Understanding Your Readers

I'm a little late posting today because I've been doing some catch-up reading. The Passive Guy posted excerpts from a Wall Street Journal article that triggered an insight:

Perhaps, for many readers, it does not make much difference whether a story is told in print on a page or images on a screen. The narrative itself is what matters. In fact, the Great American Read list confirms that there is a great hunger in our culture for grand, mythic narratives. The adoration of the Harry Potter books, like the nearly scriptural status of the Star Wars movies, involves more than just fandom. These are comprehensive universes, complete with their own laws and histories, heroes and villains, morals and meanings. They serve the purpose that was once served by epic poems like “The Iliad” or “The Odyssey,” or even by biblical stories: They dramatize the spiritual truths and longings that shape our world.

People will argue and wail and gnash their teeth (as some the comments on TPV show) of the main points of the article. But it was the highlighted one that made me understand why the Justice universe resonates with readers. Why more people comment on it. Why people want more stories.

All my other series are firmly rooted in contemporary society. The Justice universe takes our world as it was in the 6th century B.C.E. and twists it through an unimaginable conflict to become a nearly unrecognizable. But I try to make it firmly rooted in the (to me) natural progression of politics, economics, and technology if certain major factors are skewed a different way or if they never happened.

I'm not trying to compare my stories to Homer, J.R.R. Tolkien, or even George R.R. Martin. But I think readers do want a fictional world that's a little bigger in scope to escape to with all the craziness in the real world these days.

And there's not a damn thing wrong with that. I know I need a little quiet in another time and another place. I've been reading quite a bit of Gail Carriger and Jonathan Moeller the last couple of months. But now I know what some of my readers want and more importantly why they want it.

The Spring Break Roadtrip

I've been kind of quiet online because Genius Kid and I did a roadtrip down to honorary Godmother's place in Nashville. Frankly for me, it was an experiment in pain management after the disastrous trip to Tampa last year where I could barely walk by the time we got home.

[Tip: A naproxen (Aleve) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) double-header does wonders! But please check with your doctor before combining any drugs.]

Heck, GK and I made it through the trip without any too much bickering. We both swore we'd behave. We bonded over Netflix.

Why did we spend our time watching Netflix while being in a beautiful, vibrant city?

We arrived late Wednesday afternoon after driving through rain the entire seven hours. While GK slept in on Thursday, I went to the local Panera to write. By Thursday evening, I wasn't feeling well. Chalking it up to travel fatigue, I went to bed after we got home from dinner.

By Friday afternoon, I was running a fever. Luckily, they had a marvelous thing called The Little Clinic nearby. The staff had me registered, tested, and checked in less time than I've spent in other doctors' waiting rooms. I actually had to wait longer for my prescriptions to be filled at the Kroger pharmacy. But once I had my antibiotics, I felt much better.

GK decided he needed the down time anyway. He's been carrying a full load of welding classes in addition to his high school classes.

On Saturday, GM to me to a lovely little Greek place for lunch. OMG! So good! Then we went to their local Barnes & Noble, so she could prove to me they still actually *gasp* sold books!

The B&N still had a music and video section, a large café, and a toy section, but 75% of the store carried actual BOOKS! I bought my first paper books since 2016: a couple of Valdemar anthologies that I'd been meaning to buy that have short stories by my friend Angela Penrose, the last book of Gail Carriger's Finishing School series Manners & Mutiny (I was reading Book 3 Waistcoats & Weaponry on the drive down), and a Batman v Superman edition Wonder Woman doll (it had allegedly sold out shortly before the movie came out, and scalpers were asking outrageous amounts for it). We didn't spot Ricky Skaggs, a country music star who frequents that particular store, but all-in-all a good shopping trip.

We had brunch before hitting the road on Sunday morning. That's when GK informed me he needed a red shirt for a group presentation at school. Yes, on Easter Sunday, my son informs me he needs a particular item of clothing for his first period class--in less than twenty-four hours while we're seven hours from home.

A reminder that he's not quite the adult he usually acts like.

And yes, we did find a store open with a red shirt. No, I did not get on his case that maybe if he wore a color other than black we could have avoided the stress.

But today, it's back to work! With donuts! Because Mom got long johns while in the store with red shirts.

Designing Covers

Currently reading - Blameless by Gail Carriger

A nifty little video from Orbit shows how the cover was designed for Blameless. A LOT of work goes into creating the public face of your book, something to consider on your publishing path.

Finding a New Author

First of all, I apologize for missing the last couple of days. Between school starting (I homeschool), GK getting braces, and the stupid people at Lowes giving us the run around about a new back door, I've been a little preoccupied.

As for Lowes, DH always worries when I go silent during an, um, altercation. It nevers bodes well for the person I'm altercating with. I try to be civil, but when I'm on the verge of saying things that would make my cousin E, a marine who did three tours in Iraq, blush, it's time to walk away.

And speaking of strong-willed women who believe in cutting
civility. . .



OMG! I cannot say enough good things about Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series. Her heroine, Alexia Tarabotti, had me from the beginning and didn't let go. I finished Book 2, Changeless, last night. Well, actually this morning about 1AM. And she had me bawling my eyes out!

It took all of my strength not to launch into Book 3, Blameless. But it's calling for me. . .

But what's it about, Suzan, I hear y'all asking. Think Jules Verne meets Jane Austen with a dash of paranormal thrown in for spice.

Alexia Tarabotti is a spinster in Victorian England who accidentally kills a vampire during a society ball. Hey, it was self-defense. The vamp was a newborn with no clue as to proper etiquette in regards to biting a young lady, even those of the spinsterish variety. This incident puts her at odds with Lord Connall Maccon, the head of the queen's supernatural investigations unit, and a hunky Scottish werewolf to boot. You see, Alexia is a preternatural, aka soulless. One touch from her cancels a supernatural's ability. Lord Maccon fears Alexia has taken up her people's occupation of destroying the supernatural species.

I don't want say anymore for fear of spoiling the story for you. But I cannot wait for Heartless to come out in July of 2011!

Edit: I started Blameless during GK's half-hour reading period today. Now at roughly Page 85.