When we pick up a Stephen King book, we have expectations. Danielle Steel? Expectations. John Grisham? Expectations.
It’d be very odd to open a book by Ted Dekker only to find something reminiscent of Karen Kingsbury. Very confusing. Sort of like these pictures.
Readers have expectations. And as writers, it’s good to satisfy them.
But here’s where I start to get confused. Here’s where I’d love to have a conversation and see if we can’t figure this thing out.
Satisfying expectations is good. Writing a predictable book is not.
There are some big name authors out there who have a very specific, very defined brand. Like Nicholas Sparks. Nobody can argue with the man’s success or the commercial appeal of his books. But still, I’ve heard people complain about his work. And it’s always the same complaint. “After the first few novels, they all start to feel the same.”
I want to create a brand. But I don’t want to write predictable novels. Nicholas Sparks can get away with it because he’s, well, Nicholas Sparks. Me? Not so much.
Let’s Talk: What say you? How do we satisfy our reader’s expectations without writing predictable books? How do we establish our brand, but stay fresh at the same time?
This is a great question, Katie.
Can we make sure we are always learning and growing in our craft and honing our voice, so we don't become stale? Seeking the Lord for great ideas may be the key.
LOve,
Jen
Hi Katie –
Off topic: You have an award on my blog (3/18 post). 🙂
Susan
Whoa, tough question. I think the key is keeping the plot unpredictable. Style can be predictable, but storyline cannot.
Katie, I'm so glad I came back here today to check out the comments. Even before I got to the end I thought what you said, "This is like its own Blog post." (I would love it if you expanded on that in the future and gave it Top Billing on here.) Seriously, that was Gold!!
Very interesting conversation you started here, Katie. I can only comment as a reader. Although I would roll my eyes at times reading Nicholas Sparks, there was also a comfort in his predictable endings. Each Ted Dekker book I've read has been completely different from the other, but I know his writing will keep me in suspense, because I expect that from him. Predictable in elements such as a 'happy ever after ending' is okay for me, as long as the characters and story are new. May you continue writing for you, and 'branding' fall into place naturally.
I'm going to have to come back later to read all the comments. What a great subject for discussion, Katie!
For me branding is all about genre and voice or style. Beyond that, distinctive characters solving a problem in an interesting setting fall into good storytelling. If I like how an author tells a story in a particular genre, I'll be back to read subsequent books. If an ending is predictable I don't think that's good storytelling, no matter how good the writing may be.
I think what we keep going back to in authors or musicians or movie makers is their style. They don't have to sing the same song or have the same melody, but we'd walk out if their style went from classical to rap. Be creative with characters and plot, but keep your style!
LOL Funny you say "predictable" and "Nicholas Sparks" in the same sentence. I drive my Admin nuts becuase she reads Sparks religiously and I do not. But I always tell her the ending of his story before she finishes the book I've never read. Nonetheless, he's made his predictability an addictive branding.
Katie – you are a brand in and of yourself. I love ya! 🙂
Tab – lovely, lovely words, and a great truth. Reminds me of what Francine Rivers said.
When asked what advice she would give writers, she said:
"My advice would be don't look at the market at all. Don't look at the publisher at all. You look at God. And you go where God is taking you.God will take care of the rest.
You need to write from the heart, and you need to write what God is drawing you to write and not what is selling in the marketplace. If you're looking at that then the market has become your idol.
Strive for excellence. See yourself always as an apprentice. You're never an expert writer. I still take classes. I still study writing. Always be in scripture. And the most important thing is your relationship with God—that has to be your first priority. He has to be your first love. And consider him your audience of one. You're writing for God."
Don't you love that? There's so much freedom in her words and I love them.
And yet, Francine Rivers has such a distinct brand.
I want God to my compass always and I am confident that He is. He speaks to me through his Spirit. I know He's guided every one of my books, even the first two which most likely won't ever be published. I couldn't write a word without Him.
But in the same breath, I think it's important to think about these things – such as how do we keep our stories fresh? What is my brand (or, if you don't like that word, what experience am I hoping to give my reader)? I think it's good to pray about them and let God shows us.
And the best way to discover these things is as Tabitha and Kelli (Hi Kelli – thanks for visiting and introducing yourself!)say – be ourselves. Be authentic. Be who God made us to be.
Wow! That was like its own blog post!
I'm loving this post and all the comments! There are several authors that I read almost anything of, because they never get boring despite having a definite brand. Three examples that come to mind are John Grisham, David Baldacci and Nora Roberts (I don't read her paranormal stuff though). All three have a very recognizable voice, so I don't think that's what makes the books different. It can be the setting (Nora Roberts always chooses an interesting setting, from Montana, to Alaska or the Chesapeake Bay, but it's never the same…I love this), the plot (Grisham always has legal elements, but the plots are quite different…legal firms, courtroom thrillers, etc…the plot is different every time and the same goes for Baldacci who even manages several different 'series') and of course the characters. But if the setting and the plot were sort of the same every time, I don't think that just different characters would make them stand out. I think it's a combination of setting, plot, and characters.
oops- sould have added my name- I'm Kelli
my blog is a parenting- homeschool-mommy blog- but, I am currently (slowly) working on my first book. I have had success (locally) writing for little magazines and columns in the paper. Very different from working on a book! Glad I found this blog! 🙂
Tabitha- I LOVE what you are saying about "authenticity"- whether we are writing about fictional characters or true life – if we are authentic and true to what God has placed in our hearts- what we've been led to write- sharing our authentic gift. I believe this will definately show up in the end product.
So many different "type" of people in the world- each will be drawn in by authenticity! Love it- thank you!
I have heard so much talk about this author branding business and…. here's what I think (for what it's worth)
God didn't create a 'brand' when he created me. He just, well, created me. I am unique because he only created one of me. Now if I stay true to myself and to the stories God places on my heart then I will be who I am, 'unique'. I think too much is said about branding. As writers, especially as Christain writers I think we need to focus on using what God gave us and let God worry about which people will read your books. Let Him build the 'brand' if you like. Honestly.
I heard this one writer recently talking about her writing (she is the author of ROOM a NY times best seller) and she said that she wrote what was in her heart to write. She had written many different types of stories across different genres (even into screenplays!) and yet she said that all her stories were uniquely her. THAT is what her readers came to love. They followed her across genres etc because they craved the authenticity with which she told stories, never mind the 'type' of story or author 'branding'. This author's agent said that she would never dream of telling her client to brand herself, because just being herself was working so well for her.
Katie, I encourage you to be yourself and writer those stories God places on your heart. Then pray and let God draw a readership to you. Let Him build your platform.
Blessings
X
Oh my gosh… that Pepsi can… as a Coke fan, I can't believe my eyes! NOOO!!!!
Ha!
Hi Katie –
You brought up Karen Kingsbury. I've read many of her books, and her writer's voice is distinct. Her brand is, "life changing fiction."
All of her stories reflect the underlying theme, but each one does it in a completely different way. I see brand as a big umbrella with lots of individuals crowding underneath.
Blessings,
Susan 🙂
Glad you're enjoying the conversation, Jen! I was hoping it would be a lively one. 🙂
Heather – I cracked up over your comment. I hope I can be predictable like them too!!!
Sherrinda – HA! A girl can dream, right?? 🙂
Cassandra – I really love what you brought up here. That Brand is about creating an experience for the reader….but the question still begs to be asked: How do we do that? I know there's not a formula we can follow. Heck, there's probably not even an answer. Maybe it's just one of the elusive things….like voice. Something we discover over time and a lot, a lot of practice.
I popped in at lunch time to check out the comments and purposefully waited until later in the day to come back and read the additional viewpoints.
This is a great topic for discussion and I'm really enjoying everyone's ideas.
As far as not being boring, I have to agree with the much suggested idea of characters. I've always been a series girl – I love connecting with characters and then being able to return to them again and again to watch them grow and change. For me, there's a lot more to the story than boy-gets-girl. Now let's see what happens past that. That gives you a familiar branding framework, but a skillful writer will them take those characters down interesting paths and that will keep the story fresh. It's a challenge, yes, but one I hope to be able to rise to in my own writing.
I've heard the same thing about Jody Picoult – that after a reading a few they seem so formulamatic. I want to be boring, predictable and formulamatic just like Nicholas Sparks and Jody Picoult. Ha!
Seriously, I think you ask a very important, but difficult question. And I like what Cassandra says above. You want your brand to mirror the way your readers feel when they read each and every book. When I pick up some of my favorite authors, I know bow their voice is going to sound despite a very different subject and plot line.
I read a series by an author recently, and Book One and Book Three were almost identical in plot line. I don't think we want to do that.
You will probably because uber famous if you figure it out. 😉
Or maybe you will just be famous for your awesome books!
squueeeeee!!!!!
I was wondering the same thing during a writer's conference I attended this weekened. Everyone was, of course, saying that as an author you should have a "brand".
During one of the classes, someone mentioned that they were able to meet Nicholas Sparks last summer and he said that the reason people love his stories is because they're all the same, the readers know what to expect from him.
But I was wondering the same thing… how can we keep a certain brand without being predictable and all of our stories being almost the same?
I think brand is NOT genre! And it's NOT topical! And it has nothing to do with book covers or target readers or marketing, as much as we think it does.
Brand is how the reader feels when they read a writer's work — it's what KIND of experience readers have as they read. How a writer's voice affects them creates a particular reading experience and this is the true PRODUCT being offered — a reading experience. Otherwise, why would readers bother?
A great example of this is C.S. Lewis. He wrote in many genres and moods, with various objectives. But when we read his works, we know the kind of reading experience we will find. We love his voice, his insight, his perspective, the fellowship that somehow leaps off the page and makes us feel enfolded and understood. This was his brand.
Those who are best at it are extremely skilled and work very hard to achieve their brand.
I wish I knew the answers! You bring up a great point. There are authors whose books I've stopped reading for this very reason. They all start to look the same.
I think we have to analyze what readers expect when they read one of our books. If they're like me, they'll want consistency in one area and a surprise in another.
Take one of my favorite mainstream historical romance authors, Stephanie Laurens. I loved her Cynster series because each book gave me something familiar (a hot, rich, protective hero) with something new (an interesting suspense plot). Naturally, I like some of her books more than others, but I would hate to pick up one of her books and not get that alpha male or a unique suspense plot!
Hopefully, we have strong supporters who can guide us even when we're at the published-fifteen-books level. They can say, "yeah this feels a little familiar," and we can work on making it feel fresh.
Honestly, my opinion is to absolutely be yourself and not worry about it. That way, whatever you write will still be uniquely and definitely you, but you don't have to be stuck in a certain formula if you don't feel like it. Youness and unpredictability, right there. Great post!
Sarah Allen
(my creative writing blog)
When you write in a specific genre, your stories will have a certain formula to them. Who wants to read a romance novel where the couple doesn't get together in the end? That would make it a love story, which is what NS writes. I'm not a fan because I want the happily ever after.
Your brand is a combination of your voice and your story–characters, plot, setting.
Susan May Warren writes in several genres, but her brand is apparent whether her novel is set in contemporary Russia or the 40s.
Once readers identify with you as the author and love your work, they'll most likely buy your books because your name is on the cover.
I imagine after several books this gets difficult. I agree characters will set it apart but I also imagine plot would play a big part. Can you come up with a plot that surprises your readers in a good way? Perhaps one in which any one of several conclusions would "feel" like your brand. Does she end up with Todd or Blake, they both love her and the Lord. Or does she end up alone because she's called to the mission field. (Or whatever).
I think if you can build your brand around your voice and message, you have room to play. Rather than building it around, say, happy endings. Readers might know you'll deliver a witty story framed within God's grace, for example, but never know just how you're going to pull it off. At least this is what I hope I'll be able to do!
I want a character I can grow comfortable with, one who isn't held back by the constraints society places on us to be perfect. I want to see what makes this person touchable and real, what this person hides deep inside. (In my own writing, I'm still hiding behind a veil of carefulness.) Somewhere I read that we should write as if we are God, the One who knows everything (and still loves us). If I had to pick, I'd rather read about a person like this peeling vegetables than someone less real and vulnerable set in a fabulous setting or having mind-bending adventure. If I ever have the privilege of being branded I hope for the word "unafraid." Katie, may you come to know and understand the deepest story each of your characters has to tell.
I say read in the genre you want to write. Gives you ideas so you're not boring the readers. It must be hard after so many books to create new characters though.
great post.
I woke up Sunday a.m. to find my blog, my 500 plus followers, my 100plus author interviews, and my 200 plus reviews gone. Blogger gave no explanation, but I think the account was hacked. Change your password often!
I have reloaded the interviews and reviews, plus redesigned the blog. But if you could, please hit the "follow" button so I can reclaim the fellow bloggers I miss. I'm still following you, as my account remained–thank goodness!
http://kellymoranauthor.blogspot.com
Thank you!
Kelly Moran
XO
It's true, some publishers and readers seem to only want the “tried and true” formula. How unfortunate for the writer, and the reader for that fact. No surprises. I would like to be free to stretch my wings and write as each story takes me.
I'm with Tana, "Quality counts."
Quality versus quantity. Quality always wins out.
Great post, Katie girl. Sorry I haven't been by, but I had an operation and I have been in the bed ever since.
But I don't like predictable. I want to be SHOCKED. Your last question is hard to answer. Is there an answer for it? I don't think so. (((hugs)))
Another vote for characters!
Mind you I'm no expert…not even close, but the only expectation I have when picking up a book is genre (other than greatness, of course). I know what time period and mood I want to read about and I trust that the author will deliver.
If you choose to brand yourself as a contemporary romance writer, that's what your readers will come to expect when picking up one of your books. It would be a huge brand shock if all of a sudden you're writing science fiction. 🙂
I think the only way to do this is bring excellence each and every time. Quality counts.
One arguement that critics cannot touch is Nicholas Sparks stays true the heart of his stories. That is what readers pick up on. If they can't feel your heart and passion they will merely leaf through the pages- instead of soaking them up.
I have friends whose agents only want a specific type of manuscript from them — something similar to the kind that has drawn wide commercial appeal before.
There are others who successfully write across genres (within the children's market).
I want to be in the second camp. Thankfully, my agent is supportive of the variety of things I've sent her way. Because what I write isn't likely to be a commercial success (I'm a library and school market-type gal), I feel some freedom to create as I like.
Aw, thanks Keli!
Great discussion! I'm really enjoying reading the comments – lots of great tips in here!
Sounds like the majority of people say unique characters is what keeps books fresh.
It's interesting to me how some people say Voice is what will make our stories different or fresh. I was thinking our voice stays the same. Kinda what Erica said – it feeds into our brand. It sets us apart from other authors, but it doesn't change a whole lot from book to book. Or maybe I'm wrong (it happens more times then I'd like to admit!)….do you think voice changes?
Another question – what IS an author brand, anyway? What elements feed into it?
Genre. Voice. What else? Bonnie mentioned theme. Do you think that goes into it?
I think that's a great question and one I've wondered myself. Funny that you brought up Nicholas Sparks. I refuse to read his books, because they always end the same.
Personally, Katie, I can't imagine you ever being predictable. You're a vibrant, alive person who exudes enthusiasm as you bless people with your megawatt smile. That vibrancy is sure to come through in your stories, my friend, making each of them as unique and intriguing as you are.
(Sorry about the deleted comment. Had to fix an oopsie.)
In addition to character development, I think switching themes is often a good way to keep things fresh. Perhaps Nicholas Sparks sounds the same to people because he's repeating themes.
I think if you're writing in your voice, the brand takes care of itself, because it's you, how your mind thinks, your unique stamp on a story, regardless of the story.
Does that mean you churn out the same story again and again? Only in the respect that any story you tell has your unique POV. Different characters and setting and a story that grows organically out of those two things will keep readers interested in reading your brand of books.
And brand can be honed, but that is best done with the help of your agent, editors, and other pros.
I agree with the others about characters. A character can make or break a story. You hear over and over that every story has been told, that every story can be compared to another one. Maybe in some ways, that's true–there are certainly specific formulas, but every story is unique because the author's voice is unique, and because every character is different.
I think you can write a book that can be full of elements that have been written a million times, and make it completely your own. I think you can write a story that people will love and find distinct based on how you tell that story and if people love the characters. In 2009, for NaNoWriMo, I wrote a book that deliberately embraced clichés. I know that sounds a little strange, but it was all about the characters and the story, about family, love, friendship, and forgiveness. (And my publisher, OakTara, offered me a contract on this novel–after a ton of editing and rewriting, of course.)
It's a lot of elements that make up a story, and no matter what you choose to write about, people will read a story that speaks to them–perhaps even if some of it is predictable.
Great post
I think it needs to be a more vague theme. Like Nora Roberts's brand encompasses the theme of finding yourself.
Sparks is more detailed.
I did that with mine and it's so much easier to write within the constraints. I could go paranormal romance, thriller romance, whatever as long as it's romance based on what I'm using to establish my brand.
You are so fun! Thanks for the great posts!
You know that song Love & Marriage that that cheesy 90's sitcom ruined…
Hear the orignial song but with the words, "Voice & story…"
That's my answer. Me so tired. Airplanes take a lot out of you, I mean me.
~ Wendy
I agree with Mary and Catherine. It's all about characters. If we truly build believable characters, then our stories won't be the same every time . . . because no two people would behave exactly the same way.
Story and Character. Let's take Nicky boy for example. If the story in The Notebook had simply been about an old guy visiting his wife in a nursing home – ho hum. Boring. It was different because we didn't know who Noah or Allie were at the beginning – and the way their story was told through the reading of the book was brilliant. And then of course that ending…by then we just love the characters and have been swept up in their story, so it's all good. True, I have not been so enthralled by some of his other books, but he's making millions so I don't think he cares. I really wouldn't get too caught up in the whole branding issue, although I'm sure many will disagree with me. Write the books on your heart. Once you have a reader base, they'll know what to expect. As long as you keep your writing and ideas fresh, you'll be fine.
Good question. I guess a few twists and turns need to be thrown in to keep the reader slightly off balance. I don't mind a predictable formula to the book if the ride has a few unique bumps. :O)
Hi Katie.
I'm heading out to work so I'll look forward to reading all the thoughts later.
One quick response before I go – characters.
If the characters are unique and well-developed and the story feels organic to those characters, then it feels less predictable.
That's a tough question and one every writer would like to figure out! We certainly don't want to write the same story with just different characters! I think it's one of the challenges of writing.