: Re: How to deal with moral/legal subjects in writing? More specifically, how can one write a novel that examines or even argues against cultural moral values and laws without... dealing with legal

@Bryan361

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This really depends on the issue you're writing about.

The first thing you need to do is to find out if what you're planning to publish is illegal. For example, in Germany, you couldn't publish a novel that glorifies the Nazi regime; in other countries, you might not be able to publish a novel that is considered pornographic, blasphemous, or hate speech. If you do want to publish a novel like that, you may have to do it in another country, and should probably speak to a lawyer first.

If the novel itself is not against the law, but the subject of the novel is -- as in your speeding example -- you won't have legal problems. You've stated that you live in a country like the UK. If you lived in a more restrictive country like China or Iran, you might still be harrassed or imprisoned even if you haven't broken the law.
But even if the law is on your side, a controversial opinion is bound to offend some people. Depending on who you're offending, and what you're writing about, you can expect twitter storms, having your book banned from libraries, or even physical aggression at your events. In the extreme case, police may decide that you're actually planning to ignore the speed limit, and watch you more closely in real life.

Since you're writing a novel, not an essay, you have a certain ability to say that what happens in your novel is not what you actually believe, and it's just an alternative look at the world. If you're writing Fantasy or Science Fiction, you can construct the world in such a way that real life arguments against your controversial opinion don't really apply, because airbags are now so advanced that no one gets hurt from speeding, or because everyone who dies speeding goes straight to heaven. This probably won't save you from criticism, but it might be enough to avoid offending the majority of the population who don't feel very strongly about the issue.
If you don't want to do that, and you're willing to stand behind your opinion, then your best bet is to find a powerful group that shares that opinion, and align yourself with them. That way, while people will attack your book, you will also have support. If the issue is so universally condemned that no-one would be willing to support you, you just have to hope that your book will sway a lot of readers to your side.

The last piece of advice I'd give is to not start from the most extreme form of your opinion. If it's speeding, argue that the speed limit should be abolished on routes through the wild; don't start with quiet neighborhoods where kids play on the streets.

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