Lois McMaster Bujold
I'm very glad you find my work heartening, but I do have to say I didn't start out to represent anything but the characters themselves. All sorts of characters, in all sorts of situations (that interest me, a necessary caveat), revealing themselves and their stories to me as I write them.
I do think that readers generally pick out and respond to aspects of any tale that resonate with them, regardless of how complex the tale may be. The obvious negative form of this is triggering, or special individual allergies to whatever story element it may be; the less obvious positive form is loving a work for particular elements it presents despite what else it contains. I compare this with how one person's hearing may be especially sensitive or muted in some specific range of frequencies.
Reading a wide range of reviews of the same work gives insight into this effect. All reading the same words, responses wildly varied; therefore, what's happening can't be in the words themselves, but in that other half of the text-reader partnership. (The half the writer can't control, I note.)
Ta, L.
I'm very glad you find my work heartening, but I do have to say I didn't start out to represent anything but the characters themselves. All sorts of characters, in all sorts of situations (that interest me, a necessary caveat), revealing themselves and their stories to me as I write them.
I do think that readers generally pick out and respond to aspects of any tale that resonate with them, regardless of how complex the tale may be. The obvious negative form of this is triggering, or special individual allergies to whatever story element it may be; the less obvious positive form is loving a work for particular elements it presents despite what else it contains. I compare this with how one person's hearing may be especially sensitive or muted in some specific range of frequencies.
Reading a wide range of reviews of the same work gives insight into this effect. All reading the same words, responses wildly varied; therefore, what's happening can't be in the words themselves, but in that other half of the text-reader partnership. (The half the writer can't control, I note.)
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
Wicket
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Hey, I was wondering if there are any future plans to release your Penric novellas in the UK, either individually or together in a volume? I really enjoyed the three Chalion novels and would love to read the novellas - it's just that I can't get along with reading from a screen: I'm old-fashioned and need a paper book! Thanks and apologies if you have already answered this question here somewhere.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more