A play within a play

I think the trick with this sort of thing is not to be too heavy-handed. I find that every time I try to "tackle" something, no one enjoys the piece, probably because I became to focussed on getting a message across, and not enough time trying to write something that would be enjoyable to read. I'd say subtexts are best left to critics. That's their job - to make up a load of balls that your book is supposed to be about, really, underneath it all. Before you're published I'd concentrate on writing something good. When you're established, and your publisher has stopped worrying about sales figures, you have earned the right to be a bit more pretentious. Here's a question someone can go find out on google or wherever: what was Orwell's first book? I bet it wasn't Animal Farm or 1984. I bet it was something with a much smaller emphasis on clever comparisons and social commentaries. Though I could well be wrong, and I'll look a tit. Ah well.

i think it was the reverse with orwell, he published essays first and fiction later...but i'm not sure and am prepared to look a tit too..

It's not my intention to be pretentious Yorkie, that would only be the case if I was doing it simply to be seen to be doing it. My reason is far more philanthropic than that, in that I'm attempting to highlight issues of social deprivation in the present by drawing parallels in the past. But I'm not letting it get in the way of the narrative, which is why it's such an interesting challenge. And I am already published incidentally, not that it's a really big deal, it's just the way I make a living.

Oh really? In that case go for it, son. Who are you published with?

From an ordinary reader's point of view I would get a lot out of a historical novel that shed new light on a current social issue, or illuminated it in some way, either by reminding us of a past situation or showing us how it was different. It's nice to get refreshing perspectives particularly on tired-out issues. Like, for one example, the Sarah Waters 'Tipping the Velvet' idea, a refreshing change from the usual lesbian love stories. There's lots of good stuff in this vein.

Bit of a cheat there on my part actually Yorkie, I'm published in that I write for daily newspapers. So I guess that makes the Guardian Media Group my publisher, still being published is being published! Incidentally, loved your verse following on from mine on the Da do Ron Ron theme. Nice one!

The theme that comes to mind in this discussion is; "The more things change, the more they stay the same." From a perspective of drawing parallels with events from the past and the present, I would suggest the past is where you find the basis of understanding. History repeats itself. Often times I find that when reading, say a newspaper story from the mid-1800's and then reading a newspaper story from say 1925, I find that social commentary doesn't change that much. Same old problems, just a modern flavor. Society has a knack of not learning from their mistakes. What changes is not human nature nor the struggles that man put's himself through, time and time again. What changes is the technology and the methodology. From a writing standpoint, I prefer to think about what is the emotion I wish to evoke with this piece, then I work my way up from there.