Current Project: Bodyguard's Baby
Status: still thinking
A random comment a friend made on a loop recently got me to thinking. She mentioned how unfair it was, this unbalance of power that exists between publishers and writers. At first I nodded and then I shook my head.
Say you make rag dolls. Really beautiful rag dolls. They sell for a bundle and since they are handmade, you can't make them fast enough. Still, word has gotten out and everyone wants one. Everyone. They're clamoring at your gate. They're chanting, "Rag doll! Rag doll!" You gently smile and take orders five years out. You then raise the price. You have power.
Now say you and the lady down the street and the guy across town and his brother and his fourteen children and their entire church all make rag dolls. They look exactly like yours. But the two hundred people at your gate now have a thousand dolls to choose from (it's apparently a big church) and so they shop around. Now they have the power.
That's capitalism, that's life. In the publishing world, the people putting up the money are taking the bigger risk and reaping the greatest rewards -- they hold most the power simply because there is more product than shelf space.
But this is about writing. Life is what we write about, too, so power struggles and issues exist within our pages, as well. I'm wondering if most our books -- okay, I'll stop lopping you all in with me -- most my books don't involve, either directly or indirectly, this quest for power. Power over relationships, power over career, power over the sanctity of self. Sometimes when I am writing I will reread a scene where a heroine has had a tough time and will purposely need to refocus her take, forcing her away from the role of victim and into one of victor -- even in small ways. When a person is bombarded by life and falls prey to their weakness they loose power, they lose control and while it happens, it can't continue through the whole book or the reader will probably lose their patience and interest.
I know I'm wandering around a little here, but my blog is late and the puppy disappeared about ten minutes ago and I really NEED to go find her before she returns to the wolf pack from whence she sprung (is that how it goes? Is whence even a word? Is sprung?) But I have been thinking about this power thing and how it affects our characters and how important balance is in the process -- how do you see this working in your books?
7 comments:
I'm answering my own blog because I was so late putting it up. I'm sorry about that -- stuff happened!
Interesting post, Alice. I'm adding words to the contemporary Harlequin rejected because the editor at TWRP who edited Perfectly Good Nanny is waiting with her hands out for me to send it to her, but TWRP word count is longer than the Harlequin line I sent it to.
Anyway, while adding to this story, I've been taking a look at my heroine who is struggling to keep the power she worked the last ten years to strengthen. The hero is breaking through her defenses and awakening feelings she fears will make her a victim again.
I could visualize people clammoring at my little fence for rag dolls. I love to read what you write :) I hope you found your doggie!
Paty -- I'll be interested to see how you work out your heroine's obvious conflict. I am so glad you have an editor waiting with tingling fingers -- how cool is that?
Lisa -- We have successfully trained the puppy to the word "Treat!" My goodness, the power of that word. Hallelujah!
Thanks for the compliment. Is there anything a writer likes to hear more than " I love to read what you write :)"
No.
Alice, glad your puppy knows what a good thing she has going!
Interesting post about power. While reading articles about e-books, that's what I see going on--jockeying for control of e-book profits by the "big guys." In the meantime, small e-publishers are gong about their business of producing books. Definitely interesting!
As for power struggles in my stories, I hadn't thought of it that way before, but you're right. Or rather, the balance of power. Especially if a character deeply values their independence or, as Paty said, have been a victim, they have to concede some of their power for their relationships to work.
Great post, Alice. My Jan book - STOLEN SEDUCTION - is a constant power struggle between the hero and heroine. The characters recognize it, and it's one of the things that draw them to each other.
Personally, I can't handle characters who are always the victim and never rise above to be the victor. I think maybe that's because no matter what happens to me, I never see myself as a victim, so it's hard for me to identify with characters like that. But I agree that characters have to overcome obstacles in order to complete their character arcs and make their books compelling to readers, and in that way, yeah, it is the same shift in power that allows them to do so.
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