facts of their own. What is truth but viewpoints held by a majority, scientific evidence, statistics that can, with a mere slip of the pen be manipulated. It is a race for the non-fiction writers to keep up with current events, technology — politics. The unwritten code challenges them every step of the way.
Writers of fiction in many ways have easier jobs, but a more difficult time defining their duty. Is telling a story enough? Should they be leaving the reader with answers or questions or both? What is it about a story that leaves readers breathless or leaves them unfulfilled with a sense their time has been wasted?
The greatest writers who ever lived know the secret, those who have been designated as masters of their art, whose books are still read today, who set a precedent for quality — for genius. Then there are those who lead the herd, those who won the Nobel Prize in Literature, an honor bestowed upon only a few. They fall into a group that exceeds extraordinary.
William Faulkner received this prize in 1950. He titled his acceptance speech “The Writer’s Duty”. The following…
