A recent controversy seeping around the writing end of the blogosphere got me thinking about what writers owe to their readers.
[In case you missed this one, briefly, a bestselling fantasy writer missed a deadline on the fourth book in an incredibly popular series, then when it was finally published, announced in public that the book had been split in two and the second half would be published "shortly," mentioning the end of 2006. He hasn't finished it yet, and some of his fans are getting angry to the point of attacking him for posting in his blog about watching football, going to conventions, taking on editing jobs, etc., on the grounds that he's wasting time he should be spending on finishing the darned book. There are loud people both attacking and defending him.]
Who’s involved isn’t really important, and I don’t want to add to the pressure the writer is feeling by pointing a finger directly at him, especially since he’s stated that there are many helpful [cough] people e-mailing him links to blog and forum posts which mention him. I’m more interested in the general concept here anyway.
So, what do writers owe to their readers?
This gets complicated, actually.
It’s easy to say that a writer offers the product of their creative work, whatever sort of product their creativity has inspired them to produce this week or month or year, and the readers either buy the current book if they think they’ll like it, or don’t if they think they’ll dislike it, and… that’s pretty much it. Readers vote with their wallets, and that’s all the say they get in how or what a writer produces. Many people have come down on the “Writers don’t owe their readers squat except what they choose to give them” side. In principle, I’m firmly in favor of this concept myself, because writing isn’t a democratic sort of activity and if the writer is going to be nagged and dictated to, there are jobs which include nagging and dictating which pay a heck of a lot better.
I’ve seen readers say some pretty nasty things to or about writers, in public, when they’ve done something like change genres or subgenres. Within romance, I’ve seen some pretty cutting criticism over the years of writers who’ve written only sweet romances before but decide to try a sexy one, or writers who’ve written contemporaries for a while then shifted to paranormal. I can even understand where these readers are coming from — for my first twenty-some years of reading romances, I read historicals and only historicals. I had no interest in contemporaries, paranormals didn’t really exist yet (with rare exceptions like The Elsingham Portrait, which was marketed as a historical) and to someone who’d been an SF fan longer than she’d been a romance fan, all the books published in the then-new “futuristic” subgenre… well, let’s say there was quite a lot to be desired there. So when Judith McNaught, one of my very favorite historical romance writers, shifted over to contemporaries, I was terribly disappointed. I read her first few contemps, and did enjoy them, but on the whole they just weren’t the same and I fell away from buying her books.
So do I think I was somehow entitled to have one of my favorite writers keep writing the kind of books I preferred? Not at all. I was entitled to feel that disappointment, since we’re all entitled to our own feelings and reactions, but there’s a difference between saying “I’m sorry this happened,” and saying, “She should do what I want, because I want it.” Expressing my disappointment at never having another McNaught historical to read is very different from trying to control what Ms. McNaught does. (And yes, making nasty cracks about an author’s intelligence or judgement is an attempt to get them to change their behavior, if only indirectly.)
As a writer myself I can certainly understand another writer’s desire to do something new and different. I write in several different subgenres myself, and probably always will. No matter what I hear about the need to “brand” oneself, or how much logical sense it makes from a business POV, I can’t confine myself to just one type of story. So despite being sorry that one of my favorite authors had left my preferred subgenre, I understood even then her desire to branch out and explore some fresh territory.
And the same goes if a writer just decides to stop writing. It’s fine to be sad and even upset about it, but that’s different from attacking the author and trying to force him to change his mind just to please you. Maybe he doesn’t have any more books in him — some well known authors, such as Harper Lee, only had one book in them and it doesn’t make them any less writers. (And in Ms. Lee’s case, that one book was a doozy.) Maybe her life has changed and other priorities forced writing off the to-do list, for whatever reason. Or maybe he just decided “That’s enough, time to do something else.” Explanations are nice and might help disappointed fans understand, but we fans aren’t actually owed any such thing.
The situation changes, though, when you’re talking about a series.
Not necessarily every series, mind. Jo Beverley could decide never to write another Rogues book, and while I’d be terribly disappointed (because they rock), she doesn’t leave huge cliffhangers at the ends of her books. Sure, there are usually a few random unmarried people hanging about, and it’s fun to try to guess who’s going to get their own book next, but we won’t suffer great pangs of unfulfilled curiosity about how Lord Joe (whom we’ve come to know and love) is going to escape that French prison, or whatever. Each book leaves things more or less wrapped; there are holes for sequels, but not gaping, crumbling chasms.
It’s different, though, with a series which has a coherent story arc, where there’s a single storyline you’re following from book to book, making a set of X number of books into one super-novel. The sort of series where, if you start reading with Book Three, you’ll have no clue what’s going on because what happened before matters and there’s only a vague reference to earlier events to help remind people who read One and Two about what happened. New readers are… well, hopefully new readers will be able to find a copy of Book One and start where they’re supposed to. Those kinds of series do, in my opinion, contain an implied contract or promise between the writer and the readers. As a reader, I’m investing my time and attention and emotional energy in getting to know the characters and the setting and the goals and obstacles, and the writer promises to give me a satisfying story all the way to the end. Notice that I used the singular there — in this kind of series, it is actually one story, even if it’s divided up into some number of books, and even if each book ends at some sort of logical resting place; it’s clear to the reader that this is a pause, not an ending, and there’s more to the (singular) story arc.
In a case like this, I think it’s quite reasonable for readers to get upset if they’re left hanging.
Sure, a writer can decide to do whatever she likes, including just wandering away from a clearly unfinished series. But if she makes that decision, she has no reason to act surprised if her readers get angry, and even express that anger in her direction. She led them on, in a sense, and then didn’t fulfill her end of that implied contract.
Which isn’t to say that this isn’t ever going to happen, or that when it does the writer is clearly some sort of villain. Writing isn’t a precise craft, and with the best intentions in the world, sometimes a writer is going to find that the story they’re telling just dead-ends in the weeds and there’s nothing they can do about it. If this happens on a stand-alone book, well, that’s a shame in that it represents however much lost time the author had invested in the writing, but at least the readers weren’t halfway through it and clamoring for more at the time. The writer’s lost a lot of time and effort, but hasn’t lost a lot of reader good will.
When it happens in the middle of a coherent-arc series, though, it’s bad for everyone. It’s exactly like giving your readers half a novel and then no more; of course they’re going to be upset. The readers will feel cheated, the writer will feel pressured and guilty, and it turns into this huge social whirlpool of suck.
So what to do?
From the writer’s POV, I think one obvious lesson here is to not tell your readers when the next book is going to be finished until it actually is. “I’ll be done by Christmas,” is bad. “I just turned it in and the publisher says it’ll be in stores by Christmas,” works fine. (Or if it doesn’t, at least the readers won’t be angry with the writer.)
A good illustration of this is the Childe Cycle, by Gordon R. Dickson, a prominent SF/Fantasy writer. Dickson always said that the Childe Cycle would consist of nine books — three historicals, three contemporaries and three set in the future. He wrote the future trilogy first and it became the backbone of the Dorsai books, an incredibly popular SF series. (If you enjoy watching Miles Vorkosigan conquer entire fleets with three friends, an empty gun and a piece of string, try Tactics of Mistake; Cletus Grahame isn’t as wonderfully personable as Miles, but he’s a similarly brilliant tactician, and watching him operate is sweet.) Dickson wrote a number of other Dorsai stories, both shorts and novels, and never did write the other six books of the Cycle; he died with the project incomplete, by two-thirds. But although there was occasional grumbling from fans, what I heard was mainly of the good-natured ribbing type, rather than the angry, “How dare you go to a convention when the Childe Cycle is still unfinished?!” type.
I think a significant reason for the difference in his fans’ attitudes is that Dickson never gave an actual date when the other books, or the first of the historical trilogy, or whatever, would be complete. He never made a specific promise he didn’t keep.
And since the other branches of the Cycle were set in other eras, none of his enthusiastic Dorsai readers had all that much of an investment in those books anyway. Sure, we would’ve loved to have been able to read them, but it wasn’t as though we were invested in the characters, or were wondering how some specific plot tangle was going to be resolved.
He gave us what we needed; when he died, there weren’t any major plot holes still oozing blood. I would’ve liked to read the other trilogies, but what I did get to read included some really excellent fiction, and I’m satisfied, as are other Dorsai fans. Keeping in mind what sorts of omissions will leave fans mildly disappointed and what sorts will have them setting fire to your in-box is probably a good idea for any writer who intends to write anything that’s not a one-shot.
From the reader’s POV, though, we need to keep in mind that no writer can foresee everything, and that sometimes a project will crash and burn, no matter how hard the author works or how sincere she was when she made a promise. It’s only reasonable for readers to be prudent with their time and money, as well as their emotional investments in fictional worlds and characters; I haven’t read the series mentioned at the beginning of this column, and at this point I don’t plan to start it until it’s finished and I know for a fact that I’ll be able to read the whole thing. Being careful makes sense, especially with a writer who’s had deadline problems already, and I don’t think any writer who’s had such problems can reasonably complain if a reader chooses to sit tight until a storyline is complete.
No matter how understandable anger might be, though, in the case of a long-delayed series, I think the readers need to keep in mind that 1) the writer certainly didn’t plan for this to happen, 2) insurmountable problems do occasionally crop up, and 3) the writer probably feels awful about the delay already and raining abuse down on his head isn’t going to help matters any. Be cautious, sure. Abusive? That’s not going to help.
Another consideration is that writers need regular down-time. Flaming a writer who’s missed a deadline for taking a vacation or mentioning a hobby is missing the bigger picture. Isaac Asimov might’ve been able to write (and produce good work) eight hours a day, seven days a week, for decades on end, but darned few other writers have been able to match his productivity. I certainly don’t come anywhere near it, nor do I personally know any other writers who do. If a writer is having blockage issues, locking him into a single room until the book is finished is likely to be counterproductive, whereas encouraging him to get out, have some fun, do something interesting, get a change of scenery and meet some new people — you know, all the things which help fill the creativity tank? — will probably help. Or at the very least, it won’t hurt.
Starting a series, especially one with a coherent story-arc encompassing some number of books, is a significant commitment on the part of an author. I think authors need to recognize it as a commitment, and be aware that it does carry with it an obligation to finish. Finishing might, in some rare cases, prove to be impossible, but if that does happen then the fans are not being entitled or selfish or immature if they express their disappointment or even anger over that broken obligation. A reasonably sincere sounding apology would probably be in order.
For the readers, though, I think there’s always a reciprocal obligation of basic civility. Particularly if the writer is good enough to offer explanations (though none are really owed) or an apology (which shows class), it doesn’t cost the readers anything to be courteous in their expressions of disappointment.
I’m willing to assume that people are generally acting in good faith. A writer who says the book will be done by April probably meant it when she said it, even if it didn’t work out that way. If a writer says she’s still working on the story, I’m willing to believe her, even if she blogs about taking a week off for a cruise. Who knows — she might get just the spark of inspiration she needs somewhere in the rainforests of Costa Rica. If writers who tackle multi-book projects are aware of the obligation they’re taking on, and do their best to fulfill that obligation, and readers keep in mind that writers are human and sometimes with the best of intentions still fail to do what they really wanted to do, and give them the benefit of the doubt even if they as readers decide to be more careful with their money and time in the future then, well, I think we’ll all be doing the best we can. Which is the best anyone can reasonably expect.
Angie
No related posts.
Angela, excellent post. This has been one of my pet peeves for quite a while — the lack of civility and downright (personal) abuse towards writers if or when they don’t come up with what some readers WANT from them — and I’ve seen it get personal. As your post indicates, the relationship that develops between writer and reader can become a complex one.
As an avid reader, I certainly look forward to the release of certain books by certain authors. However, I have never felt that I have the right to: set the author’s writing schedules, mess with the muse, tell them what character to develop or which storyline to follow, what genre (no matter how much I would like them to… Judith McNaught **coughcough**) to stick with. That’s their choice.
As an avid reader, I feel I can: discuss their works, (never them personally), writing style, like the book, dislike the book, buy the next book or not. That’s my choice.
Hilcia — so you were a McNaught fan too? [wry smile] She’s so good, I don’t know how many times I’ve read Whitney, My Love, but it’s a lot.
But yes, it’s up to the writer to decide what they’re going to do, and except for the case of a coherent-arc series I discussed above, as readers we can’t reasonably demand that they change (or not change) to please us. I’ve seen writers who were posting novels a chapter at a time online and tried to please their readers who were commenting, and it always ended up in a trainwreck. Aside from the fact that writing what someone else wants is never as satisfying as writing what you want, the readers never agree with one another and pleasing one group always seems to mean getting flamed to a crisp by another group. A writer can’t win at that game and shouldn’t try to play.
Angie
Good thoughts here. I think it’s a mistake to make an outright promise to readers, but you are right about the implied promise of an unfinished series arc. That is so annoying!
One mention about that issue, though. The fact is that occasionally it’s not the author’s fault that the series languishes unfinished. Sometimes, for varying reasons, it is the publisher who will not buy the book to finish a series.
Maybe it didn’t sell enough. Maybe the publisher decides they don’t like the next installment and pass on their option and no other publisher wants to pick up the series begun at another imprint. (I recall reading about this happening a long time ago for some series I’d begun reading; but I can’t recall the specifics at this point, for which I apologize.)
WW — that’s an excellent point. [nod] I’ve heard of that happening too, and I don’t think it’s all that uncommon, especially for new or even midlist writers. In that case, then of course any reader ire is more properly directed at the publisher rather than the writer.
Although these two situations do feed one another. I’ve heard a number of readers say that they don’t read series books anymore until the series is complete — even if the series is by a writer who’s never abandoned a series or even had deadline problems — because they’ve been left hanging too often when the series was left incomplete for whatever reason. In the case of a publisher cancelling for lack of numbers, though, the reader’s caution can turn self-fulfilling, which benefits nobody. :/
Angie
actually now you mentioned it, there was another series that fell in limbo for almost two years now
2 of the books are already out and the third one was even scheduled for end of 2007. But until now the book never came out.
Of course if there had been an explaination for this, it wouldn’t have been such a mystery. But the most annoying thing is, queries sent to the publishers (*cough P***n *cough) are most likely met with blank walls or generic reply and there is NO way of contacting the author herself the verify if there IS a third book.
It would have been nice to get a firm answer whether the series is discontinued or not. But most of the fans are still hopefully waiting
Legally and ethically, I only *owe* my children food, clothing, and shelter. However, I love them. So, I sacrifice a second income to stay home with them and give them the very best that I can every single day of my life.
Like readers, children resent their parents when treated like burdens to be tolerated. There is an emotional need to be loved and appreciated.
Consequently, I think the whole business of ‘oweing the readers’ is a load of horse doo-doo. Like parenting, it is an *honor and a privilage* to create stories for others to enjoy and I believe all authors, like parents, ought to give it their very best every single day, regardless of if they work inside or outside the home.
Kimber An — I’d like to think that most authors do do their best every time they sit down to write, even if it’s only because it’s to their professional benefit to do so. [nod] While I’d love to think I’m loved by all my favorite authors [grin] I’m not quite ready to make that assumption yet. But I agree that always giving your best every day is a good mode in which to operate, no matter what your profession.
Angie
Good points.
I used to walk up to the bookshop in my town one saturday a month to see if there were new books by ‘my’ authors. sometimes there were, sometimes there weren’t. i was ever hopeful and always appreciative, but it wouldn’t have occurred to me to be demanding, or worse yet, condemnatory.
we just never know, do we? Amy Tan lost everything in the Oakland Hills Fire in ‘91, including a just-finished manuscript. it wasn’t for a series, but it could have been- and what would she have been supposed to do? reconstruct if from ashes and smoke?
well thought, and well said, m’dear.
AnaJana — right, anything can happen. [nod] Certainly if someone lost their manuscript in a fire (and I’d expect she lost her computer too, with her hard drive files, and possibly all her back-ups unless she stored them off-site) Ms. Tan was pretty much SOL regarding her new book. I’m sure her publisher and her readers were understanding, though, after she’d just lost her home. (I hope they were, at least!)
I think it’s human nature, though, that a lot more people are willing to be understanding in the case of something like a fire, than in the case of something like writer’s block or plot tangles or whatever. The fact that it’s natural for people to be impatient, though, doesn’t make it right to be rude or nasty, which is what’s happening in the case I mentioned. :/
Angie
Oooo, is this ever a hot button topic right now on certain sf&f boards. Heh.
As a reader, (much though it might distress me to have a series left hanging) I don’t believe that any author owes me anything, except to take an honest shot at making the book I buy as well written as they can make it, and as true to the internal logic of the story as it can be.
FD — I figured there’d be a few people who knew what I was referring to. [wry smile] It’s certainly gotten some heated discussion outside SF and Fantasy circles too.
I basically agree with you, although I do think that a writer who’s left major cliffhangers owes the readers that honest shot at finishing the story arc. The impression I get in this case, though, is that the angrier readers are questioning whether he really is doing his best, and it seems the doubt and suspicion are getting out of hand. [sigh] I understand the disappointment and impatience, but accusing him of lying, as though he’d actively planned all this, is kind of ridiculous.
Angie
Oh, there’s no doubt that some fanbrats (and people who really should be too old to be described as fanbrats, but are still acting like it) are behaving very badly.
I do understand the feeling of frustration and almost, dare I say it resentment? I mean they’re hooked into this series, they’re, for what it’s worth, invested.
But at the same time, they’re invested in something that doesn’t actually exist yet. I’d understand better if it was a case of an advance taken with no intent to write – that I’d be peeved about. But books don’t necessarily write themselves to order with the best will in the world.
It baffles me a little – the outrage and feeling of entitlement, because although I understand that for many authors writing is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration, at the same time, stories are written by people and the mechanism that creates story in the writer’s head can be pretty fragile. I get that some of the detractors believe that he isn’t trying hard enough, but you know – it’s very difficult to say what’ll feed the well.
I had jobs that I loved but then, after a few years, felt that if I had to go to work one more day, I would throw up, have a nervous breakdown, completely disappear, whatever. Maybe this author is just sick of this series but, because it is his bread-and-butter, and he cared about it at one time, he can’t quit it. If it is a successful series, it seems odd to me that he would prefer to take on editing jobs rather than work on his book. If he truly is burnt out, perhaps he should team with another writer, even hire a ghost to get this book out, and then wrap it all up. I imagine his imagination will be freed once he no longer has this stuff hanging over his head. I do believe a writer has an obligation to follow through on his/her contract, and it would be nice if a series could be wrapped up in a satisfying way…but if the magic is gone, it’s gone, and sometimes you can’t even hack it out. Once this writer’s contract is fulfilled, I think it is ok for him to stop this series, even if it is unfinished. Maybe he’ll want to come back to it someday. And his fans, no matter how rabid, will survive. It’s ok to be disappointed once in awhile. I think we have all had more difficult situations to deal with!
Leah — I’m not a major fan of this writer so I don’t know all the details, but he has done editing before and seems to enjoy it, and is working with other writers he considers friends. If everything were going well with this one series of his, then the editing and other things he’s doing would fit perfectly well within his schedule. As I said, every writer needs downtime, and editing takes a different kind of concentration than writing. Editing an anthology might well help him charge his writing battery, I don’t know.
If you’re right, though, and he really has just run into a dead end with the series, then I agree that it’d be better if he just admitted it, took the heat, and moved on. He has a lot experience in this business, though, and I’d like to think that if he really were sure that he just wasn’t going to finish, he’d be aware of that and would bite the bullet. I hope so, anyway. In the mean time, though, if he feels that he is making progress, then hanging on is probably the best option.
I remember an old program manager (back when I worked for a technology company) say that twenty years from now, no one will remember if the system was late, but they’ll remember if it didn’t work. Meaning, of course, that doing a good job is the most important thing. For the sake of all the fans waiting for the rest of the series, I hope all this time will translate into a really excellent wrap, and the situation will end with everyone happy and agreeing that the product was worth it. [crossed fingers]
Angie
Fascinating post. I know exactly which fantasy author you mean, because as an avid reader of that series, I’ve been following the hue and cry pretty closely. And I will say, I’m desperate for the series to be finished because everything is so up in the air! However, since I’m also a writer, I know that authors have and deserve lives outside their books. And the kind of pressure Fantasy Author X is being put under by his ravenous fans is entirely counter productive. Any author would find it harder to produce pages while stressed out and feeling guilty. Or if he can produce, will the quality suffer? No one wants that either. I guess I mostly feel that in order to get the desired result, more books in this series, the best strategy readers can take is to shut up and let it happen at its own pace.
Louisa — exactly. [nod] I’ve certainly been late on projects myself (actually, I have one hanging right now, and I’m having an awful time with it) and my own experience is that the horrible guilt of it all, knowing that your readers are waiting and waiting and waiting, makes it that much harder. :/ And I’ve never had anyone flaming me over an incomplete project; I can only imagine what it’s like to try to perform under those circumstances.
Angie
It seems so ridiculous to “attack” writers in this way. One is free to say that you’re not interested in the writer’s new direction but writers need a life as well. They’re not working at the behest of the readers. I was flabbergasted to hear that some people were complaining about this writer spending “his” time watching football.
Charles — I have to say I understand the impatience when a series is left for an extended period with huge cliffhangers, and it’s been long enough that people are starting to wonder whether it’ll ever be finished at all. But I definitely agree that flaming the guy for watching football is ridiculous, to say nothing of horribly rude. It’s not like chaining him to his keyboard 24/7 until he finishes the book would help at all. :/
Angie
I had no idea which author you’re talking about, so I googled, “finish the damn book” and I’m pretty sure I know who you’re talking about now. Funny that that phrase worked.
Anyway, there was a post of reader rights / expectations on here not too long ago re: Lori Foster’s latest book which took a contemporary series and added a twist of paranormal. I’m pleased to see another point of view on the topic.
Venus — LOL! All right, it’s awful to laugh, but I agree that it’s funny (in a dark, ironic way) that Googling that phrase worked. [nod/cough]
But yes, I remember that other discussion now that you mentioned it, and it’s a similar situation. I agree that readers are going to have opinions and preferences, but there’s an important line between preferring X and wishing a favorite writer would keep writing X, and actually getting angry or offended or nasty when they switch over to Y.
Angie
Writers do need a life, and shouldn’t be forced to regurgitate prose just because an audience wants it. Buuuut, an author who chooses to engage in The Cliffhanger Series enters into an unwritten contract with the reader, and should deliver on his promise to fulfill it. At the very least, blog posts should be about hurdles in the writing process, not what snacks were chomped during the football game.
Lisa — right, I agree. And I particularly agree that posting about his leisure activities when he must’ve known his fans were champing at the bit in their eagerness for him to finish that very late book was probably not the best decision he ever made. 20/20 hindsight, and all that. :/ It’s not at all unreasonable that he’s doing other things, but talking about them was bound to draw flames from the ruder crowd, unfortunately.
Angie
I guess what I don’t understand is the vehemence behind the disappointment. Because when all is said and done, we’re still only talking about…a book. Yeah, I get the aggravation, having watched two BBC miniseries this past year that were never finished. Grrrr. But my husband and I ranted for a day or so…and moved on. Because we *do* have lives.
Don’t get me wrong, I adore my readers. I adore anyone who reads, period. And obviously the whole point of this writing gig is to garner the kind of fierce loyalty that has readers panting for your next book. We should all be so lucky.
But sometimes readers forget that authors are not machines, that the words aren’t just sitting there, waiting for us to write them down, and that sometimes even the most disciplined among us hits that blank, dreaded wall of doom.
And the pressure of potentially ticking off our readership only makes the wall harder and higher.
As someone said, it would be the rare writer who deliberately sabotaged his relationship with his readership by not finishing a series…but sometimes stuff happens and the Muse takes a hike. If the words aren’t there, they’re not there, and all the ranting in the world isn’t going to shake them loose.
Sad, but true.
On another, related note…we don’t/can’t possibly write for individual readers, or mold our voice to suit a particular taste. A reader has every right to dislike an author’s style/language usage/whatever, but she doesn’t have the right to request the author change her style in future books because she’s offended that reader’s sensibilities. Heaven knows I’ve run across plenty of authors whose work doesn’t suit my taste, but I’d never dream of asking them to change because *I* didn’t like it!
I mean, that’s like going up to a stranger and telling her to go home and change her clothes because you don’t like her outfit!
Karen — right, that’s why I split up the different circumstances. [nod] If a writer changes format, or genre, or something like that, then that’s their choice and it’s completely unreasonable (and rude) for readers to grouch at them for it. I like your comparison of telling a stranger to go home and change her clothes, although people have done that too. [wry smile]
I think in the specific case I mentioned, though, with the unfinished and very late series book, it is much more difficult, with much higher tempers on the part of the readers for the very reason that the writer is very good at what he does, and the readers have engaged so strongly with the world and the characters and their situation. We should all be so lucky, yes, but this is the downside — if this were just another midlist series, there probably wouldn’t be the level of anger and flaming that there is. The author is getting some really horrible pressure and nastiness because what he’s done is so good and so popular, and is sticking so firmly in his readers’ heads.
It’s true that it’s just a book, and none of the readers have lost a house or a job or a leg because of the delay. But it’s also true that when we write, our whole purpose is to do exactly what this writer has done — to send the stories straight into the readers’ psyches and have them lodge there. This kind of strong reader engagement is exactly what we want — until we hit a problem and it backfires on us.
I definitely agree with you that all the ranting and flaming and snarking isn’t helping the situation at all, though. [nod] It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the actions of these particularly angry readers had actually helped to extend the delay, by making it that much harder for the author to work. :/
Angie
Hi Angela, most excellent article!!! I do have a difficult time with readers who feel that they can make “demands” of authors – that the author write what they want, when they want it and how they want it. I really do scratch my head at times and wonder whether these types of readers truly understand or even care about the creative process and the blood, sweat and tears it takes to create??? Writers are not assembly line automatons. Birthing a story, regardless of genre, size, single title or sequel is not the same as writing out a grocery list. We often hear and speak of author responsibilities. And yes, authors have great responsibilities, but mainly to themselves. To be true to themselves and to not compromise their craft by succumbing to these types of reader pressures. I would agree that authors also have a responsibility to their readers and that is to write the best possible work that they can regardless of whether it takes them one year or five. But, this author-reader relationship is a two-way street and I also believe that readers have responsibilities as well – to respect themselves and the author enough to not harass them when WIP time lines are not met. This is ridiculous! It’s going to take as long as it’s going to take and as a reader I will wait for that new/next book for as long as I have to because in the end I am more interested in reading something of good quality than reading something mediocre but that was produced on “schedule”.
Indigine — thank you.
I think what it really comes down to is for everyone to do their best, be civil, and give others the benefit of the doubt. There are going to be times when readers are disappointed in a writer (or even when a writer is disappointed in the readers) but flames and scorn don’t really improve the situation any. I agree that it’s a two-way relationship [nod] and both sides need to hold up their end of it as well as they can.
Angie
good stuff, angie
‘entitlement’ seems to be the ongoing flavor, not just in books, but all aspects of life
LW — yes, there’s definitely a lot of that popping up in this situation, and it’d be nice if some folks toned it down. At the same time, though, the impatience is understandable, I think, when the writer has announced a deadline (or several) and missed them all over a period of years. It’s just bad for everyone, and I’m sure the writer and his readers will be much happier when it’s over and they can all move on.
Angie
And sometimes it just isn’t the writer’s fault that a series doesn’t continue.
Case in point: My Awaiting series was supposed to go to at least a fourth book, but the series got terminated. I guess. No one at the publisher’s actually told me anything. I wrote a cliffhanger ending to Book 3 because I fully expected to write a Book 4.
Sigh. It would have been nice if they had told me it was over, though, instead of just ignoring my emails.
I am in the middle of writing Book 4, which I keep promising to the readers who I hear from all the time, still, after over a year-and-a-half. I’ll have to publish it myself, or something, but I have to fit the writing in around the paying work, which is, happily, still coming in at an all-consuming rate.
I’m fortunate that my current publishers have a much more open policy about keeping writers informed how things are going.
So… sometimes it is not the author’s fault that they haven’t continued a series, but they don’t want to bitch about the editor/publisher etc!
Donna — very true. [nod] WrittenWyrd brought that up in her comment, and I should’ve mentioned it in the original post.
I’ve heard of a number of writers getting their series cut off short, no matter how cliffhangery it was, because the sales weren’t up to where the publisher expected. Holly Lisle posted an interesting series on the subject; the link goes to the first post, which is specific to the situation with her newly-out book at the time, but there are links at the bottom to the whole series and it’s definitely worth reading.
It would have been nice if they had told me it was over, though, instead of just ignoring my emails.
Your publisher won’t discuss this with you?? Umm, wow. How wonderfully unprofessional of them. O_O And you’re with one of the New York houses, aren’t you? From that sort, I’d have expected a cold, bottom-line-oriented note or something, but not silence. That sucks.
I’m glad you’ve found a new publisher who’ll actually communicate with you. Major props for continuing with the fourth book and deciding to publish it yourself; I’m sure your fans will appreciate it.
Angie
You would think I’d get something, right? I mean, it’s a major freaking publisher, and I liked my editor, but she really said nothing, Nada. Zip. I kept trying to schedule phone calls to talk about Book 4, my agent kept asking about a Book 4 contract and… just… nothing.
And yes, a cold, bottom-line oriented note or phone call would have been great. Closure; I just wanted closure.
My current editor is a great communicator and I appreciate that. She has openly told me that a Book Four of my current series will depend upon fan support, so readers… never underestimate your importance to your favorite writer!
And they wouldn’t even talk to your agent about it? :/ That’s just… wow. If I were an agent, I’d think hard before ever sending another query to that house, or at least to that editor.
Closure; I just wanted closure.
Exactly. [nod] And I’d expect a professional to understand that and give it to you. Just ignoring an issue and hoping it goes away isn’t the behavior of any sort of professional, or any adult really. Definitely congrats on having a new editor who knows how to do business.
Angie
It would be nice if the disgruntled could keep a sense of perspective – at least the author’s still breathing. Two of my favorite series ended because the authors died (Kate Ross and Patrick O’Brian).
Theora — you know, I have a feeling the fans would be much more understanding if the poor guy had died. At least then, the people who are screaming and flaming right now would (I hope!) acknowledge that the series was left unfinished for a good reason. [wry smile]
Angie
I’ve recently had a 3 part series get cut short after 1 book. I guess it was my fault. My publisher doesn’t like where I took the 2nd book, I can’t see this character’s story taking a different direction, and so the series is done.
At least for now. Until I can figure out how to overcome this challenge.
Readers sometimes forget that writing is TOUGH.
Oh, and that we, writers, care about our characters as much or even more than they do. We want them to get their happy endings also.
Kimber — that always sucks.
Have you thought of publishing the second and third books yourself? Donna Lea, a couple of comments up, is having to do that with one of her series for the same reason.
I agree, though, that if you’ve developed your characters well, you can’t just make them do a one-eighty because the publisher wants them to. :/ What they do is what they do, and changing it to any significant extent would feel forced and clunky. [nod]
Angie
I can’t choose to write. I start with the first line and write until I hit the last and so far, at least in my present series of stories, I manage to keep coming up with the stuff.
However, some years ago, my brother became seriously ill (life-threatening stuff). He lost his job, we lost internet access for a year and then lost the house we shared.
When, after a long absence, I returned to a story I had been posting online, I found a vicious comment accusing me of betraying the trust of my readers. I was devastated and seriously considered giving up writing forever. I did give up that story.
In my view, I owe it to my readers to write as well as I can and they owe it to me to remember that I am a human being, not a fiction machine. I don’t consider any writer to have an obligation to finish a story or sequence, just as I don’t believe a woman who has dinner with a man has to go on to have sex with him. If a series doesn’t end, write your own ending. No writer can force a story and make it good.
Helen — I’m sorry for all your troubles and hope that your brother is well now. :/
I think there is an obligation when readers are left in the middle of a story, but like any other obligation, it sometimes has to bow to other necessities or realities. The person who flamed you while you were gone was pretty clearly a selfish idiot, but the fact that there was only one flame shows that the vast majority of your readers were smart enough to figure out — doubtless from the fact that you were completely gone from the internet, and not just hanging around without posting more of your story — that something was seriously wrong.
I’m glad you didn’t give up writing completely. It’s one thing if you yourself decide to move on, but letting the hateful words of one asshole drive you away from something you love doing would’ve been a terrible thing.
My own view with that sort of thing is to consider the source. People like that are idiots, and I don’t care what idiots think. You shouldn’t either. [hugz]
Angie
FWIW, something to keep in mind with a sprawing multipart SF/F series like this one:
Books end with gaping bloody holes and seriously major cliffhangers.
Publishers sell booksized chunks of an unfinished story at $25 to $30 a pop and expect readers to keep buying more chunks of the unfinished story.
G.R.R.M. has taken 13 years to produce 4 books. And he refuses to give any indication of when he will actually produce another book.
Every long time SF/F reader knows about David Gerrold’s War Against the Chtorr series. The first book came out in 1983. Book 4 (of 7) came out in 1992. Nothing since then. He ~says~ book #5 will be out in July 2011. You know what? I’m not holding my breath.
Vicki
I’d forgotten about that one! I read the Chtorr books way back when. If I’m remembering correctly, David Gerrold did a reading from one of them at the LA WorldCon in ‘84, and it sounded cool so I started reading them. They were good; I hope he does finish some day, but at this point I’m not going to hold my breath either. [wry smile]
Angie