Okay, maybe that was a bit over the top. However, as a former
English teacher trained in avoiding such writing faux pas, I wonder if I notice
them more than the average reader. For instance, when I pick up a novel with a
ton of repeated words, cliches, or adjectives, I stop reading it and likely refrain
from reading other books by the same author. Perhaps that’s unfair, but with so
many excellent books and a limited time to read them, I can’t justify spending it
on poorly written ones that I truly don’t enjoy. I find myself getting annoyed,
often ruminating aloud, “How many times is she going to swallow or bite her
tongue? No, his eyes didn’t flash. That’s not even possible!” I believe you get
the idea.
Yet, when I look at many of the best sellers and
award-winning novels on the market today, I can’t help but notice how often
these devices are used. It appears that a vast majority of readers don’t care about
such things; and the writers (and publishers) are raking in big bucks to the
tune of millions. According to several sources, James Patterson and John
Grisham are worth over 800 and 400 million dollars, respectively. They are
among the top-selling authors today, but they are certainly not alone. Many
others are earning close to or as much and with worse writing, in my opinion.
So, what gives?
Now, I’m not asserting that either Patterson or Grisham are
terrible writers whose works don’t deserve to be in print, although I’ll admit
I’ve seen many whose publication successes are quite mystifying to me. I have read
several books by Patterson and Grisham, including some of their young adult
novels, and I enjoyed them. Truth be told, they manage exciting plot lines, interesting
stories, and compelling characters even with all the cliches and what I’d call
average writing. In fact, it makes me wonder if I’m overly concerned with such
things in my own writing, when it appears that most readers in our current
society don’t seem to care about or perhaps even prefer such writing.
Of course, I know there’s always been a difference between
good literature, like the kind we read in high school and college, and what is
often called junk or pulp fiction. You know the kind - those steamy romances, swashbuckling
adventure, or detective mysteries essentially telling the same story over and
over except with different characters and settings. We know they’re not winning
any Pulitzers, but we love reading them anyway. However, there appears to be so
much more of the latter being published and purchased today.
So, I’m asking you, as writers, how much do you worry about such
things? Do you think readers today care more about the story than the writing
itself, perhaps even preferring that style of writing over the more polished,
literary kind? Essentially, I’m asking if you think “good writing” has been
replaced. What else could explain the enormous profits made by those publishing
works without it? I’d love to hear your responses.
