I'm not just and avid reader. I'm an obsessive reader. I could curl up with a good book for hours and ignore the world around me, and do so until the book has been read cover to cover. I love reading! And as a reader, I've come to learn a lot that will help me to hone my craft as a writer.
I've been hearing that a lot lately: "hone your craft". To be honest, I'm still learning what that means. Or, at least, what that means for me as a writer. And I've learned a lot just from reading. I know what I like, and what I don't like. I can tell you exactly what frustrates me as a reader, and what things drive me downright crazy! So here, in no particular order, are some of the things that I've become aware of as a reader. Hopefully that awareness will make me a better writer.
1. The writer should know the reader. OK, maybe not actually know them personally- and certainly, with so many varied likes, dislikes, interests, etc. it would be hard to know all the readers and what makes them tick. What I'm talking about is approaching the intended audience at some level.
I've done some storytelling. (In front of an audience, up on the stage... perhaps you know what I mean). Storytelling is largely interactive. As you tell the story, you respond to the audience's reactions. When telling for young children, you are keenly aware of what will keep them engaged as listeners. The same story might be told to an audience of teenagers- but with a slightly different spin. The storyteller adapts the story to the audience- and might even do so in the middle of the story! No two tellings are ever exactly the same.
As a writer, I don't have the benefit of interaction, so I need to anticipate who might be reading my book and what will serve their needs and interests and keep them engaged. I enjoy young adult fiction. I find it is usually intelligent enough to keep me thinking, but it's also clean. When I read YA fiction, I don't have to worry about profanity, sexuality or gory violence. (the same things that would warrant an "R" rating in a film). My challenge as a writer, therefore, is to find a way to engage teen readers. Keep it intelligent and interesting, but keep it clean.
2. The writer should have a clear voice. I have to admit, I'm still learning about this concept of voice. I do know that as a reader, I don't care for first person narrative. There are exceptions, however, and usually that is when the writer has a clear voice. One with personality that shows through. If that first person narrative reads like a list of events (like a journal entry on a day when nothing significant really happened), then the reader in me tends to get bored.
I've come to realize, however, that when writing in a third person perspective, it can be even more difficult to have a clear voice. Third person narrative is often detached. It has the advantage of being able to explain more than one character's perspective, but since the narrator is not actively part of the story, it can become dry and more like a report than a story.
As a writer I need to find my own voice- I can't depend on the inflections, tones, gestures and expressions that I do as a storyteller.
3. The writer needs clear character development. As a reader, I won't really engage in the story until I care about the characters. I need to be invested in their problems. I need to be able to relate to them on some level. There needs to be some kind of emotional response.
I also need to understand the characters. They have to be believable. Several years ago I read an award winning book by a popular author. I didn't really enjoy the book that much. Later, I read another book by the same author- and it was then that I realized why I didn't enjoy the first book. The author featured very young children as characters- but they really didn't act like young children. I realize that part of the character development was that the children in question were exceptional... but they were too exceptional- to the point of not being believable. As a reader, I couldn't visualize them as being very young, and so the books became confusing. I found myself disengaging from the story.
I've also had the experience of reading books where a character was under developed to the point of being "flat" and uninteresting- or at least, very predictable. Other books have over developed characters who display so many different personalities that it's almost impossible to understand and relate to them. Characters need to be familiar and recognizable throughout the story.
As a writer, that means the characters need to be real. They need to have both talents and flaws. They need to be believable. If they are exceptional in some way, I need to make that clear, but in a context that makes the exception make sense.
4. Complex, but not convoluted. Several years ago I read the first and second books of a trilogy. Although I read the first two books in quick succession, there was a significant wait for the third book to be published. I had intended on rereading the first two books before starting the third, but had misplaced my copies. Fortunately (or unfortunately) the the third book had a synopsis of the first two. It was in reading that synopsis that I realized just how detailed the first two books were! In the time that had passed between reading the books, I had forgotten about 70% of what I had read earlier! This is not because I lack retention.... really! There was just too much detail. Even after reading the synopsis provided, I still found myself confused. I've read maybe 10 pages of that third book, but put it down, deciding that I really can't depend on the synopsis to help me figure out what is going on. I'll have to start over from the beginning- and right now, I'm not really that interested.
So what have I learned? That there really is such thing as too much detail. I would like my books to be detailed enough that they aren't too predictable, and remain interesting. But at the same time, I don't want to confuse the reader.
5. Romance and relationships. There is a popular (OK wildly, inexplicably popular) saga that has taken the publishing world by storm recently. I'll admit- I'm glad I read the books (well, maybe not that last one) but I don't think I'll ever re-read any of them. I suppose that is the hallmark of a really good book... if the reader wants to read it again and again.
Oh wait! I have a point! I found the mythology of the books quite intriguing. What I didn't care for was the romance. It was syrupy sweet and mushy and .... oh so not my thing. But apparently, it's popularity amongst other readers is because of that very romance that I found so nauseating. (go figure)
In contrast, I've recently read books by another author that included a measure of romance- and I really enjoyed those books! So I've discovered that as a reader, I'm not at all drawn to romance as the primary plot device- but I can appreciate a little here and there.
I've also realized, as a reader, that the books that are most interesting to me have interesting relationships. Not just romance- but friendships, family relationships, co-workers, people who find themselves allied by circumstances but who wouldn't usually associate with one another, etc. etc.
Relationships lead to interactions. Things push the characters together and pull them apart. There are unexpected heroes, acts of kindness and acts of betrayal. The relationships between the characters provide motivation for action, which then drives the plot.
As a writer, I need to pay attention to the relationships between my characters. They don't have to be romantic (and seriously- if I find it unappealing as a reader, I'd probably fall flat on my face if I tried romance as a writer)- but they do have to be there.
There are many other things I've been thinking about lately as I read, as I write, and as I write about reading and writing....
.... blogging about it here helps me to put it all in perspective and use it. I guess I need to put what I learned into practice now.
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