As writer’s we write what we are presented with. An idea or characters start to form, and we write it. When that inspiration hits, it’s the best feeling in the world. Birds sing when you walk by, the sun shines a little brighter. For me, seriously, it’s like falling in love.
Then we edit. Some people love it, some people hate it. For me, this is the time in the relationship where the honeymoon is over, and now we’re starting to fight and argue. We fight, we make up…sometimes. But now the scars are there. It’s make it or break it time. If we can make it through the editing process, we can make it through anything, and hopefully we’ll be better and stronger on the other side.
Then, we send it out, get an agent and a huge advance and a multi book publishing deal. We start hanging out with big time authors and having millions of people worship us. For me…ok, I don’t know what that’s like yet, but I’ll bet it’s awesome.
Basically, we write because we love it and we can’t NOT do it. If we’re honest with ourselves, we write for ourselves, NOT for other people. We hope beyond hope that other people, (besides our writing group buddies) like reading our work too, because if we are to make a LIVING off of our writing, it’s essential that other people like it. But, what do readers really want?
As a reader, my must haves are plot and character. Style is important, but secondary. I love a good turn of phrase, but if there’s no plot and character, so what?
As a reader, what’s important to you?
Here’s an interesting article by Salon’s own Laura Miller on that very topic.
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The story…it’s all about the story. I want to be taken some place else for a while…to be taking part of the story. I want to forget I have 900 things to get done that day, about all the daily issues that annoy and when finished with the book to wish it hadn’t ended, that there was more to read.
Okay, I’ll admit it, I am a selfish write who writes for herself. If something I’ve written sells, great. If someone connects with it closely and it makes a difference in that person’s life, even better. But I write to please me first, which can be very dangerous, because the reader is at least as important.
I’m a very character driven person. I want to get inside a character’s or characters’ head(s) and know what makes them tick. I think that’s why I’ve always enjoyed writing Little House on the Prairie fan fiction.
I’ve been a fan of the show since it originally aired. I’ve seen some of these episodes so many times I could repeat them in my sleep. The trouble with television, however, is that you don’t really get inside the characters’ heads. You have to assume what is in their heads based upon their actions and their words–which we know can be deceiving. In my fan fiction stories, I am able to tilt the scales the other way by getting inside the heads of these characters in a way that would be impossible with television. It’s also good writing practice–as long as you don’t spend all your writing time dealing with someone else’s characters instead of creating your own.
Cheryl
What a wonderful analogy Vanessa I love it! Character, story, descriptive language – a writer who really makes you feel like you’re there.
Thanks for stopping by, and your kind comments – you beat me to it!
As a reader, I like a good story. But I also want it to be well written. I see so many published books that are not and it drives me crazy.
I’m with Jean – I want a story that allows me to escape my world. That means great characters I fall in love with. Plot is important because it moves the story along (I learned this as a teen when all I wrote were characters with nothing happening). Place can be important when it becomes a character and/or takes you away, but I think it’s just as easy to escape in a good story that takes place in a home or town just like our own but with awesome characters. And I definitely like first person POV because it really allows you to get into the person’s head and, if written well and a real escape, makes you believe you’re actually the MC experiencing everything. Of course, there are some great third person (Harry Potter), too, but I definitely like getting into the character’s head.
I write what I want to read and hope others like it, too. We’ll see…
[...] sort of piggy-back on yesterday’s post about what readers want, I’m curious, what do you [...]
This was a very interesting blog and I don’t know what to think.
To be honest, I don’t think about me or my readers when I write. I only think about the story and I do not PLAN my stories or characters. They just happen. THEY do everything.
Along the way I will get this little ‘spark’ of an idea and just know it will be my next novel. And I take that spark and start writing. No plan, no outline, no idea where it is going to go. Eventually, characters and dialogue and events occur until a novel results.
It’s like I’ve gone somewhere else in my mind and I put what happens on paper.
Really, it is as simple as that.
Funny thing, not many of my writer buddies have read my novels. I guess most of them don’t care for fantasy.
But I have been lucky. My novels have sold. And so far, my readers tell me they loved them and would love to read more.
V – I’m glad you’re still content to hang with us “little people” – which reminds me – when are we all getting together again? I’ve missed group terribly!
I like character driven stories. (Especially when the characters behave and stay in character
) The dialog must be realistic and the plot must never be a slog. Also I like to see characters with a sense of humor.
I write for myself. I’m writing a book that I would love to read, but I can read what doesn’t exist. So I have to do it myself. But it sure is nice when other people like what I’m writing.
Little people?!! Are you crazy? I’m the littlest one of them all! Sheesh! I’m just glad people still talk to me.
Thanks for your comments. I sent your comments for Garry to him in case he didn’t check back.
Off to go make sure Gabriel is behaving…
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