There’s not a lot (in my writing world) much more exciting to me than meeting and talking with the type of young people who will be reading my book.
I’ve had a few delicious encounters with teenage fantasy fans, and they all go about the same way. In my half-curious, half-outgoing way, I start asking questions about the sort of stuff they read. I love hearing what draws somebody into a book, because I want to make a book that draws people in.
Last night I talked with a trio of teenage girls and was very disappointed to hear (though not for the first time) that the *cover* is the first thing that makes them pick up a book to learn more.
Disappointed, not because I’m not the same way, but because I know I shouldn’t expect to have any control over what the cover looks like. Kinda drives home my powerlessness.
I also found words coming out of my mouth that weren’t quite fair, like, “I don’t like it when authors seem to be trying to teach you something– like a character does something bad and everything else that happens is to show you how bad it was.”
This is both true and not-true.
I don’t like didactic books that make a story serve the lesson the author wants to teach. I do like stories that leave me feeling like I know more than I did in the beginning.
Generally, because of the kinds of books I read, I’m observing more about interpersonal relationships, or emotional intelligence, than anything “factual,” but those are things I’m not seeing a lot of alternate teachers for, so I’ll take what I can get.
I don’t have to “believe” it all, obviously, but good authors definitely make me think, and frequently see things in a new way.
THIS I like.
A lot.
But giving them my blog and e-mail (Hi, girls, if you’re reading this.) I was forced to look at this website in a different way, realizing that Untangling Tales probably isn’t going to be able to serve my goals as a writer, simply because there is way. too much stuff going on here.
So I’m playing with the idea of an author/novel site to move my fiction-specific stuff to, and I’ll keep y’all posted. The domain I want is still available…
For the record I am down to two blogs: this one and the family scrapbook.
Well you better grab that domain then!!
Totally want to, but Jay just told me we’re broke again, so I’m praying it lasts till the house sells.
“Is it because of that huge grocery run I made Saturday?” I asked him, confused.
“No,” he said. “It’s because we’ve been hemorrhaging money to make this place livable.”
He would say he was just frustrated, but it seemed rather poetic (imagery) to me.
If you’re wanting to observe interpersonal relationships and emotional intelligence, I’m going to put a plug here for you to read the Twilight Saga. You probably know enough about the first book to skip it. I thought Meyer’s best accomplishment was Bella’s process of emotional awakening and processing.