Last week your solo host, Stephen, shared a hot take: that some authors’ sudden hot takes on political topics add more heat than light. These cringe political posts distract from the author’s job and confuse fans, and some go further into sinful slanders. Now that Zack is back, let’s re-engage this topic as fans and explore hope for biblical unity. Without telling anyone to “stop with politics!” or missing real concerns, how can authors post better about those topics, if they post at all?

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1. Top recent celebrity political wins and fails* Last week, Stephen should have predicted Grammy Awards cringe.
2. He feels sympathy for Billy Eilish and others who just say stuff.
3. Some celebrities can get away with this because they’re Big.
4. Example 1: J.K. Rowling, who lives in a castle and everything.
5. Example 2: George Clooney, legacy, leftist, but moderate in tone.
6. Example 3: Conservative actors who find other (often niche) work.
7. Authors who feel tempted to this openness: are you Big like them?
8. It’s like going out to buy a $10,000 suit before you can afford this.
9. If not, the cringe political post isn’t an upgrade, but a downgrade.
10. Personally, Stephen doesn’t mind politically outspoken celebrities.
11. Those who do this out of seeming grace/surplus tend to win.
12. Those who do this out of seeming vengeance/poverty tend to lose.
13. Big tip here for aspiring authors: you must give more than you take.

14. Otherwise they look kinda desperate for attention, or else insincere.

15. Engaging your responses to episode 298Our own Guildmaster, Ticia Messing, wants a refuge:

    I have several indie authors I read or recently subscribed to their newsletters who all took part in a join political statement over the weekend with the same general idea. It was clearly to win political points for their side, and it was clearly a “If you do not agree with me, you are wrong,” and reading it I felt dirty and used. Even the author who tried to be more circumspect in how she talked about it because it was still clear what she was talking about.

    My problem is I come to their newsletters not to read about politics; it is my refuge from politics. I read them to find out about how their writing is going, a quick glimpse into their life, some book recommendations, and maybe a snippet of their upcoming book.

    Instead, all of these newsletters had paragraphs about Political Issue.

Jason Huff seeks to challenge cringepost motives:

What is difficult about social media in general is that most posts about politics aren’t about determining a side or discussing a moral issue but virtue signaling. It doesn’t matter if the viewpoint is left, center, right, or even a pox on all the houses. Most of the time, political posts are subtly saying, “I am a good and moral person for speaking out on X issue.” This is not usually the direct and overt intention, but it’s still there on another level.

When I say virtue signaling, I’m not saying that they aren’t actually morally correct in their address, but that there usually isn’t a lot at stake in doing so. Most people live, work, and play with people much like them, and they post things their friend pool is going to agree with. And so, when posting anything political, the question has to be, “What is the reason to be posting this?” It’s usually not to inform, because I’d say anyone aware of news right now has heard about Minneapolis. It’s to give a viewpoint. But unless you live in that area, does it affect your daily life right now? Not so much. The stakes are small.

So when I see authors and other creatives I follow giving political opinions, I generally tune out. I’m not there for that. I’m more interested in how you’re living out that belief, whether helping a local legal refugee family or befriending your local police force or however that issue plays out in your everyday life.

Peter Schott wants to re-hinge certain friends:

Personally, I have a couple of acquaintances who I disagree with politically. On some things, we can just discuss and let it go. In others – the posts are just unhinged. I just mute/snooze the guy for 30 days.

There was someone else who just went off the deep end – almost everything posted was hateful, cussing, and such. That earned a permanent block. It was sad to see someone go that far off the beaten path.

I did have one friend who started calling his own friends Nazis and such because they disagreed with him on politics – maybe 10 years ago. I called him out on that as a Christian brother and he was able to realize that he’d gotten a little too far down the path and took a break (and backed off).

Janie Brooks feels betrayed by political cringeposts:

“When your favorite authors suddenly post hot takes about the latest controversial headlines or violent acts, how do you feel?”

Startled. Annoyed. Betrayed. Hurt. Saddened.

Startled because the author doesn’t usually throw their hat into the political fray.

Annoyed because there are so many more topics to discuss.

Annoyed because Instagram or Facebook is my escape from the constant barrage of never-ending political opinions and current events.

Betrayed because I thought I knew who they were. Betrayed because they’ve shown me a side of themselves that goes against how they’ve always acted.

Hurt because they’ve broken my trust. Hurt because my loyalty is hard to gain and I’ve been blindsided by their vitriol.

Saddened because there are so many other topics in which I agree with them, but now I am anathema because of my politics.

1. Your hosts’ own political-posting rulesE. Stephen Burnett’s top ten guidelines:1. Basically, don’t. Don’t post about politics.
2. But if you do, don’t suppose you’re “above politics.”
3. And discern what that term “politics” actually means.
4. Carefully curate post subjects based on deeper reasons.
5. Be timely, yet beware the PETs, or Political Emotion Traps.
6. Stick with big themes that support your mission and novels.
7. Avoid the great sins of slander and casting false judgments.
8. Always rejoice with the truth and do not spread false reports.
9. For lesser-known topics, do not meddle in quarrels not your own.
10. “Never be cruel, never be cowardly. Remember hate is always foolish, love is always wise. Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind.” (Steven Moffat via the Twelfth Doctor, Doctor Who)

Zackary Russell’s social post standards:1. I don’t want to wait until I “make it big” to say the truth. 2. I don’t talk about or reply to the posts of politicians. 3. Certain cultural, moral, and spiritual topics will inevitably overlap with a certain politician. That’s ok. I won’t avoid those topics. 4. I do not have to comment on everything nor defend everything a politician says or does. That way lies madness. 5. I try to find people to agree with, but comment in a way that adds something new to the conversation. 6. I am much more focused on the world of ideas, because ultimately that’s what we are battling. Not the flesh and blood conveyors of those ideas. 7. There is significant overlap between the battle of ideas and shaping moral imagination through stories. Although the former is reactive whereas the latter is proactive. 8. I don’t believe in cultural pacifism, but I do pick my battles carefully. 9. I also recognize that God calls people to directly take part in the political sphere. Same as he gives other callings. I simply have a different calling as someone working in full-time ministry. 10. But I also reject the practice of some Christians who put their heads in the sand when it comes to certain hot-button topics.

Com stationTop question for listeners

• How do authors gain and keep your trust with their social posts?

Next on Fantastical TruthFor most of our lives, Stephen and Zack have kept their eyes to the stars and wondering if NASA or anybody else will ever again get serious about launching ships up there. Now it seems that moment is upon us. Lord willing, next month’s launch of Artemis II will drive new great leaps back to the Moon, not only to orbit or put down boots, but to put down roots. Meanwhile, private firms build reusable rockets and plan satellite networks while setting their sights on Mars. So what other science fictions will come true in reality? Join us to discern and celebrate the God-exalting glories of human spaceflight to faraway lands for this landmark 300th episode of Lorehaven’s Fantastical Truth.