Yeah, I remember this. AW-KWARD. But at the same time, you know, you put your stuff out there, I don't think you get to dictate how the universe views it. Just because HE didn't intend his character to be seen that way doesn't mean you're wrong for reading it that way. Writers--good ones, anyway--have Bibles and Bibles of stuff that never make it to the page. It informs the characters as they appear, but readers can only take what's on the page and go from there. And I don't think where you went with his character was inconsistent with what was on the page, whatever the author's intent. Respect works both ways. Creators have to respect that other people bring their own things to their work, and it's actually a testament to their work if the characters come so alive that we each take with it something uniquely our own. I think I even told this particular writer that when he was, IMO, overreacting to how others saw his characters.
And sort of a corollary to that, but not necessarily the same thing, sometimes no matter how clearly you put your intent on the page, readers Don't. Get. It. I will never forget Aaron Allston sharing a story about how in one of his Star Wars books, a chapter from Kyp Duron's POV has him musing how he is so much more powerful a Jedi thank Luke Skywalker. And OH THE CRAP he got from readers about how DARE he say Kyp Durron is more powerful than Luke!!!!11!
No, Aaron did NOT say Kyp was more powerful than Luke. KYP said it. And it is perfectly in character for Kyp to (incorrectly and arrogantly) BELIEVE he is more powerful than Luke. But some readers do not get the concept of unreliable narrator, instead believing, if it's on the page, the author must think it so. ::headdesk::
So no matter how clear you're being, readers are gonna take what they want and divine intent to you (the writer) that was never there. Nature of the beast.
no subject
Yeah, I remember this. AW-KWARD. But at the same time, you know, you put your stuff out there, I don't think you get to dictate how the universe views it. Just because HE didn't intend his character to be seen that way doesn't mean you're wrong for reading it that way. Writers--good ones, anyway--have Bibles and Bibles of stuff that never make it to the page. It informs the characters as they appear, but readers can only take what's on the page and go from there. And I don't think where you went with his character was inconsistent with what was on the page, whatever the author's intent. Respect works both ways. Creators have to respect that other people bring their own things to their work, and it's actually a testament to their work if the characters come so alive that we each take with it something uniquely our own. I think I even told this particular writer that when he was, IMO, overreacting to how others saw his characters.
And sort of a corollary to that, but not necessarily the same thing, sometimes no matter how clearly you put your intent on the page, readers Don't. Get. It. I will never forget Aaron Allston sharing a story about how in one of his Star Wars books, a chapter from Kyp Duron's POV has him musing how he is so much more powerful a Jedi thank Luke Skywalker. And OH THE CRAP he got from readers about how DARE he say Kyp Durron is more powerful than Luke!!!!11!
No, Aaron did NOT say Kyp was more powerful than Luke. KYP said it. And it is perfectly in character for Kyp to (incorrectly and arrogantly) BELIEVE he is more powerful than Luke. But some readers do not get the concept of unreliable narrator, instead believing, if it's on the page, the author must think it so. ::headdesk::
So no matter how clear you're being, readers are gonna take what they want and divine intent to you (the writer) that was never there. Nature of the beast.