A Reader's Perspective

One of the joys of writing fiction is having control over a story. At least at the beginning. When an author starts outlining and drafting a story, it is he or she who decides who the characters are, what their goals are, what challenges they will face, who is the hero, who is the villain, what the story represents, and on and on.

It's one of those things that all people like to find - a sense of control.

But there is no such thing. Not in life, and not in writing.

Don't misunderstand me. There are varying degrees of influence. Wise money managing influences your chance to avoid financial ruin. But you can't control the world market. Something can alter or destroy your bank account.

A story is the same thing. You feel like you have complete control when you don't. The author has more influence than any other person, but not control.

Some experienced writers may be recalling conversations with editors or publishing companies. The story was originally written as the author wanted, but someone at the publishing house balked at that word, or that scene, or that style, or that length...whatever it was, the author had to give up some control. The story was still essentially the author's, but someone else was still able to exert a little control over it.

However, that is not what I am referring to in this post. Sometimes, a story gets through to publication written exactly as the author intended, and still, the author does not have complete control.

The illusion of control disappears once a reader glances at the first page. Maybe even the cover.

A reader's perspective immediately changes the story. If your book is read by 50 people, then there are 50 different perspectives on it. If it is read of 5,000 people, then there are 5,000 perspectives. Some of these perspectives will be similar to each other, but they will not be the same.

Some of these perspectives will be trivial. You'll find out that a reader thought that the eye shadow that the main female character wears is symbolic of something while you simply put that in to give extra detail. But some perspectives will completely shift the meaning of your book.

You may have intended to write a workplace drama, but some readers whose lives are focused on race relations may see it as a story about race in the workplace - possibly a good take on this, or a bad one. You may have intended your main character to be a hero who stands up for the disadvantaged, but some readers who feel they pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps may interpret the hero as someone who prevents others from growing. One author's fantasy story may have been meant to be pure escapism but be seen by hundreds are a re-telling of the Vietnam War, while another author's tale that was meant to be a deep look at global poverty may be seen as meaningless to most of its audience.

Even if the story was written exactly the way the author meant, because each reader brings his or her own view.

This can be outrageously frustrating, but it is ultimately a good thing if your story gets into the hands of people who have varying views from you. For the reader, they had the chance to see something from a different point of view. And while the author cannot control whether or not they change their minds, at least you are reaching a demographic other than your own.

And with each reader's perspective you encounter, remember: It's okay to not be in control.

Next week: Courage revisited...again

Two weeks: A voice for others