After ten years as Creative Content Producer for the Procter & Gamble soap operas, “As The World Turns” and “Guiding Light,” I became very familiar with the following phrase: If only TPTB (The Powers That Be) would do what the fans want, this show’s ratings would go through the roof!
After ten years, I also became privy to one of show biz’ dirty secrets: There is no such thing as what all the fans want.
Even when it seems like there is only one possible way for a story to wrap up, somewhere, someone will disagree. I guarantee it.
Check out my guest-blog on the subject of reader input in interactive fiction at: http://howardsherman.net/post/3444822660.
2 comments:
I agree 1010%!!!
Alina I am of the opinion that a writer should not pander to his or her audience. He or she should not hand over the reigns to the reader. Yes the readers feelings ARE important but what the reader really wants and what they say they want may indeed be two different things. They might say oh I want Marly and Jamie together. But they never knew that Jamie and Lorna could be such an explosive couple. Or they might say Oh I love Felicia! But who'd a thunk that we might be on Lucas' side in an arguement?
What a reader truely and honestly wants (unless he or she is a closet writer) is to be surprised in a good way. They also want what they never could have dreamed of on their own.
To give an analogy
I LOVED my records and record player
until I discoverd 8 track
Which I adored until I found cassettes. Which were really cool until cds came along
which absolutely was the Ultimate unimaginable that something could replace it.
Until MP3s. Unbelievable till
IPODs.......
Just surprise us, delight us, and give us what we never knew we wanted. That is the way to write!
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