Balancing originality and reader expectations in fiction

Wouldn't it be nice if we could all be great, artistic writers that instantly connect with our readership? I mean, that's the dream. Having the people our work is meant for find it and love it for what it is.

One of the hardest lessons I learned as an early writer is that I wasn't anything special. I know, I know, that sounds diminutive. And in a way, it is. I had the hope that a lot of new writers do: that the first thing I wrote would be a huge hit with a major audience and I would be able to drop everything and write for the rest of my life.

Spoiler alert: that didn't happen.

But I consider myself a stronger writer for it, because what it taught me was to learn about the readers. To read my own books from the perspective of the audience it was meant for, rather than just what I wanted it to be.

Most importantly, I learned why it mattered what other people thought.

So, here's my learned lesson on balancing originality with reader expectations in the hopes that maybe you can avoid the pitfalls I fell into.

Understanding Reader Expectations

Whenever a reader picks up a book, they already have an idea of what that book is going to give them. This comes from multiple places: the back cover copy, the marketing, the shelf it's on in the bookstore. All these things are giving information to the reader. So it's important that we get it right.

Understanding what those expectations are is key to building trust with our audience. If I promise that my book is going to leave you laughing, then it better be funny. And of course, reading is subjective and therefore not everyone may find the same things funny that I do, but that's the idea.

Romance is a really great example of why this matters. As one of the highest grossing genres in literature, it's loved because it is consistent. A reader can pick up any romance book on the shelf and know that it will end with the couple's happily ever after. There are certain story beats and elements that need to happen in order for a reader to be satisfied by the time they close the book.

It is predictable, and that's exactly why people love it.

If I market my book as a romance, but it doesn't have a third act "breakup" and they don't end up together in the end, I've severely missed the mark for the reader. Ultimately, that may lead to them never picking up another book of mine, because I lost their trust.

Each genre comes with its own ingrained expectations. It's important that, as authors, we know what we need to deliver when we say our book offers something.

Balancing Expectations with Originality

So, how do we do that? Through a few various avenues.

Knowing Your Target Audience

Understanding the readership we're appealing to is step one. Making promises to teenagers looks very different than the promises we make to a more mature audience. There are certain themes and concepts that you should not find in a YA book that can be found in Adult books. In this way, we can adjust our methods of storytelling to satisfy that audience without sacrificing on originality.

Using Familiarity as a Foundation

Tropes are a comfort zone. Some people love them - because it tells them exactly what to expect - and some people find them as spoilers, but everyone can agree that listing a trope is another kind of promise.

But that's just one example. In most types of literature, there are specific structures that different types of stories tend to follow. By following the story beats and arcs, we build another layer of trust. These structures are a comfort to the reader because they can anticipate what's coming.

Even within these foundations, we can find ways to add unique elements by flipping tropes or gender bending or adding in new characters/settings to well-known stories or telling a story from a tertiary character's perspective.

Staying True to Your Voice

Voice is one of the hardest elements to explain but one of the easiest things to spot when reading. It's the thing that makes our writing sound like us, even across releases. Learning how we write is one of the best ways to incorporate that originality without overstepping expectations. It's also an easy way to stand out in an oversaturated market.

That doesn't mean we need to create an entirely new persona, it just means finding a style that is authentic and believable for the audience we're writing for.

Experimenting Within Boundaries

Now, all of this doesn't mean that we have to be cookie cutter authors. We all have our own unique styles. But it does mean that we get to be creative with how we get that across.

One of the best ways to test out these elements is through beta readers. Early readers are often a great gauge to see if the elements we're trying to include are coming across in the ways that we want them to. And it can be hard to hear sometimes if it's not, but that just means there's an opportunity to learn and grow.

Usually, it just means that we need to find a different path to share the same feelings or information. For me, it meant learning how to make readers feel what the characters were feeling rather than telling them what was happening. Same idea, different execution.

Conclusion

Reader expectations matter because ultimately, they're the ones who read the books, they're the ones who make the ratings, they're the ones who will decide to pay for our work, or not. And while it's also important to remember that we write for ourselves first, that's not the only thing we need to consider if we want to make writing a career.

Yes, there are tons of stories of manuscripts being turned down by big publishing houses only to find a huge readership elsewhere, but those wonderful experiences are a very small portion of publishing realities.

Writing is a continuous learning process, and aren't we so lucky to be a profession that gives us endless opportuinities to grow?

Happy writing,

Erin