No Attribution Required
I’ll be wrapping up the first draft of a book in two weeks.
Not my book, a book I’m ghostwriting.
I’ve spent five fantastic, chaotic, and thrilling months working on this project. Countless hours of research, interviews, and screentime have been poured into it. And so far, this has made for a very entertaining, educative, and mind-boggling read—if I do say so myself.
But given the controversial nature of the book’s content, its publication is expected to be followed by debates. Debates that may or may not lead to any resolutions or actions. Resolutions and actions that may or may not solve the problems that the book exposes.
As I near the project’s end, I’m reminded of all that I love and hate about writing, art, and free speech.
I love that the author of this upcoming book has a medium to reveal hidden truths and educate people about ongoing issues. But I hate that no matter how well-written and well-researched this project may be, we can’t be certain that it’ll lead to positive outcomes.
Unfortunately, that’s out of my, or the author’s, hands.
As a writer, I can’t predict how people will react to my work. I don’t know if it will provoke any action. I don’t know if anyone will read it.
That said, if someone decides to take action—be it positive or negative—because they were inspired by something they read in this book, how much attribution and responsibility can be conferred on the author, or myself, the ghostwriter?
In other words, if someone does a good or bad thing because of something I wrote, is it my fault that they did what they did? Am I responsible for the reactions people have after they read my work?
I think a lot of the ongoing debate about free speech and its limitation boils down to attribution. If we can say whatever we want to say or write whatever we want to write about, can we be held accountable for what people do with that information?
Unless we can collectively agree on what attribution truly means with respect to free speech, there will always be a battle for and against freedoms of expression, and the medium will always be in danger of being sabotaged.
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