Good morning! Hope your coffee is hot and your mind is waking up slowly and pleasantly.
In my search for a very good question, I have hauled out one that is potentially controversial, so I hope that any discussion will be bracing but encouraging.
Vince Mooney recently guest-blogged on Seekerville about his system for calculating "Rewards per Page" in romance novels.
Seekerville: Guest Blogger Vince Mooney
Vince's post really intrigued me because I have been doing a lot of silent meditation on the opposition between durable and consumable fiction that he discusses in his article.
Some authors, he says, are writing to create critically-praiseworthy novels that are "durable goods." Other writers are more interested in meeting the readers' needs by creating not a durable book but a consumable "intangible experience." For the consumable fiction writer, he argues, it is important to give the reader a high number of rewards per page.
The plain fact is that romance is the best-selling category in the publishing industry, and many of those romances qualify as Vince's consumable intangible experiences. Yet, at the same time that consumable romances are big sellers, CBA editors have occasionally called for a better caliber of writing in CBA novels. While there is no doubt that some writers combine terrific style with consumer appeal, it's also quite clear that consumer appeal is not always related to literary quality. In other words, some CBA editors may want great prose, and some writers may wish to write great prose, but not all CBA readers care about great prose. And that is their prerogative. We are asking them to part with their hard-earned cash, and if what they want is a consumable intangible experience, we need to respect that need as much as the need of the most literary reader in Christendom.
So here's my question for today: without bashing either the durable or the consumable variety of fiction, can we talk about what it means to be a Christian writer and try to give our readers "rewards per page?" What kind of rewards are we talking about, exactly?
Some types of readerly reward are simply out-of-bounds in inspirational publishing. There is no CBA erotica, or CBA thrill-kill fiction. But there's a big gray area in between completely-wholesome and completely-toxic reader rewards. I think the discussion is most interesting when we don't just stick with lust, which tends to be the dead horse issue here, but when we also talk about vanity and pride, revenge and anger, ambition, greed, sloth, and envy. Does our fiction occasionally offer rewards that cross these lines? For instance, at one point Vince mentions that one potential reward for a romance reader is the vicarious feeling of being envied, as when a heroine gets to walk into town with the hero, and other women notice the handsomeness of the hero. A professor-acquaintance of mine once referred to this particular kind of reader-reward as "narcissistic candy." Do you agree with my professor friend that there are certain types of rewards in a romance (or in any other genre) that cater to lower impulses in the reader? Or do you think that any given reader takes rewards from a novel depending on the level of maturity that particular reader brings to the reading experience, and that as novelists we cannot concern ourselves with the reader's level of maturity? (This might get particularly interesting when we talk about the difference between a Christian romance and a Christian YA novel, I think.)
Perhaps the moral issue isn't even the most interesting discussion. Maybe, instead, we should ask: what are the unique readerly rewards of a CBA novel that are usually not duplicated in mainstream novels? I don't just mean "getting closer to God," or other generic responses. I'm curious about specific plot incidents or episodes, and why a Christian reader would find in those episodes a reader-reward where another reader might not.
Leave a comment, and, as promised, I will enter you in a drawing to win three books of your choice from my list of ten or fifteen that need to leave my house. (They're good, too, and very recent--but I've already read them and I need to clean up some of my book piles.)
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7 comments:
Very interesting discussion, Rosslyn. I will have to ponder on this, but my first impression is that novelists have to show life. I know I have to reward my readers with an emotional experience. But in my opinion, if I cling too tightly to controlling that emotion in my reader: ie, "My reader will feel uplifted, encouraged and 'closer to God'", then IMHO I'm not offering the reader an opportunity to decide his or her own mind.
Using your professor's example, with all due respect. The heroine sauntered on the arm of the handsome hero. One reader might say "yay, heroine!" The other might think "Pride goes before the fall". When I try to control that reaction, I get close to writing a sermon. "Pride is bad, so now the heroine will fall on the sidewalk and make a fool of herself."
Here's what I think: we need to write emotionally, but not to INFLAME. We can and should write life: envy, greed, pride, love, honesty, compassion. Life, all of it. Show it. Just don't write to *inflame* the reader with envy, pride, lust...etc etc. There is a difference there.
As I said, lots and lots to ponder. I'll be back to read what others say!
I agree: lots to ponder. Hmm...
This is an important discussion, and I'm sure I'll be back after I've chewed on this some. Thanks for bringing this to the table, Rosslyn.
Your post certainly gave me something to think about. Off the top of my head, I think the writer needs to allow the reader space to make his/her own emotional decisions. As a reader I don't want to be preached to in a work of fiction. I do want to be satisfied and uplifted after finishing the last page. One of a very famous author's books is about abortion. Instead of allowing her characters to live out the scenario and giving the reader a chance to recognize the harm and heartache that comes from abortion, she uses her agenda to preach against it. Ruined the book for me and I didn't want to read anything else she wrote. If I read something about the heroine on the arm of the hero and the envy it caused others, I'd hate that and I'd think the author got stuck and didn't have much else to say.
Tragically, this is a reflection of our microwave society. We want instant gratification, or at least satisfaction. That premise is now controlling our lives on every level. That's why I'm drawn to books such as CS Lewis writes. He doesn't necessarily spill it out. I have to dig for it. I love the Count of Monte Cristo because it makes me seek out a higher purpose. But my favorite is Tolkien. His writing reflects such a dignified eloquence that I'm captured on his graceful use of language and conversations. As for the romance bit—well, I have tried to learn from Jane Austen. She nailed it. She produced a quality story that transcends time. How did she do it? She included real life and melted it with desire. Brilliantly, I might add. And tastefully.
However, the market today doesn't want thoughtful, they want deliberate. They don't want to reflect on theology, they want to be told—in vivid images. In short, our readers tend to be lazy. We are tempted to reward laziness because that's what the readers want (generally).
Who’s next?
Hello faithful friends!
Thanks for your opinions. I found them all thought-ptovoking and helpful.
I am going to leave this entry open until tomorrow (Thursday) night to see if anyone else comments. Then, I will draw the winner. Your odds are good. Very good. :-)
Rosslyn, CBA lit is a loaded question! I think one thing that separates Christians from non- is the sheer serenity/ contentment/ happiness of being able to worship God, in prayer or song, and this experience might be present exclusively in Christian books. However, I don't enjoy fiction that preaches or *tells* me what to think -- the subtle turns and complex weighing of values is more edifying, IMHO. Rewards per page? I think of the Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis, with layer upon layer of meaning from a simple story to deep theological insights. Where does this come from?
I believe it is a deep theological view, great thought, where the writing comes as an extension of the mind's ponderings. I personally have never read or enjoyed the *throwaway* type of fiction, except for Agatha Christie, and even these are challenging in their own way, like a sudoku puzzle.
This is not to say that the *consumable* type of literature is worthless -- it may touch people where they need. Just, it's not my cup of tea.
To answer your question, I imagine the answer is *different strokes for different folks.* As Paul says, *I have become all things to all men so that by all means I might save some* (1 Cor 9:22)
Rosslyn,
Just stopped by after a week of sickies in our house (actually still have a little touch of it going around...) but am anxious to read through all of these comments and the article. Thanks for posting it! :)
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