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First Published: July 27, 2025 by Paul W. Romero
Preface: This was originally written on July 24, 2022 at the start of my MFA Creative Writing program.
At the end of the day, I will still write what I want to write. However, that doesn’t mean that I won’t have that all too common outsider feeling as if this is not the profession for me. My biggest worry is that I allow my emotions get the best of me and allow I them to dictate my actions. I worry that I will not finish what I start because I feel it won’t be strong enough or good enough to be published. I also worry that what I write will be taken as offensive and I’ll become a target of cancel culture. Now, I do not wish to make this political. I do not condone hate speech, nor do I agree with extremist views.
What I’m concerned about is if I tell the truth like Stephen King says, and I make a character who is hateful in nature, I don’t want to be accused of supporting such hatred. I’m not trying to spread hatred. I’m trying to create an authentic character. I’m trying to tell the truth. This character isn’t a good person, they are vile and hateful, and the unfortunate truth is that there are people like that character in the world. If I diluted the character, I do a great disservice to the entire story. The only way I can address this issue in a positive manner is to do it nonetheless.
In an interview by Namrata Poddar, Felicia Rose Chavez responds, “Because no matter our desire to avoid replicating harm, change is risk” (Poddar, “We Build It Ourselves”). In Poddar’s interview, Chavez continues to state, “Adriene Marie Brown teaches us that art is not neutral, that it either upholds or disrupts the status quo, advancing or regressing justice” (Poddar, “We Build It Ourselves”). One of my favorite quotes of all time, Mr. Rob Zombie states, “Art is not safe. We’re not here because it’s supposed to be fun. We’re in here to make something great” (Hyden, “More Horror Than Horror”).
“Art is not safe. We’re not here because it’s supposed to be fun. We’re in here to make something great.” – Rob Zombie
This was in response to one of Zombie’s actors during a highly controversial and sensitive scene on the set of Rob Zombie’s film The Devil’s Rejects. Rob Zombie is one of my favorite film directors because he like Stephen King has a stigma of creating gruesome and horrific stories. Yet at the end of the day, these two men are smart and mean no harm to others nor are they trying to spread hate or violence. They are simply telling the truth and creating stories that are authentic to their worlds. After all, the world is full of drama, full of violence and horror, and these types of storytellers just simply shine the light into those dark corners of our hearts and minds that others dare not venture. Hitting those pressure points, those soft spots, is what makes stories memorable.
Hitting those pressure points, those soft spots, is what makes stories memorable.
King states, “There is absolutely no need to be hidebound and conservative in your work…both the traditional and the modern are available to you. Shit, write upside down if you want to, or do it in Crayola pictographs” (King, 196). King also states, “Let me reiterate that it’s all on the table, all up for grabs. Isn’t that an intoxicating thought? I think it is. Try any goddamn thing you like, no matter how boringly normal or outrageous” (King, 196). According to Catherine Clifford, “In a recent interview with The New York Times Magazine, the author (King) shared his strategy for dealing with criticism: Just keep on writing” (Clifford, “Stephen King: This is How I Deal With Painful Criticism”). Pretty short and straight to the point.
I plan to use my workshop feedback by looking for common elements and themes described by my readers and fellow writers. I will look for reoccurring theme about the plot not making sense, or characters not seeming believable, or the readers flat out just not being able to read or care about the entire story idea. If more than one person is noticing the same issue, then chances are it’s probably valid and needs to be addressed. Furthermore, if anyone has a different view on how to approach a scene that seems better than my original draft, I will consider revising the scene to the reader’s suggestion. Any and every bit of feedback and criticism is welcome. From there I will filter what I need and what will be considered and make adjustments as needed.
Works Cited
Clifford, Catherine. “Stephen King: This is How I Deal With Painful Criticism.” Make it, https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/28/stephen-king-this-is-how-i-deal-with-painful-criticism.html. Accessed 9 July 2022.
Hyden, Steven. “More than Horror.” Grantland, https://grantland.com/features/rob-zombie-horror-director. Accessed 24 July 2022.
King, Stephen. On Writing. New York, Scribner, 2000.
Poddar, Namrata. “We Build It Ourselves: A Roundtable on Race, Power, and the Writing Workshop.” Interviewed by Namrata Poddar. Poets and Writers, https://www.pw.org/content/we_build_it_ourselves_a_roundtable_on_race_power_and_the_writing_workshop. Accessed 9 July 2022.
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Paul W Romero 