Category: Musings

Musings

Weekly Musing: Reader Responsibility

DH Hanni

I view reading as a two-way street between author and reader. A writer’s first job is to be a storyteller and the primary function of a storyteller is to come up with a tale which a reader will enjoy. I’m may be a writer, but I was first a reader and in many ways I still consider myself a reader before a writer. As a writer I understand what the expectations are of me. These are things drilled into us as we learn and practice the craft. But what is not talked about enough is the responsibilities a reader must carry with them. After all a writer cannot and should not be spoon feeding readers everything. Below I’ve listed some of the expectations we as readers are responsible for.

Unfamiliar Words: Language is great. Authors like words. Readers like words. It’s why we do what we do. It’s up to the reader to look up words they are unfamiliar with. Yet I’ve seen advice over the years discouraging writers from using words most people aren’t familiar with. This is crazy to me. Growing up my teachers encouraged us to use the dictionary to look up words as well as teaching us how to glean the word’s meaning from its usage in a sentence. This is something that doesn’t stop once we leave school. Technology has made it easier to look up a word either by using your eReader’s built in dictionary or via an app on your phone.

It’s not the job of the author to dumb down the language because some of the readers may not know the meaning of a word. The author doesn’t know your reading level or your level of word mastery. Authors use the words which make the most sense for the story and the character. Inversely the author shouldn’t fill his or her story with convoluted, archaic words just because they know them.

Cultural and Technological References: This is something I see brought up in my writers group during critiques and is one thing that puzzles me. I have heard someone tell a writer to leave out references to a specific movie, song, actor, some other cultural reference. Even references to new technology are discouraged. Doesn’t matter if such things are appropriate to the story. The train of thought is these kinds of references will “date” the piece.

This makes zero sense. Should F. Scott Fitzgerald have held back on capturing the essence of the Jazz Age in The Great Gatsby just because in a few decades those references would be lost on most readers? No, of course not. As a reader it is my job to understand the story’s world. If that means I don’t know what a clothes iron from the 1930s looks like I can either roll passed it or stop to look it up. Because it’s not as if information on everything humanely possible is at my fingertips. Like looking up a word, if I have to stop what I’m reading to do a little bit of research, that’s fine. Especially if it’s something which will help me better understand the story. If you can’t be bothered to do some research, that’s fine, but don’t go blaming the author for putting in something you don’t understand.

Character Likeability: This one is subjective and purely up to the reader’s interpretation of the character. As human beings we all bring with us prejudices to what we read. It’s natural to automatically dismiss certain kinds of characters regardless of how the author has presented them on the page. For example, I can’t stand girly, princess type characters so if I encounter one in a story I’m probably going to find her automatically unlikeable. On the flip side I tend to automatically like morally gray characters.

Since character likeability is subjective, it’s up to the author to do justice to the characters and keep them as true to whom they are as possible. It’s fascinating discussing a book and tracking how the same character’s actions can be interpreted so differently. As a writer I always find it curious how feedback from my critique group or my spouse about a character can be different from how I see the character.

Endings: Endings are tricky to write, probably the trickiest part of the whole process, and as a reader tricky to accept. But I have noticed complaints by readers who downgrade a book simply because the ending wasn’t happy enough. In some genres a happy ending is practically a requirement and I’m not referring to those books. I’m referring to books which establish from the start that this is going to be the kind of story that won’t be all butterflies and unicorns. The characters are gritty, the situation could be dire if the right decisions aren’t made, lives will be most likely lost. The reader is onboard with all of this until the ending where magically they switch attitudes and want a happy ending. Huh?

I find it problematic many readers scream about how if they were the author they would have ended things differently and why didn’t the author see that? Because the author isn’t you. Because the ending they came up with is what they saw in their mind. Or what the editor or publishing company wanted. It’s fine as a reader to dislike an ending, but when you get upset at the author for not ending things how you wanted it to end then that are more on you. Personally very few of the books I’ve read I thought ended things properly and in my own work I know how much I still struggle with ending a story in an appropriate way.

Separating an Author From Their Work: When I’m reading I don’t personally associate the book with the author. What an author writes is not a reflection of who they are as a person. If I did then I would think Stephen King should have been locked up years ago. Or I would think every single romance writer out there as having a super libido or is using his or her stories as wish fulfillment.

Yet it’s far too easy to accuse an author of being racist or misogynist if too many of the minority or female characters have bad things happen to them. It’s too easy to think if an author’s works explore the dark side of humanity that they themselves personally view humanity as doomed. Or that author must believe in vampires and zombies if all his or her works feature those creatures. Um, no. Unless the author has stated otherwise, this more than likely is not the case, yet some readers see it this way. Apparently some don’t realize it’s up to you, the reader, to be able to separate fact from fiction.

Something else I’ve also seen are readers telling authors to be neutral in their opinions so as to not lose readers. Authors are human beings with their own views on life. Just because those views don’t line up with every potential reader doesn’t mean the author should change or shut up. If you are willing to stop reading an author because of their personal views, that’s on you. Personally I stop reading an author because I don’t like the work.

 

As a reader it is our job to work with the author. We read and interpret the story the best we know how to just as the author worked hard to write the best story they know how. There is a give and take whenever we choose to read. It’s incorrect for the author to assume every reader will completely understand the story just as it is incorrect for the reader to assume the author will spoon feed us. Readers need to be able to think on their own and connect the dots based on what the author has given us. It’s time to realize this as our main responsibility and work harder when we read.

Musings

Weekly Musing: In A World…Of Sequels…

DH Hanni

 

Comes another one whether you asked for it or not. Back in February I waxed on about book trailers and my thoughts on them. My initial post contained a section of which trailers I watched that either worked for me or didn’t. Ultimately I cut it realizing it made more sense as a standalone post. Thus you are now being subjected to the sequel however, unlike most sequels this won’t be a retread of the first post.

Book Trailers I Liked

I’m grouping together the three trailers for a YA series by Katie Alender as each of the trailers for Bad Girls Don’t Die, From Bad to Cursed, and As Dead As It Gets had numerous great qualities.

Each trailer was well-produced and well-acted and each gives the potential reader a glimpse into the kind of people the main characters are. All three clearly define for the reader what the setting is. The music used was appropriate for each character and worked in conjunction to establish a tone that feels appropriate for each of the books. All of these components worked to pique my curiosity as well as raise plenty of questions I normally have as a reader when inspecting a book to see if I want to pick it up or not. The fact each trailer elicited the same response I get reading the back of a book cover tells me these were great book trailers. More so because these are in a genre I almost never read yet I feel very inclined to pick up the first book.

Blood’s a Rover by James Ellroy

Like most of the book trailers I watched, this one is constructed like a movie trailer. This is both a good and bad thing in my opinion, but that’s not the point of this post. What I enjoyed about this trailer is besides the fact it is walking that fine line between historical fiction and contemporary, it gives the potential reader a great idea of the setting as well as a glimpse into the characters. Like the trailers for Ms. Alender’s books, this one uses both visual and auditory elements to capture the tone and setting of the book. And while the production values are a little bit on the cheesy side, it still gets me interested in the book enough to want to pick it up.

Book Trailers That Were Meh

These were ones I found not to be necessarily bad or good or pretentious, but were just sorta…there.

The Selection series by Kiera Cass including trailers for The Selection, The One, The Heir, and The Crown. Oddly enough the second book, The Elite, doesn’t have one other than a fan made video done with Barbie dolls.

What left me feeling indifferent about these is how repetitive they all were. The music is similar in each as are most of the shots. It’s all glitz and glam with only The Heir differing from the others. If it wasn’t for the character voiceover as a potential reader I would have no idea what these books are about. Strip that away and all you have are a group of young adults in deluxe prom gowns/wedding dresses looking at stuff. Whereas the trailers I enjoyed left me with the kind of questions which would prompt me to pick up the book, these left me with the kind of questions which make me NOT want to pick up the book.

Sherrilyn Kenyon‘s YouTube channel which features several book trailers.

Like the trailers for Ms. Cass’ books these were all pretty much the same. None of them what the books are about or give me much about what kind of people the characters are beyond type of creature. Who are these people really? At least it is clearly made clear what genre the books are as the trailers all invoke a dark fantasy/supernatural/paranormal vibe. The cheesy special effects and actors giving their best fierce look into the camera aren’t as effective to me. Also the music comes close to overshadowing the visuals.

 The Miriam Black series by Chuck Wendig

At first the raspy voiceover and words from the actual book was something different from what I’d seen so far. However, the device quickly bored me. If I wanted to read the first chapter from a book to see if I like it, I can. The voice also grated on me and if I were to pick up the book (the concept does sound like something I’d read), I can’t help but think that guy’s voice will be permanently tattooed in the auditory part of my brain. What also didn’t work for me was the inventive ways in which the text was placed onto the screen. Call me weird but I kinda needed punctuation once in a while.

Pretentious Book Trailers

The Flame Alphabet by Ben Marcus

Let me say I appreciate it was unique something you’ll notice each of the book trailers in this section share. Now for what bugged me. At first I thought this was a graphic novel since it’s animated. It wasn’t until I did some research I discovered no, this is indeed a novel. This makes the trailer even more confusing. The fact it’s not clear whether The Flame Alphabet is a graphic novel or a standard novel could change a potential reader’s mind. Another flaw is it is not until the end of the trailer do we find out what the book is about. And it’s just plain freaky and not in the kind of way which I might be drawn to.

Theory of Remainders by Scott Dominic Carpenter

My initial reaction was “What the hell is this book about?” After watching it a couple more times, I still don’t know. If the point of a book trailer is to tease the audience into at least considering your book, then I sorta need to know what the book is about. Crazy, I know. Yet all we are given is some agonized middle age guy in a tiny room while operatic music plays. Maybe he looks pained because of the music. Who knows and who cares. Just screams pretentious.

The Women by T.C. Boyle

This is gorgeously shot and I am a little interested in this book because it looks like it’s historical fiction. Why I feel this fits the pretentious category is the numerous close-ups of the actors’. The music selected is annoying and doesn’t fit the time period. I feel like whoever created the trailer was trying to convey just how serious the book is. Instead I get the impression the book maybe overwrought. At least I have a clearer idea what The Women is about.

Straight Up Bad Book Trailers

Preoccupation by Jave Kavfi

I feel odd putting this on my list because the author herself posted how bad this was. In her defense she admitted making it herself and had numerous technical issues while creating it. I admire her for doing it herself and as bad and weird as it is, it’s still better than what I could ever hope to put together.

What makes it bad are the weird effects on still pictures and close-ups of crazy looking eyes. It also doesn’t really tell me what the book is about. Is it some kind of trippy historical fiction romp because of all the old timey photos? Is about time travel? But while I have these questions, I was turned off by the trailer and don’t want to look up the book.

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

This one surprised me by how bad and amateurish this trailer is considering it’s for the third book in a popular YA series. While the trailer came out in 2009, its production values scream 1990s. The production values are so bad it makes me think I could make a better one. All it consists of are still photos while overly dramatic music plays. It doesn’t tell me what the book is about. Doesn’t matter it’s the third in a series, at least give a hint so a reader might want to pick up the other books. It feels as if it was produced more to elicit hype more than anything which is why it includes more than one recommendation from Stephanie Meyer.

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Oh, boy. Someone spent money, but apparently not on the actors. Not only does this feature questionable acting from everyone and the vibe of an afterschool special from back in the day, it honestly left me despising the book. If what is in the trailer is the actual plot of the book I can’t. Simply cannot. While we get glimpses into the characters, everyone comes across as stereotypes with nothing to tell me there may be something different.

 

Like the quality of books, the quality of book trailers is all over the place. Production values and good acting alone aren’t enough to ensure one has a solid book trailer. What it all comes down to for me as a reader is “Do I want to at least consider picking up this book?” If you leave things too vague or too confusing, you’ve lost a reader. If you care more about hyping the book then actually informing the reader of what’s in store for them, you’ve lost a reader. If everything looks and sounds the same, you’ve lost a reader. Keep it simple. Give us enough to hook us but wanting more.

Musings

Weekly Musing: Seriesly?

DH Hanni

After attending a couple of geeky conventions last month, a thought occurred to me: Does everything have to be a series? Are standalone novels not good enough? The idea of a series isn’t new and isn’t restricted to any particular genre. However it seems as if over the last few decades there are more series and different types of series.

Personally I’d like to see more standalone books. I have enough books to get through that if I see something is part of a series, I hesitate. Unless I somehow manage to get in on the first book and like it, I’m not so inclined to put in the time. Also, there’s a higher chance of books within a series being hit or miss. What if books 1 – 3 were great, but 4 and 5 were meh, do you give up or do you keep plugging on in the hopes the ship can be righted?

Before I delve deeper let’s briefly define the different types of series.

Character – A character-based series is what it sounds like. Think of Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, Deanna Raybourn’s Lady Julia Grey mysteries, Twilight, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, etc. You get the idea. The stories revolve around a central character that may or may not have a recurring cast of minor characters.

World – This type of series is one in which the stories take place within the same world, whether made up or real. Probably the best examples of this are quite a few fantasy novels such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, A Song of Ice and Fire, and even Harry Potter. While the characters are clearly the center of the story, the world is just as important as it provides its own rules. Sometimes a series will be set not in a made up world, but are connected by the same geographical area.

Time Period – More likely to be seen within historical fiction, this is a series where the stories revolve around a particular time and place. For example, Sharon Kay Penman’s trilogy of books that takes place in thirteenth-century England and Wales.

Theme – A themed series is one which could revolve around a holiday or some other kind of unifying idea.

Trope – One kind of series which seems popular in the romance genre is a series of books revolving around a particular kind of character like a billionaire, athletes, cowboys, royals of all ranks, you get the idea.

 

I enjoy reading some series but most of the books I seek out are standalones. My biggest reason why I steer clear of most series is reader fatigue. How many of us have started a series and wished it would just end already? The opposite problem is when a series does finally end, readers are upset, so years later we get the inevitable prequel or continuation. Rarely does a series just ends.

Another reason I stay away has to do with feeling as if publishers view it as potential cash grab. Don’t get me wrong, as an author I’m clearly all in favor for writers making as much money as they can off their writing. We labor years and decades for pittance. A series provides a fantastic opportunity to build an audience and provide a steady income. It can also allow a writer the joy of continuing to play in a world they’ve spent years creating. But with the extreme commercialization we see of hit movies and TV shows at what point does it become more about dollar bills and less about quality product?

I think a series can lead to fatigue not only for readers but for the author as well. We’ve all been engrossed with a series only to admit at least one of the books wasn’t as good as the others. Usually this seems to occur in later books which indicates to me the author struggled. This makes sense. It’s difficult to keep coming up with fresh ideas and then we see stories hit a wall. Other times an author gets sick of character. Agatha Christie eventually grew to loathe Hercule Poirot. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes because he wanted to work on other projects. Holmes’ resurrection came about due to money and an audience that begged for more.

I do wonder if this need to serialize everything has to do with having a gazillion TV channels, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Streaming services, Crackle, etc. all with shows which transport us to another world filtering over to the book world. Is the publishing industry following the example of movie studios seeking out the next big franchise that they seek out manuscripts with series potential? Or is it because we as writers don’t want to give up a world and people we’ve spent so much time with we might honestly know them better than some family members? That comfort we get from the known and the fear of “Oh, shit. I might have to go through this process all over again?”

As with everything else, the answers are nuanced. I think the overwhelming majority of writers start a story not intending to expand it beyond one book. Then as they get into the world, the story, and characters, their minds blossom with possibilities. Others start out believing their idea can and should be a series. Still others have the concept for one book, send it out to agents and publishers, only to be asked if there would be a way to turn it into a series.

On a writer level I can’t see myself doing a series. That’s not to say I don’t have ideas for one or two or that I won’t change my mind. If I did tackle one it wouldn’t be to follow a particular character or made up world, rather it would exploring a particular time period. I worry about limiting my freedom to work on other ideas. Should I ever be lucky enough to earn a steady income I don’t want to be hampered by the pressure to produce another book in a series as soon as possible when my muse desires something else. I also fear I won’t have the creativity to maintain a certain standard. But I certainly understand and can appreciate the appeal of a series for both reader and author.