Don't Judge a Book by its Author, Or Should You?

Hello, dear readers. I’m baaaaack!

Boy, I’m glad I took a summer hiatus. Having two jobs has kept me incredibly busy, especially since as summer came to a close. That and I’ve been dealing with some family stuff. I haven’t had the time to write. 

I feel like the world is more political now than when I was growing up. Or maybe as a kid, I just didn’t notice the political atmosphere. *blech* Either way, it seems that everybody has an opinion on just about everything.

Readers’ opinions of authors are no exception. Some authors are likened to heroes while others are despised. When did art become about writers and not the books themselves?

Sure, buying an author’s books or checking them out from the library supports the author. As an indie author, I get it and often enjoy supporting fellow writers by buying their books. But where do we as readers draw the line? In short: it’s complicated. Here’s why.

Side note: I’m not going about to write about politics. Personally, I like to keep my political opinions separate from my author profile. I will occasionally write about controversial topics, but this post is not one of them. As a result, I will be writing about some real examples and some hypothetical ones.

 

 

The Dangers of Hero Worship

You may have heard the adage, “never meet your heroes.”

Now, I haven’t met many authors, so I can’t say I’ve had negative experiences meeting them. Actually, the authors I’ve met have been inspirational. (Hi, Lisa!)

At the same time, though, I’ve seen the dangers of hero worship. People, even those you admire, will at one point or other let you down. That’s not to say that you can’t admire certain authors, just that it’s not wise to put them on a pedestal. Authors are people too.

 

Authors with Different Beliefs from their Readers

Here’s a tricky one. What do you do if you believe one thing and you come across a book by an author who believes something different? As a Christian, I come across this situation quite often, from authors who are atheists to others who are Mormon. I don’t read much Christian speculative fiction because I tend to find the genre rather limiting (see Controversy in Fiction: Christian Fiction).

I don’t take my beliefs from fiction, either, though there are times when reading will challenge me. Without reading other perspectives, how would we grow?

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” –Unknown (often mistakenly attributed to Aristotle)

 

Amazing Writing, Terrible Lifestyle

I remember one time I was sitting in a book club, and some of the other readers were talking about one author (I can’t remember which one) who was an absolute dirtbag, but they liked his books. For that very reason, I respected my fellow readers for their discernment and their ability to acknowledge that even though they didn’t like the writer’s lifestyle, they could appreciate his work.

I know there are several painters whom I’ve shared a similar opinion, but I can’t think of any writers off the top of my head.

 

Separating the Author from the Book

I like reading the acknowledgements in a book and the author’s bio, but that’s generally where I stop. I read so many books that reading about each and every author would take up a lot of time. If I’m really into a book or another, I may look up more info about the author, but it’s rare.

Generally speaking, I try to focus on judging the book for what it is, not for who wrote it. Yes, an author’s beliefs can influence their writing, but I also take on the idea that once a book is published, it doesn’t wholly belong to the writer anymore but to the reader.

 

Let’s chat! What’s your take on judging a book by its author? Have you ever met any of your favorite authors in person?

 

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Similar posts: 7 of my Go-To Authors; Let’s Agree to Disagree: Reader vs. Author Opinion; and Controversy in Fiction: Christian Fiction

Emotion and Writing

I’m not here to talk about mood or how to set the tone for a story, both of which are important aspects but not what I’m going to focus on today. Rather, I want to talk about emotion and how it influences writing and vice versa. Often times, we as readers talk a lot about how a book affected us on an emotional level, but I haven’t seen much of that for the writer’s side. It could be an interesting psychological study. Of course, there are so many aspects, but I’m just going to focus on three main points that I have found in my writing.

Releasing Emotion

Of all the emotions that go into writing, whether it’s humor and whimsy or heartache and frustration, this is probably the most fun. (If fun is the right word? Is putting sorrow or pain into writing fun?) Most meaningful. Yeah, let’s go with that.

When I’m releasing my emotions and weaving them into my words it’s typically during the first draft. I may use this technique during subsequent drafts as well, particularly when it comes to rewriting, but for the most part, it occurs during the first. I focus on a particular mood I want the scene to convey, I pick a song that goes along with that mood, and then I get down to writing.

It’s very therapeutic actually. I often feel better once I’m done.

Evoking Emotion

On the flip side, emotions don’t always come from me and flow into my story. Sometimes, they come from my story and affect me, and not usually in a good way. This usually occurs when I’m working on the first or second drafts, and it usually hits near the turning point or the climax when things are really starting to get dark. It happens when my characters are abused or killed off.

Which is part of the reason I’m writing this blog post instead of working on my novel. I reached the turning point in my novel and found myself depressed for most of the day. I didn’t want to do anything. So my sister dragged me off to volunteer at the animal shelter just like I did with her the previous day, and I had some doggo therapy. All the kisses! And a fluffy somebody chewed on my arm.

Sure, there are other factors that go into depression, but when my writing happens to be one of them, I have to take a step back.

Adding Emotion

This part usually comes in the second draft and onward. You know the part where the critique partner looks at the story and says, “I just don’t see any emotion here.” That’s when I have to take a step back and reevaluate my work. This usually goes a little something like this:

What do you mean there’s no emotion?

I poured my heart into this!

ARGH! *claws eyes out but not really*

Then, after sufficiently complaining, I do a little research, brushing up on blog posts or pursuing some writing books. Then I get to rewriting. I often try to focus more on showing versus telling emotions, so they require me to dig a little deeper into the story, but it’s always a worthwhile exercise.

Let’s chat! Fellow writers, what are some of the ways you put emotion into your writing? When does your story influence you the most? Readers, when you do get the most emotion from reading?

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Similar posts: Writing as an Act of Worship, You Don’t Need a Typewriter to be a Writer, and How to Write What You Know Without Writing Nonfiction

Let's Agree to Disagree: Reader vs. Author Opinion

Opinions run rampant in the publishing industry. Authors and readers alike come with plenty of bias. Some readers like classics and others don’t. Writers like their own stories and have favorites among them. All in all, it’s terribly hard to find objective reviews. How are we to know which opinion to trust?

Sometimes it takes practice. Often it takes trial and error. It took me years to learn that just because I have a different opinion from somebody else does not make them a bad reviewer or me a bad reader. It just makes us different. Then I had to find reviewers who shared similar tastes as I do, and even then, we don’t always agree.

Here are just a few popular books and how they may differ from readers to authors. This post is not intended to be a negative one. Rather, I will be looking at several books with the public’s opinion and the author’s opinion and comparing which I lean toward.

The Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

“If in 100 years I am only known as the man who invented Sherlock Holmes then I will have considered my life a failure.” —Doyle

As much as readers love Sherlock Holmes, his author hated him. It’s been 131 years (132 in November, 2019) since the first novel, A Study in Scarlet was published, and Sherlock Holmes fans are still as avid and crazy as ever. That’s me. Hello. *waves* If you think Sherlock fans are fanatic today, just consider that in Doyle’s day, readers protested Holmes’ death so much that they forced the author to bring him back.

I’m pretty sure most people today aren’t familiar with Doyle’s other works, like The Lost World and The White Company. I tried reading the latter, but didn’t make it past the first chapter.

I’m so sorry, Doyle.

Call of the Wild and White Fang by Jack London

“Jack wrote to his publishers that he had decided to compose a ‘complete antithesis and companion book [to Call of the Wild; i.e. White Fang].’ He stated in his letter, ‘I’m going to reverse the process. Instead of a devolution or decivilization of a dog, I’m going to give the evolution, the civilization of a dog-development of domesticity, faithfulness, love, morality, and all the amenities and virtues.’” —from The Best of Jack London, Introduction

When I was a kid, I used to enjoy listening to the audio book for White Fang. I liked the juxtaposition of the savagery of nature and humankind and the beauty and grace that lies in both. It wasn’t until I was in college that I read Call of the Wild, though I certainly heard a lot more about it than I ever did White Fang. Truth be told, I was disappointed with the story. I can’t even remember that much of the plot. My sister was the same way. Actually, she’s a little obsessed with White Fang, so I bought her a Litographs poster.

Even London actually preferred White Fang, which focuses more on a wolf-dog learning to trust a man than a dog learning to be wary of humankind. In this case, I agree with the author and will continue to enjoy White Fang despite popular opinion preferring Call of the Wild.

Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained by John Milton

Of the two novel-length poems, Milton preferred Paradise Regained, and yet it’s Paradise Lost, the predecessor, that we hear about a lot. With running the risk of I saying that I prefer the story of the fall of mankind more than their redemption, I’m going to say that I liked Paradise Lost better than Paradise Regained. For one, the imagery in the former is spectacular while I found it to be nearly nonexistent in the latter.

That and I’m not sure why Milton’s choice of the narrative for Paradise Regained is centered around Jesus’ temptation rather than his death and resurrection. Sure, I can see the parallels between Paradise Lost where Satan tempts Eve and Adam and Paradise Regained where he later tempts Jesus, but I don’t see how this particular point in the biblical narrative is the redemptive point for mankind.

These are just a few of the places where authors and readers differ. I’m sure there are plenty more, but I have selected a few of my favorites. I’m sure readers and writers will continue to disagree throughout the future, but like I said, reading is subjective.

Let’s chat! What are your thoughts on the books listed? What are some classics that you side with the author when it comes to opinion? How about the readers?

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Similar posts: Slow-Paced vs. Fast-Paced Books: What They Say About Their Readers, Controversy in Fiction: Christianity vs. Intellectualism, and 7 Things No Writer Wants to Hear

Literary references: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes collection, Jack London’s Call of the Wild and White Fang, and John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained

7 Facts About Critique Partners (For Writers!)

So you think you’re ready to publish your story? Or maybe you’re not there yet. Maybe you’re just looking for an editor. Did you know even editors like the manuscript as polished as possible? (Deep down, we’re all lazy human beings…) Have you considered having a critique partner go over your story?

What is a critique partner, you might ask? Well, they’re usually fellow writers who can look at your story objectively. Not to be confused with editors or beta readers (who look over more polished drafts and have fewer responsibilities), critique partners have the mindset of a writer and are there to help you improve the structure and logic of your story. Here are just a couple of facts writers should know about critique partners, whether they’ve had them before and need a reminder or in case they’re considering taking some on.

1)      Critique partners do not have an initial emotional connection to your story.

For many writers, their story is like their child. Critique partners, usually other writers, are like teachers. If they don’t like one element of the story, many writers may take it as a personal attack. Please allow me to set something straight. Dear writer, your story is not a human being. You’re going to be okay even if somebody doesn’t like it.

Instead of treating critiques like a personal attack on your favorite pet, treat critiques like an editing exercise. Yes, it’s hard. No, I don’t have it mastered. When I’ve been getting critiques on my story, I often have to take a step back and remind myself it’s not a personal attack. It’s an exercise to build and improve my story. Sure, I vent to one or two of my writer friends if there’s a particular issue troubling me, but I can’t let it rule me.

Don’t let somebody’s critical comments rule you.

2)      Critique partners don’t like to read first drafts.

Nobody likes to read first drafts. Rough drafts are inconsistent word dumps. They’re messy. Why would you put somebody else through that?

Perhaps one of my favorite pieces of writing advice is to write your first draft just for you. Keep it secret. Keep it safe. Hone your story through at least one round of rewrites and edits. Then you can burn the original if you want.

You get back what you put in. If you don’t put a lot of effort into at least making your story readable, your critique partners aren’t going to put a lot effort into commenting let alone reading.

3)      Critiques are subjective.

Did you know, critique partners are human too? That means their word is not always law. Take what you need, leave what you don’t.

It’s like any book review. Take your top books for example. Maybe you gave it 5/5 stars, but you’ve seen a lot of 4/5-star and 3/5-star reviews, maybe even some 2/5 stars. It’s even more difficult when such a review comes from a friend or family member. How could they not obsess over the same book you do!?

Remember, everybody has their own opinions, likes, and dislikes. I don’t like romance, but that doesn’t mean all romance books are poorly written. They’re just not my preference.

So if you receive comments about how your critique partners didn’t like a certain element, it might be the reader.

4)      At least two critique partners are optimal.

A second opinion is great. A third opinion is better. Remember how I mentioned that critique partners are human too? Even they can miss things. Maybe your first partner is great at identifying character development and points out inconsistencies. But the second partner points out how you skipped over Sunday or that your protagonist hasn’t eaten in 48 hours.

Having more than two people look over your story can give you some well-rounded commentary.

But…

5)      More partners doesn’t always mean better.

Wait a second, didn’t I just claim at least two partners are good? True. But, if you have two or more people in a room, you’re going to have some disagreement. Try putting ten people in a room. Or twenty. Then ask them what they’re favorite color is and try to figure out why it’s not the same as yours. 

The same goes for your novel. You want to have as many well-rounded opinions as you can get, but you have to stop somewhere. The necessary number of critique partners can differ from story-to-story, but I would recommend two or three. After all…

6)      Critique partners might even disagree with each other.

Because I live in Europe, it’s hard to find fellow writers who speak English and have time to look over my stories. So I joined an online critique group, Critique Circle, where you can get feedback on your story and give feedback in return. And I was so excited for complete strangers to tell me what they thought. Until they started contradicting one another.

One reader would enjoy a particular chapter, saying they liked the description and the thought while another person would say they were bored. Wait, what? How was I supposed to make a story better if one person was happy with the chapter and another person was bored?

But such critiques were helpful. They taught me how to improve my story even more, identifying the weak bits and building on the strong ones.

I also learned that when two partners who tend to disagree with each other actually agree that something needs work, I better listen!

7)       In the end, it’s still your story they’re commenting on.

You can’t please everybody. While it’s important to consider others’ opinions to build and improve your story, it’s still your story. No story is perfect. So you might as well write the story for you. After all, who else is going to read it over and over again until they want to set it on fire? If you enjoy your story, you’re less likely to do so.

Remember why you started writing your story. Keep the essence if it’s important to you. Tell your story. The world is waiting to read it!

Let’s chat! Has your story been reviewed by any critique partners yet? How do you find them? Do you hunt them down in your local library and bribe them with chocolate or do you find them lurking in the woods?

Looking for a critique partner for your story? Look no more! Join a critique website or comment below if you want me to look over your story. Check out my Treasured Books page for a list of books I consider excellent. I look forward to hearing from you.

Write on!

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Similar posts: 6 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Got Published, 5 Ways Journalism Taught me to be a Better Creative Writer, and How Editing Flash Fiction Helped me Edit a Novel