A friend shared this very enlightening article with me the other day and it made all kinds of light bulbs go off in my head.
Basically, the article discussed four doorways, or access points, of fiction:
- Story
- Character
- Setting
- Prose
As readers, we gravitate to certain doorways.
There are those who pick up a book, hoping for a page-turner. Story is their flavor of choice.
There are those who pick up a book, hoping to fall in love with the protagonist. Character is their flavor of choice.
There are those who pick up a book in hopes of being carried off to a different place, perhaps a different time. Setting is their flavor of choice.
And there are those who pick up a book, hoping for a well-turned phrase. Prose is their flavor of choice.
Nancy Pearl, the author of the article, thinks we often go about recommending books in the wrong way. We ask a person what genre they prefer. Or what topics interest them. But maybe, it’s all about the access point.
Nancy says, “When we want a book exactly like the one we just finished reading, what we really want is to recreate that pleasurable experience.”
How true is this?
She goes on to explain that every book has a prominent access point. The key is finding which access point a reader prefers and recommending books accordingly.
I found this all to be incredibly fascinating. Especially in light of the great branding debate.
Rachelle Gardner recently wrote a post titled Can I Write in Multiple Genres? A very informative, helpful post about the importance of specializing, especially for those of us early in our careers.
I agree with everything she says. I don’t think any of us should aspire to become the jack of all trades.
But what if our brand is much less about genre, and much more about the experience we create for our readers? Maybe it doesn’t matter if we branch out a bit, so long as we keep our primary access point the same.
For all I know, this could be horrible advice. I just think it’s interesting thought fodder.
After reading the article, I asked my friend which doorway she gravitates toward. She said character. Then she said something else that really resonated:
The really great books? The ones we can’t put down. The ones we read over and over again. The ones we share with our friends. They excel in all four.
As authors, that should be our ultimate goal.
It reminded me of the post I wrote on Rachelle’s blog last week, Finding the Sweet Spot. I talked about excelling with our prose and our story. But really, that’s only half of the equation. The super sweet spot comes when we master all four – story, prose, character, and setting.
Let’s Talk: Which doorway do you gravitate toward? Have you read a book that combines the strengths of all four doorways? What do you think is more important when it comes to branding – doorway or genre?
I’m in my own “genre crisis”. Nice to know there is another way to look at what we produce. More of an experience, less a pinpoint genre.
Here’s to hitting the mark!
What a fresh perspective! Because I’ve never considered this before I had to go to my collection of favorite books for a quick recap. I discovered that I’m all about the character! I want to root for someone. I want to see them learn something new about themselves, to discover an inner strength they didn’t know was there. And, while I really don’t gravitate to “mushy” stories I definitely want to see the good guy overcome in the end. I guess that’s why I really enjoy Lifetime movies. This was very insightful! thanks:)
One Definition of a Series: A series is where the protagonist is irreplaceable, but plot and setting are interchangeable. The distinct, memorable prose throughout a series enhances the “voice.”
I guess I’m a combo. If the storyline is fabulous but I loathe the characters, it’s a deal breaker. The opposite is also true.
Ah-ha! I love the four doorway approach. I actually took description out of my first book because the teens I had as beta readers felt it left less to their imagination.
I don’t physically describe my heroine so every girl can imagine being her. (It’s written in first person so they can emotionally relate.)
My books (on purpose) are story, character, setting,and prose.
I think I hit the core of what my readers want because they send me fan mail saying they are re-reading them over and over. To me, that’s the ultimate compliment.
The 4 doorways approach is quite important. It’s like the 4 legged chair, if unbalanced, you can still be seated, but not comfortably and not for very long.
Wow, I love this post. What a terrific topic and an eye-opener. I believe we often write in the genre that interests us but yet may fall short because our writing or ‘voice’ peaks in one or two of these characteristics (doorways).
Fascinating!
thanks
I’ve never heard of this doorway concept before, but it makes sense. I prefer setting and character, although I agree the really great books are going to excel in all four.
I love anything that gets me thinking about my writing this way. I’m going to come at it from the other side. In a way, I think both Jeannie and Erica both hinted at what I’m thinking.
Sometimes those doors, rather than being doorways, can be doors slammed shut. I think to a large extent that may be out of the author’s hands, but can explain why stories that excite one reader leave another angry, or worse – untouched.
It may even be harder for us to define or identify the reason because I think some come from subconscious feelings.
For example, I know there are books that are beautifully written with compelling characters even set in a wonderful location that I might otherwise enjoy, that I won’t be able to read because of the theme.
Or scramble that up and make it a setting I don’t enjoy or a period of history that troubles me.
I’m not saying that I only read happy books or even that I don’t like to struggle with something I’m reading – just that there are certain times I’ll pick up a book and put it back down for some reason that is no fault of the author. Probably my loss. *shrug*
Hope that made some sense.
Mary
Lots to think about here– love it! For me, I gravitate to both story & character. I just finished a book I had a real love/hate relationship with. I hated the protagonist, but the story kept me reading because I was hooked. Other times, I fall in love with a character and want to keep reading because I feel like I related in some way to that character.
I’d love to read the article you cited. Is it online?
My friend scanned it and sent it to me via attachment. It was from Publisher’s Weekly. Do you get it?
seems silly to ask a therapist this question. 🙂 of course i gravitate toward character. but if that character is submerged in a terrible story, i’ll put it down (or at the very least skim till i get to good character/story parts).
This is really interesting to me, and I’ve actually been thinking about it a lot lately. How knowing what your reader gravitates toward will help with all parts of your story, prose, setting, characters, etc. I think knowing what they’re looking for sort of gives you a formula for how you should write.
Anyway, I gravitate more toward characters because they can take an ordinary story or setting and make them come to life. That’s why, even when I read stories in the same genre, I still have my favorite authors because there are certain ones that are all about characters.
While I love reading a story that hits the right note with all four doorways, I tend to gravitate toward Story the most.
Great recommendation, Katie, thanks! I think I share my order with Wendy: character, story, prose, setting. The problem is that if the prose is not good, it kicks me out of the story so harshly that I can’t get back in. So what interests me is the character, but the prose can still be a dealbreaker!
I’m with Wendy on this one…I’d put it in the same way.
I received your “welcome” packet. Thank you for doing such a sweet thing. Congratulations on your book and I look forward to getting me a copy. I love reading a good book! 🙂
Blessings to you~
I agree with Keli, all four are important, but I gravitate to strong characters. If I don’t connect with them, I have no interest in what they’re doing. That takes the story out of the mix altogether. Your post provides very interesting take on branding that makes a lot of sense. Thanks!
In this order: Character, Story, Prose, Setting. But I’ll take ’em all lumped together with a side of gravy, please! 😉
~ Wendy
Great post to ponder, Katie! Thanks for sharing. It’s nice to know what you’re aiming for, else how do you ever hit the mark?
About halfway down, I said to myself, out loud, of course: How do you have a best-seller? Hit all four. And that’s the kind of book I love. And that’s the book I want to write, evenly balanced on four legs.
Thanks for laying out the “Blueprints” so clearly!
Love this perspective, Katie.
I would agree that all four matter, but the doorway that initially pulls me into a novel is prose. Story, character, and setting keep me involved, but if the prose is beautiful, if it has a musical tone, I can forgive a weaker story.
I haven’t really thought of it this way but it makes perfect sense! I love romance, but not every romance does it for me. I love the story and the characters. I’m looking for dynamic characters going somewhere (inside journey) but cool places are a plus! Love this!
LOVE this concept, Katie! Brilliant. I’d say I tend to go for plot and character most, but compelling prose and setting take a book from ‘good’ to ‘great’ for me.
If I don’t care about the character, the rest is hum drum. I was talking with my husband last night about Titanic movies and stories. He wondered why there should be new ones, such as the four-hour movie ABC is running next weekend, when we all know the end of the story. I said, “But we don’t know if the characters we come to care about are among the people who survive.” Even when we already know other factors in the book, the character matters.
Oh my, I totally believe this! Maybe not the access points being those things specifically, but yes, the experience. When I read, I don’t care about the genre as long as I get the rush. GREAT post!! I’d never heard of this article. Very, very interesting.
Oooh, you’ve got me thinking now, Katie.
I would say that the character door is my preferred door. I love stories where I care about the hero and heroine. Where they feel like “real” people! And then I would opt for the story door — tell me a compelling story. The kind of story I can’t stop reading.
Great post, Katie.
All four elements matter to me, but character is my top consideration. If I’m going to spend 300 or so pages with an author’s characters, I want them to be (fictional) people I care about and am interested in.