June 6, 2022
How do you balance making demands on the reader with taking care of the reader?
There are times we authors ask a lot of our readers. We ask them to believe that there’s a world out there where the sky is green, or that shifters live among us. Or maybe it’s something as simple as a jewel thief falling in love with a librarian. The readers are asked to believe that something seemingly impossible is true.
At the same time, we have to make sure the readers are comfortable enough with the characters and the story to keep turning the page. Are they expecting romance? Or suspense? They should be included.
Just this afternoon, I had a conversation with my mother about my latest release, “The Fall of Jake Hennessey” and how it makes her uncomfortable when she’s reading it and she meant it as a compliment. After all, my main character, Jake Hennessey, is not a good guy, but I’ve asked the reader to connect with him as he’s robbing a hotel safe or breaking into a mansion and rejoice with him when he succeeds. I’m not surprised that made my mother hesitant.
Writing Jake at his worst was hard, so I tried to balance his actions as a villain by including scenes where he’s shown as a decent guy. However, I left it up to the reader to decide if he’s truly doing it from the goodness of his heart or if it’s a way to manipulate the characters he’s involved with. Of course, he’s met his match In Harmony Duprie.
As usual, Harmony’s mind was a step ahead of his.
She picked up an armload of the books from her coffee table and carried them to the bookshelf. “There’s always a rational explanation for two people getting together. But not us,” she said as she returned them to their places. “Why can’t I find it?”
Harmony was slipping out of Jake’s grasp. Which meant he’d lose his chance at The Three Musketeers, the prize he’d been working for. But the longer he was around her, the more he realized she was the real prize. “Isn’t that like asking the meaning of life?” he asked.
“Why are you working in the construction business, Jake?”
The abrupt change in topic sent his mind spinning. “Because I like to eat. Why?”
“You keep going all philosophical on me, and I can’t tie the two things together. What would you do if money wasn’t an issue?”
He couldn’t tell her about the joy he got from a successful heist. “You know what I’d really like to do? Bring old houses back to life. That’s what brought me to Oak Grove.”
From The Fall of Jake Hennessey
I believe that it’s part of an author’s job to challenge their readers. How much is up to each of us. Finding the right balance can be tough and can change from story to story.
How do the other authors feel about challenging their readers? Follow the links below to find out.
As always, until next time, please stay safe.
June 6, 2022
How do you balance making demands on the reader with taking care of the reader?
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I’m with you there, as Isaac Asimov said, “nothing has to be true but everything has to sound true.” You have to be convincing in your world and character building.
Good quote. The sounding true part is key.
I wrote a story where the female main character is a cat burglar and I never thought of her as a “bad guy”.
And yes, we have to be good at making the reader believe the unbelievable.
Tweeted.
The other thing we can do is take the believable and twist it to become unbelievable but fascinating.