Ethical problem with a thriller

Screw being sensitive. Just do your homework and try to make them real. Maybe this is a decision best made on who you feel best equipped to write about. But I wouldn't worry about offending Muslims too much. After all, you're not writing about Muslims, you're writing about Muslim terrorists. No need for people to be offended unless they're terrorists.
Hmmm... on second thought better not piss off terrorists.

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That's what I say. The Tom Clancy book The Sum of All Fears had islamic terrorists who lit off the bomb in the United States. But in the movie, they changed it to Neo Nazis because people didn't want to be offensive.

I say just go with whatever feels right, but at the same time give some depth to the terrorists, whatever nationality they might be.

-Jason

There are all sorts of terrorists in the world besides ones who claim to be Muslim. In Sri Lanka, the terrorists are Hindu from the Tamil Nadu region of India (came over a long long time ago) and are active in Canada, threatening Tamils of Canada into donating money to the terrorists. There were French Catholic terrorists in Quebec back in the 1970s (I think - FLQ crisis - I was but a babe when that happened).

Depends on what you want out of your terrorists, what the setting is, when the story takes place, etc. Personally, I find the whole pointing all the fingers at Muslims tiring. But that's just me.

Jamesaritchie said:

There are many, many Muslim terrorists, and not writing about them out of fear of audience reaction is what writing should never be about.

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"What's in the slush today?"

"A book about Muslim terrorists, a book about Muslim terrorists, a book about Muslim terrorists, and a book about terrorists who are Muslims."

"Okay, put 'em in the 'Muslim Terrorist' pile."

"Which one?"

"The one that hasn't fallen over yet. What's that in your hand?"

"A book about West Florida Separatist terrorists."

"Hey! Is it any good?"

James D. Macdonald said:

What's that in your hand?"

"A book about West Florida Separatist terrorists."

"Hey! Is it any good?"

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Hey, Jim, is this real? If it is, these would be the perfect terrorists for my book! They're loyal to the queen???? In America????

limitedtimeauthor said:

Hey, Jim, is this real? If it is, these would be the perfect terrorists for my book! They're loyal to the queen???? In America????

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Completely real (though I don't think they've tried terrorism). There are other, equally obscure, separatist movements in America. Don't get bogged down in today's headlines. You want a story ripped from tomorrow's headlines.

James D. Macdonald said:

"What's in the slush today?"

"A book about Muslim terrorists, a book about Muslim terrorists, a book about Muslim terrorists, and a book about terrorists who are Muslims."

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You have just described my book. My next book will be entitled "Terrorists killed my first novel."

James D. Macdonald said:

Completely real (though I don't think they've tried terrorism). There are other, equally obscure, separatist movements in America. Don't get bogged down in today's headlines. You want a story ripped from tomorrow's headlines.

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Exactly! And what I'm looking for is a smidge different from typical thrillers. I want to make stuff up as I go along, so I can't choose something that is really a headline either today or tomorrow. But I want it to be something that's possible, at least if you stretch it a little.

And I SO do not want to write another cliche (red-neck militia, Islamic terrorists, polygamist cult leaders...) even if it IS the reality.

Golly, what other kinds of groups might be out there??? What fun! I'm going separatist-hunting!!

Jim, you rock!