Political Hot Potato

Politics - This is a tricky one. How do you construct and develop a political system, with all its nuances, coupled with the characters that inflame and annoy, for your fantasy world without employing allegory? Let’s face it, politics, no matter what country you’re from, is a sticky subject. I have a feeling a great many authors struggle with this topic.  I mean, let’s face it, there’s so much material to dig into.  Think up an idea and right now out in the world there will be at least four examples for you to use as examples.  

I started thinking about this issue recently when pondering the political structure of  my made-up universe.  As the world of Merry Hell continues to grow, through successive books, I’ve noticed that some aspects of the political structure need beefing up.  I want to delve into what makes certain characters tick.  I started to imagine various story arcs requiring a lot more robust descriptions of the ruling bodies and the people that populate them.  To those who have read Havoc, I think you can get the gist of what I’m getting at.  Book three, and beyond, would require a much more detailed examination of world politics, both by its elected officials and its civil service.  For inspiration I started to do what a lot of authors do, looking at the world about me; trying to fathom how certain political decisions and the figures involved, greased the wheels of the world and pushed it towards an uncertain future. 

Herein lies the problem.  How can you draw from everyday experience concerning governments and officials without alienating large parts of your audience? I’m not here to lay down the law and tell people what to think.  If I create a character, how long does it take before readers imbue elements of real-life people into my characters.  It’s a conundrum to say the least. In years gone by, I wouldn’t have worried so much about this, but today we live in a world evermore connected by technology and public opinion, with evermore alarming world events taking place.  The consequences of ones actions have never been more open to analysis and argument. I sometimes feel that I ought to place a disclaimer below each chapter saying, ‘All similarities to persons living or dead are entirely blah blah blah.’  Just know this, I write comedy; I write about things that make me giggle; I, in no way, set out to upset anyone, quite the opposite in fact.

So here goes; a writers statement - In the near future I’m going to develop a series of characters that will be buffoons, back-stabbers, idiots, sycophants, dictators, sociopaths and do-gooders.  In doing so, I will try to create personalities that are their own and nobody else’s. It will not be my intention to implant anyone from the living world into my books. Well, not without their permission.

What do you reckon.., think I covered my arse enough?