September 28, 2007
Pulling The Strings
A year or so back, I was happily doing a little blog-hopping, when I came across a statement by an author that surprised me.
I’m not sure I even remember who it was, so I’ll paraphrase the comment here:
“If you’re a writer, that means you’re a manipulative sonofabitch.”
Blink. Slight gasp, followed closely by being taken aback…
Manipulative? Moi?? 
Oh no, no, no. I despise those kind of people. The users, the players, the drama queens. The people who try to mold your feelings to suit their own purposes, the controllers who insist you see things their way, the ones who can…can…
Blink. Slight gasp, followed closely by being taken aback…
I swear, I never thought of it that way—but to some degree, there’s no getting around it.
As authors we pull the strings. And as readers we hand over the strings of our hearts with eager or trembling fingers (depending on how well or badly we’ve been played in the past).
If you’re an author, how do you feel about having this kind of influence over your readers?
And as a reader, how far are you willing to let an author take you? Does it depend on their skill, or how great your desire is for escape, or some combination of both?
C’mon. Leave a comment. Just between us.
Really. You can trust me implicitly…
OH, PHOOEY!
Sounds like someone wants to play at being clever and “bad.”
True manipulation kicks in when the recipient is unaware or influenced against their will, better judgement or best interest.
How can writing be “manipulation” if readers want and expect to be influenced?
oooh I like Bernita’s answer!
I can see how the original author of that statment can come to that. But to me it sounds more like sour grapes than anything.
From that stand point, though, any form of art, any TV or movies shoot even advertisiment (okay that one is TRUE manipultion) will fall under that notion. You are being fed what is what and how it goes. The only way to avoid being manipulated is to live on a desert island with NO contact w/ others at all–maybe a little extreme, but so is his (don’t know why I assume it’s a man *VBG* ) statement
dang too early in the morn for such deep thought Raine!
I can sort of agree. In the second draft I’m looking for ways I can better help the reader see my world as I see it. I’m looking for the right word, turn of phrase, to depict what I want them to see. That’s where the manipulation ends, because I will unconsiously put in things, thoughts, or feelings that have deeper meaning than what I intended.
GOing on what Melissa said, I dont think we consciously manipulate the readers, but we do want to draw them into our world and take them for a ride LOL To do that we’ve got to paint it as vividly as possible and draw characters that will keep them interested as tehy go on that grand adventure.
Boy that sounded like a load of bullshit
I write to entertain myself and hope like hell everyone else likes it too.
As a reader, I want to be pulled into a good story. I want to not be able to put the book down. Manipulation? I don’t see it that way. I think a good book, or writers for that matter, do draw you in. Isn’t that the point?
CeCe- Only the part about the book being a grand adventure. To get back your street cred you can say, I’m going to see how many lies I can tell and make the reader believe it.
Also that may have been what the author of the quote was trying to say.
LOL Thanks Mel!!!!!!