Truth, Lies & Other Inconveniences
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What Does ‘TRUTH ISN’T TRUTH’ Mean?
“One must use a brazen lie to convince people of a reality of a higher and deeper order.” Jean...
Nonfiction
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Are we imposing on our readers when we write for them?” Is that ethical?”
An author who claims to write for posterity must be a bad one. We should never know for whom we...
Novels
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If writers are ethical, must their morals be circumstantial? Or can they be static?
“As to ethics, the parties seem to me as much on a parity as a pot and the kettle.” Justice Robert...
Historical Fiction
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Is Historical Fiction Ethical? Part Two.
“Your consciousness is your contribution to reality. What you perceive as real becomes real.” Rumi...
Humor & Poetry
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Do Joke-Writers have Ethical Rules?
A guy working in a car repair shop asked if I’d like to hear a good joke. Sure, I said....
Writing writ Large
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Do Authors Have Ethical Responsibilities Beyond the Book?
Beyond the book? The full question is weird on its own, but its premise is doubtful. I mean, once...
Read My Books
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Are we imposing on our readers when we write for them?” Is that ethical?”
An author who claims to write for posterity must be a bad one. We should never know for whom we...
Read MoreIf writers are ethical, must their morals be circumstantial? Or can they be static?
“As to ethics, the parties seem to me as much on a parity as a pot and the kettle.” Justice Robert...
Read MoreDo Joke-Writers have Ethical Rules?
A guy working in a car repair shop asked if I’d like to hear a good joke. Sure, I said....
Read MoreDo Authors Have Ethical Responsibilities Beyond the Book?
Beyond the book? The full question is weird on its own, but its premise is doubtful. I mean, once...
Read MoreIs Tweeting Ethical?
“I very much doubt if anyone of us has the faintest idea of what is meant by the reality of...
Read MoreMust We Write Only Truthful Resumes?
“People need good lies. There are too many bad ones.” Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Aren’t all resumes...
Read MoreWhen We Tell Stories, Are We Telling LIVES?”
Right, the title is correct. At first glance it reads telling stories, telling lies. But that...
Read MoreIs It Ethical to Write School Killing Stories?
“I wonder if, before we were born, we were as afraid of life as we are now of death?” Jay Williams...
Read MoreIs Memoir Writing Truthful or Just Therapy?
“When I was younger I could remember everything, whether it had happened or not.” Mark Twain Given...
Read MoreIs Historical Fiction Ethical? Part Two.
“Your consciousness is your contribution to reality. What you perceive as real becomes real.” Rumi...
Read MoreIs it Ethical to Steal Another Writer’s Words?
“Originality is undetected plagiarism.” William Inge T.S. Elliot[1] famously said, “Mediocre...
Read MoreDo we cross an ethical boundary by revealing private information in nonfiction writing?
“I read the newspaper avidly. It is my one form of continuous fiction.” Aneurin Bevan Nonfiction...
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About Gary L. Stuart
I am an author and a part-time lawyer with a focus on ethics and professional discipline. I teach creative writing and ethics to law students at Arizona State University. Read my bio.
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