I need to vent. Let me preface this post with a disclaimer; this isn't sour grapes. At least not exactly. I'm not pubbed. I'm not ready to be pubbed. I'm not even ready to submit anything yet. But I'm a reader and I keep feeling like I'm being ripped off because an author has "potential."
How the frack do some people get pubbed? Not only pubbed, but loved. I've recently been reading two different authors, one well known, the other not so much...yet. But very similar errors showed up in their work. And this really worries me that this flimsy, crappy storytelling technique is becoming acceptable, or Divinity forbid, standard practice.
Authors and publishers make a pact with the reader that they are going to take care of them on a journey, that neither their time or their money will be wasted. To break it is criminal and ought to be met with public flogging with silly string and repeating the 2nd grade.
So what is this technique that has me riled? Can't you tell? I'm using it. I'm all angsty and confused and angry, but I'm not telling you what about. Cause obviously if I just come out and say it then you won't come with me. Won't believe me that this is a real problem. That it's worthy of being upset about. No it's so much better to dodge the issue. Not just from the other characters but from the POV character as well and there by the reader. Well, where the hell is the catharsis in that?
It's a tragic, warped and twisted version of Scarlett O'hara saying "I can't think about that now. I'll go mad if I do. I think about it tomorrow."
Except one huge difference, WE, THE AUDIENCE, knew 1) what was wrong and 2) her emotional states, She couldn't bear one more problem right then and that's fine because we knew why.
Internal conflict is fine, but for Gods' sake put it on the freaking stage, not just the angst but the freaking conflict the character is having. If your story is so flimsy that it evaporates when you put the conflicts on the stage then get better conflicts.
I want to worry for the character, but if you don't tell me what's wrong, I can't do that. And that's when the author and the publisher have broken their covenant with the reader. And it pisses me off.
About Me
- Jass (Jasmine Rowe)
- I'm a fledgling writer. A mama. A wife. And a damn good mensch.
10 comments:
A worthy rant, Jass. :)
One reason why soap operas are so hugely popular is because the viewer knows a few secrets the characters haven't revealed to other characters-but the key to holding your audience is to drop a hint in, a bit at a time. If you tell it all right up front, then there's no sense of tension-end of story. It can be a delicate balance, but, IMO, one of the cornerstones of a well-written story. So, rant on!
Absolutely! There's something to be said about letting the readers in on the story...and I'm okay, like Eden said, with hints being dropped, so long as it's actually a WORTHY secret and IS unfolded for me!!
I applaud you for bringing this topic forward. It is a very delicate balance as Eden says. Developing tension and intrigue is not an easy task. I am a fairly new published author and am always learning. It's all a part of the process and I for one appreciate it when a reader brings things like this to our attention. Kudo's to you.
"I'm all angsty and confused and angry, but I'm not telling you what about."
Yeah, I've read stories like that, and hated it, too. Angsty internal thoughts for page after page isn't what good conlict is about.
When I read stories like that, I want to slap the heroine and say, "Get a hold of yourself, girl!" I think what you're talking about is a plot device that's way overused and masks the fact that there's no real story.
Dear Jass,
Why do you think some people read these books? Is the writer, the reader, or the industry at fault? I find books that are unpublished and exceedingly well written-and others that are pubbed, hyped, and flimsy. disconnected work. Who can educate the reader as well as the writer?
Eden,
I'm not so sure I agree with the dropping hints thingum. I'm of the school that if the POV character knows something then the reader by default gets to know to. I think it's better to get all the cards on the table and let the reader work through all the drama with the POV character.
In the example you gave with the soaps, which was perfect by the way, the audience knows all the background stuff. It's been so long since I watched a soap I can't even pull up a good example. Oh, Desperate Housewives, maybe. Lynnette taking down time with Rick the cutie pie chef. She and Tom have been having problems since the shows inception and we've watched all the different little power struggles. But in this interaction with Rick, if you know Lynnette at all you know she'll dance really close to that line without crossing it. And they repeatedly put her inner conflict on the stage front and center so we wonder just how far she'll go. It's done beautifully. But if all the conflict was kept off the stage we'd just think she was a spoiled self-indulgent brat.
Rhonda,
Thanks for popping over. I'm good with mystery things if we are not in the character's mind and behind his eyes. I'm not a huge reader of mysteries, but the ones I have read don't follow the "bad guy" as a POV character. For one simple danged reason. If you did, there'd be no mystery, cause hey they do know it all. Or two you cheat the reader by keeping stuff from him the POV character knows.
Debi, I'm not sure whose at fault, only since it's the author's creation, I'm more likely to lay the blame at the author's feet. However, I'm happy to blame the editors too. They let it go to print like that. I'm telling you I'd have never let one of my authors get away with that sort of inattention. And least I blame the reader...they don't have any control over what gets pubbed or the quality of, except where they put their money. But it's not like they can read a story and send it back to the publisher and say you screwed up I want my money back.
Adelle,
Thanks, I'm a wobbling writer too. And that's what confuses me. If I know this and I'm not even pubbed yet...how can they not know.
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