Should authors be influenced by readers? (Or: We demand that you stop listening to us!)

At one time, I would have said that Del Rey should always listen to fan input. If they don't, it becomes hard to tell what works and what doesn't. Recently, though, I've reconsidered this view.

However, when authors write what we ask them to write, it starts to remove the element of surprise from the story. While we might enjoy that ego-boost that comes from realizing that the storyline is following our thoughts, a predictable story is very boring.

In addition, most fans want good things to happen to their favorite characters and bad things for those that they hate. We want Borsk and Kyp to be chopped to pieces while our favorite characters become more powerful and defeat Yuuzhan Vong effortlessly. The problem with this is that it removes conflict from the story- if popular characters don't face hardships, what reason do we have to care about them?

Besides, fan's don't always end up liking what they asked for. For years, fans wanted more death and realism. Then they gave us that with NJO, and people complained. I recognize that these aren't always the same people, which would suggest that identifying exactly what the majority of fans want is virtually impossible.

That's not to say that we should be ignored entirely. But make sure that when we do get what we want, it always comes with a catch, and not until after we're really desperate.

What do you think?

 

When it comes to possible continuity fixes, I want to be heard. When it comes to speculation about characters deaths and what not, or story hopes, I wish they ignore who ever asked for it.

 

I agree with what you're saying. And that is why I'm glad the NJO has been planned (at least the structural framework) from the very beginning. For an editor to change a major plot development in consideration of fans' desires before reading the series in its entirety is to deprive the story of the very engaging or surprising element of storytelling I cherish.

I would hope the editors and authors of the NJO do not change their overall plan due the whimsical desires of fans (myself included) which change from book to book in a broad story arc such as this.

 

I agree, but I really do miss the "good guys win" thing. I mean, not "effortlessly" and not easily, but without dying. I wasn't too happy when I found out about Jimmy's death. There's a line where I think they should stop, but then again, I'm not an author ^^()

 

Unfortunately, whatever the NJO committee and its authors decide, the fans will never be content.

I strongly believe that the authors should in no way whatsoever heed the wants of the fans. For example, most people who want Kyp to die do so based on purely characteristic traits. They see him as a real person with real personality, not as a character in a story plot. Not once have i seen someone say, "If Kyp died, a great plot device would be created. That would lead to another great story arc that would eventually benefit the NJO as a whole."

The fans are extremely biased--too biased, in fact, to decide what goes and what doesn't.

 

Unfortunatly, Actually it seems that the planners may be listening to the fans. Some things theorized on these boards have come true before.

 

Very true...such as the conceiving of Ben. Tyer's openly said on the boards that she saw the fans wanting Luke and Mara to have a son, decided it was a good idea and that it coincided with her own ideas, and the planning comittee approved it.

 

I am 200% behind you Dev.

I've been thinking the exact same thing since Balance Point and Mara's pregnancy--Not that I don't/didn't like that. But I noticed fans got what they had been screaming for.

And then the big Han/Leia relationship that got tons of fans anal about something I didn't see was really that big. And whats this? We get Recovery...

 

Good point about continuity issues, Valiento. However, what about cases that can't be strictly classified as continuity errors, but still take past material into account, like complaints about Cilghal's absence in VP, for example.

The planning committee said that they were considering the idea anyways, just not that early in the series. Would NJO have been better with Ben's birth delayed until HC 5?

 

Well, sometimes they will listen to what the fans want then turn it to the darkside.

I.E.

LFL author number 1, "You wanted [insert character] in the njo? Well we'll give him to you in pieces, muahahahhahah"

(In other words they give fans what they want, but because they know they can't use the character effectivly they kill them off in throw away lines, etc.)

I think that if they want to bring a lost character back into the limelight, make sure that there is a good use for them besides using them as grave fodder.

 

Would NJO have been better with Ben's birth delayed until HC 5?

that's a hard question to weigh. for one, Ben helps to purge mara's disease once and for all. the other side of that is the question, "could that have happened without Ben?" Ben also provides for an additional conflict within SbS and a useful one to play characters off of each other(such as Mara and Leia or Luke and Mara) and serve as character growth. but then again, i'm sure the book could have survived without that specific form of conflict, and characters can grow in many other ways.

in my opinion though, Ben offered a much needed lift for the fan population. he came in a very unexpected time--when even the fans didn't expect their wishes to come true. he shed some light on the NJO when it seemed it was at its darkest, and kept the hope going a bit longer. but on the other hand, many people are blaming a certain characer's death indirectly on the birth of Ben.

 

I have to agree, Vergere. It seems as if that certain character was eliminated purely because of Ben; it doesn't make sense otherwise.

 

i'm not saying that the character was eliminated specifically because of Ben, but I am saying that it could have been a consequence when the birth of the child had been moved up in the overall timeline.

let's not forget the shock factor

 

Or an interesting literary device called caring for those characters who pass away. Insignificant or otherwise undeveloped characters' death matter little to the reader.

 

i don't understand what you're saying...care to elaborate please?

 

Me? Well, Vergere <g>, I'm saying basically the same thing you are (shock), except a different way. Although this is not thread for it, I'm simply trying to point out that a developed character's death means much more to a reader than some random pilot dying, like in the movies.

 

oh.

lol i think i read too much into that...

 

=)

You're getting veeeeeeerrrryyyyyy sleeeeeepyyyyyyyyy...

 

Oh, well, Force forbid there should be TWO Wonder Children running around the galaxy! With pwecious widdle Ben, there's no point in having ANYONE else around. He'll defeat the Vong and end the war well before he's toilet trained, no doubt, that's the way the EU works...

For a woman over 40 with a mysterious, terminal illness to safely give birth to a healthy child and have her disease MYSTERIOUSLY go into remission is so utterly ridiculous that it is an insult to my intelligence as a reader. If they were so bent on killing off a major character, Mara Sue would have been the most logical candidate, according to the story arc. But I guess they didn't want to upset the fanboys...

(I remember when Star Wars was science fiction, not a bad soap opera...) Oh, well.

On the plus side, I've saved a lot of money by not bothering to buy the books. And I now have a list of authors whose other books I won't have to bother reading if I run across them. Thank you, Dell Rey!


I'm sorry if I sound bitter, but the NJO has utterly ruined the entire franchise for me. As far as I'm concerned, the Vong can wipe out Luke, the entire Jedi Order, indeed, the entire galaxy, and I really won't give a darn...

 

What about legal issues? I know Stackpole makes a huge deal about NOT listening to input from the fans because his lawyer told him not to. Now that might mean fan fics and the like, but why should the boards be any different. I don't think I could ask an author to do something with a character. I would never tell Stackpole what he should do with Corran with regards to, say, what happened in the end of "Ruin".

 

So its the people on this board's fault that Ben was created? Grrrrrrrrrrr.

 

I doubt it's our fault that Ben Skywalker was created. The idea of Luke having offspring seemed natural, and I'm sure that was one of the things planned when the planning for the NJO took place. The name however does appear to be the doing of the fans.

 

In the DT duology, COrran turned his saber off mid fight. I did that in a RP before him. I know he wouldnt have seen, but its nice to know someone else thought it was a good idea

The problem is, most peoples opinions are all themselves. Jimmy shouldnt die because hes my favourite. Mara should die because she sucks. If youre going to kill someone, let us care

 

Ofcourse some of the authors listen to fans but just to get ideas.
And sometime they hear somthing that makes sens for theyre plot or will make it better. But these things are minor things that dont have an inpact on the whole book or all of the NJO
But as a brainstorm about ideas before starting a book or while you are stuck these boards are perfect.

And i love the NJO They have brought a new dimensjon to SW and gives us a little more action.