There are, I imagine, a number of writers who'd scorn the whole concept as undermining their artistic integrity. Fancy letting the reader intrude on the story! I do not agree. All writers - professional ones, at least - write for their public. To do otherwise would be both vain and stupid. Therefore, why not get the reader more closely involved in the creative process?
The snag, of course, is that the need for a three-way plot-altering decision every 4,500 words or so can make the writer feel cramped, cribbed etc. Maybe. But I believe art is best when obliged to work within defined boundaries - the sonnet, the symphony, etc. Shakespeare didn't do too badly within the straightjacket of 5 acts, 3 hours and pillars. Limits force the artist to think more carefully about what they are doing. The tighter the space, the more creative they have to be.
More thoughts in due course. Do let me know what you think.
The following day ... Thursday 2 June 2011
Today I thought I'd look at the inevitable question for those writing a novel for young adults: How far do you go? ie Sex and Violence. Then, after a quick moment of reflection, I realised that content is not really where I ought to start when attemption to analyse what I'm doing in the Soterion Mission.
I am fairly sure that the principal difference between a novel for adults and one for younger readers is not so much the story line or content as the age of the central characters. Young people like to read tales they can relate to. As a starting point, this means stories about other young people. They can then identify (or not) with the protagonists and more easily immerse themselves in what is going on.
For instance, only the oddest teenagers, as far as I know, identify with the personal angst of middle aged men and woman involved in affairs (a common theme of novels written for adults). On the other hand, they may well be fascinated by the impact of that affair on the younger members of the family because it reflects their world, their concerns, their experiences.
The second principle of writing for a younger audience is to make sure the story is presented in language they can understand. Some adults like to be challenged by quirky vocabulary (Captain Corelli's Mandolin) but in my experience children rarely do.
In fact, as a general rule, if a reader doesn't understand a piece of writing it is not their fault but that of the writer. Writing is about communicating. If the reader doesn't get it, the writer has failed in their central task. Take heart all you who find a book too 'difficult' - it's not your fault!
So there we have the first two rules for those writing for younger readers: (1) Central characters of an appropriate age and (2) accessible language.
And I haven't even got on to sex and violence! I must do some work now (RBS is a hard task master) so I'll leave content until tomorrow.
Today I thought I'd look at the inevitable question for those writing a novel for young adults: How far do you go? ie Sex and Violence. Then, after a quick moment of reflection, I realised that content is not really where I ought to start when attemption to analyse what I'm doing in the Soterion Mission.
I am fairly sure that the principal difference between a novel for adults and one for younger readers is not so much the story line or content as the age of the central characters. Young people like to read tales they can relate to. As a starting point, this means stories about other young people. They can then identify (or not) with the protagonists and more easily immerse themselves in what is going on.
For instance, only the oddest teenagers, as far as I know, identify with the personal angst of middle aged men and woman involved in affairs (a common theme of novels written for adults). On the other hand, they may well be fascinated by the impact of that affair on the younger members of the family because it reflects their world, their concerns, their experiences.
The second principle of writing for a younger audience is to make sure the story is presented in language they can understand. Some adults like to be challenged by quirky vocabulary (Captain Corelli's Mandolin) but in my experience children rarely do.
In fact, as a general rule, if a reader doesn't understand a piece of writing it is not their fault but that of the writer. Writing is about communicating. If the reader doesn't get it, the writer has failed in their central task. Take heart all you who find a book too 'difficult' - it's not your fault!
So there we have the first two rules for those writing for younger readers: (1) Central characters of an appropriate age and (2) accessible language.
And I haven't even got on to sex and violence! I must do some work now (RBS is a hard task master) so I'll leave content until tomorrow.
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