Comments on: The Four Cs of A Writer’s Contract with the Reader http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/the-four-cs-of-a-writers-contract-with-the-reader/ Novelist, Dog-Lover, Bon Vivant Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:03:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Around the Web « Me and my books http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/the-four-cs-of-a-writers-contract-with-the-reader/comment-page-1/#comment-11574 Around the Web « Me and my books Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:03:27 +0000 http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/?p=1166#comment-11574 [...] while we’re on the subject of author blogging, Diana Peterfreund wrote about the author’s contract with the reader a while ago, specifically series conclusion.  Which was, oh, a bit of a hot topic sometime back  [...] [...] while we’re on the subject of author blogging, Diana Peterfreund wrote about the author’s contract with the reader a while ago, specifically series conclusion.  Which was, oh, a bit of a hot topic sometime back  [...]

]]> By: PurpleRanger http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/the-four-cs-of-a-writers-contract-with-the-reader/comment-page-1/#comment-11421 PurpleRanger Sat, 09 Aug 2008 19:48:11 +0000 http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/?p=1166#comment-11421 But you see, Buffy didn't have the courtesy to stay dead once The Master killed her. And of course, there is the whole thing in "Chosen" where she goes and activates every Potential Slayer all at once. Yes, Joss Whedon set certain rules when he started BTVS. He then proceeded to see how he could break those rules. Isaac Asimov did the same with his robot stories. In most of them, he tried to find some way around the strictures of the Three Laws Of Robotics. But you see, Buffy didn’t have the courtesy to stay dead once The Master killed her. And of course, there is the whole thing in “Chosen” where she goes and activates every Potential Slayer all at once.

Yes, Joss Whedon set certain rules when he started BTVS. He then proceeded to see how he could break those rules. Isaac Asimov did the same with his robot stories. In most of them, he tried to find some way around the strictures of the Three Laws Of Robotics.

]]> By: L.S. Taylor http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/the-four-cs-of-a-writers-contract-with-the-reader/comment-page-1/#comment-11417 L.S. Taylor Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:01:27 +0000 http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/?p=1166#comment-11417 Re: Conclusion: I couldn't agree more. I've been reading a lot of books this year, and the one frustrating thing is when issues or plot points are left hanging. All I ever ask from an author is to <i>acknowledge</i> those details, even if all they acknowledge is, "Hey, there's nothing to be done about this," or (in the case of books previous to the conclusion) "I can't deal with that in this book, but stick around and it's sure to come up again." Re: Conclusion: I couldn’t agree more. I’ve been reading a lot of books this year, and the one frustrating thing is when issues or plot points are left hanging. All I ever ask from an author is to acknowledge those details, even if all they acknowledge is, “Hey, there’s nothing to be done about this,” or (in the case of books previous to the conclusion) “I can’t deal with that in this book, but stick around and it’s sure to come up again.”

]]> By: Patrick http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/the-four-cs-of-a-writers-contract-with-the-reader/comment-page-1/#comment-11411 Patrick Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:14:22 +0000 http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/?p=1166#comment-11411 <b> 5)Compunction</b> I just like the word. 5)Compunction I just like the word.

]]> By: Annie http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/the-four-cs-of-a-writers-contract-with-the-reader/comment-page-1/#comment-11409 Annie Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:41:20 +0000 http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/?p=1166#comment-11409 Oh yay! I inspired an additional "C" in the contract! Oh yay! I inspired an additional “C” in the contract!

]]> By: Patrick http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/the-four-cs-of-a-writers-contract-with-the-reader/comment-page-1/#comment-11407 Patrick Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:44:04 +0000 http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/?p=1166#comment-11407 This is why I will end an epic series with "The END, and if you don't like it, SUCK IT!" This is why I will end an epic series with

“The END, and if you don’t like it, SUCK IT!”

]]> By: Jennifer http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/the-four-cs-of-a-writers-contract-with-the-reader/comment-page-1/#comment-11406 Jennifer Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:53:05 +0000 http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/?p=1166#comment-11406 Diana, this is a perfect way to describe this "contract" idea. It's not "write what your fans want," it's "stick to the rules you set and don't break the world." It amuses me no end that technically speaking, Stephenie probably "gave" her fans what they "wanted", and yet the canon/worldbreaking was so bad that people are mad at how they did it! I'm still debating which is worse, the Anita Blake worldbreaking or this one. Diana, this is a perfect way to describe this “contract” idea. It’s not “write what your fans want,” it’s “stick to the rules you set and don’t break the world.”

It amuses me no end that technically speaking, Stephenie probably “gave” her fans what they “wanted”, and yet the canon/worldbreaking was so bad that people are mad at how they did it! I’m still debating which is worse, the Anita Blake worldbreaking or this one.

]]> By: ILuvLA http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/the-four-cs-of-a-writers-contract-with-the-reader/comment-page-1/#comment-11405 ILuvLA Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:13:46 +0000 http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/?p=1166#comment-11405 Funny, I read Jennifer Crusie's essay "The Assassination of Cordelia Chase" yesterday. She wrote it a long time ago, but it really fits this discussion. (http://www.jennycrusie.com/essays/cordeliachase.php) Funny, I read Jennifer Crusie’s essay “The Assassination of Cordelia Chase” yesterday. She wrote it a long time ago, but it really fits this discussion. (http://www.jennycrusie.com/essays/cordeliachase.php)

]]> By: Jessica Burkhart http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/the-four-cs-of-a-writers-contract-with-the-reader/comment-page-1/#comment-11404 Jessica Burkhart Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:40:12 +0000 http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/?p=1166#comment-11404 Yep, my book follows the same main character through one plot. Yep, my book follows the same main character through one plot.

]]> By: Diana http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/the-four-cs-of-a-writers-contract-with-the-reader/comment-page-1/#comment-11403 Diana Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:18:31 +0000 http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/?p=1166#comment-11403 Jennifer, I can't really speak to Breaking Dawn, as I'm not familiar with that series. I think that may be, however, what is causing all the conversations I've seen online. Jessica, you're writing a series, correct? Is it a series like mine, where you are following the same character through one big story arc? Phyllis, I think you DO owe something to reader expectation -- but not necessarily the way they want it. It's like with editing, how sometimes you get suggestions that X is wrong, but only you know how to fix X. As I've seen with the reception to ROSB, even the people who weren't expecting/didn't want what occurred in that book tended to be won over. Annie, I haven't read Eragon, either -- but sometimes we are a victim of our publishing schedule and there's nothing we can do. I had a lot of issues with last minute rewrites of ROSB because real life kept interfering in the plot of my book (politicians, etc.) Had the book come out, I'd have been in good shape. Jennifer, I can’t really speak to Breaking Dawn, as I’m not familiar with that series. I think that may be, however, what is causing all the conversations I’ve seen online.

Jessica, you’re writing a series, correct? Is it a series like mine, where you are following the same character through one big story arc?

Phyllis, I think you DO owe something to reader expectation — but not necessarily the way they want it. It’s like with editing, how sometimes you get suggestions that X is wrong, but only you know how to fix X. As I’ve seen with the reception to ROSB, even the people who weren’t expecting/didn’t want what occurred in that book tended to be won over.

Annie, I haven’t read Eragon, either — but sometimes we are a victim of our publishing schedule and there’s nothing we can do. I had a lot of issues with last minute rewrites of ROSB because real life kept interfering in the plot of my book (politicians, etc.) Had the book come out, I’d have been in good shape.

]]>