The title of this entry is not a great way to introduce my novel- Shatter.

The main character is a stand-up comic in the 1990s.  Mikey tells a joke on stage about getting a woman drunk enough to make a baby.

Its not a great joke, but Mikey is having trouble coming up with fresh material.  The truth be told, I began writing this story in the 90’s. The intent of the joke is for Mikey to be making a joke about himself.

One of the themes of the book is that people can get in a place mentally where they go against their values and hurt people.

We have progressed as a people. We now see getting a woman drunk to have sex is-  gross, immoral, and illegal. A person that does it should be cancelled.

But should a character is a book? I was so concerned with Mikey making a self-deprecating joke, that I did not see any other implications.  Now I do, and yet, Mikey is a comic in the 90s. It is something he would say.

Mikey does some terrible things as he slips into a psychosis.  When he makes the joke, he is a good guy.  A good guy that makes such a joke, but would never do such a thing.

I am for holding people accountable. I am for speaking in a manner that does not encourage bad behavior. I do however, hope readers make an adjustment for a person living in the 90s.

One caveat though, is that I edited the book in 2020. I did not see the line as problematic until after the book came out. So that’s not good. However, writing a book and getting it published is like trying to tie up a feed sack that is too full. You have to wrestle to get everything tied up.

PS-  It is a serious novel, but with some FUNNY lines in it. I think humor is also an exception to taking offense. I do not want to see another stand up routine like “The Diceman.” However, can we occasionally still have characters like Barney on “How I Met Your Mother?”

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Read more: Don’t Cancel Me