The Freedom of Choice
Many writers may start to get a little frustrated when I start to talk about their writing in business terms. Why? Writing is such a personal practice, a calling even. Business is just business. People trying to make a money or support a cause (nonprofits). If it helps you to think of your writing in the nonprofit sense, please do so, but this post should still apply to you!
I talked last week about differentiation, or more broadly, strategy. Let me define strategy: "Strategy defines how an organization (or individual...i.e. writers) intends to create value for its shareholders, customers, and citizens" (as defined by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton in Strategy Maps, 2004). Another view from Michael Porter (popular business strategist) would be that: organizations should position themselves in a way that creates a competitive advantage.
Strategy for the writer is (as defined by me, J Sherer): "How a writer intends to add value to his/her publishers, readers, and society." The way in which the writer adds value (and the degree to which value is added) creates a competitive advantage for that writer.
For the writer, then, strategy is about making a set of decisions that add value for publishers, readers, and society. The writer has the freedom to make these choices, and in that freedom of choice and decision-making, the writer develops a strategy.
Writing Strategies
Let's take a look at some famous writers and their strategic approach to writing:
J.R.R. Tolkien: To create a fanciful world, write with vivid, unfettered creativity to mold a story that unfolds with epic purpose.
Michael Crichton: To utilize research and science to present action-oriented stories with a real base for believability.
Stephen King: To frighten the mass market by writing easy-to-read horror stories that play on common fears.
I could go on, but I think that should suffice for now. Notice all the decisions that were made by the writer just to get that one sentence completed. If we start to unpack those statements we see where the writer is adding value. Let's take Michael Crichton, for example. He writes for the mass market, so in that sense he has to choose a form of expression for his writing. To a certain extent it asks for a literate, intelligent reader that wants more than just pure action. The reader wants something tangible and well thought out to go along with the action. Otherwise, to that reader, it's not believable. What decisions is he making? Decisions that pertain to storytelling (bringing in research and science), plot (believable, but far-fetched), a character set (smart, scientific people), and even his voice (which sometimes sounds a little like a prose textbook).
That is how Michael Critchon adds value to his publishers, his readers, and society.
Hopefully, you're beginning to get excited about this strategy thing. If not, I'll just sit back and enjoy my own analysis, because I think it's fun. But, what are some writers that you've read that you would like to analyze? Toss them into the comments and let's talk about them.
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3 comments:
As usual, very insightful, and right on. I think some people forget that writing can be a calling, that it's more than just slapping some words down on a page. You're right, there's stratgey involved, audiences to consider, passions to infuse... I could go on.
I just finished reading A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (author of The Kite Runner...great book and great movie by the way). His books are so well-written, but it's much more than a nice story. He weaves in the history of Afghanistan to not only tell a story, but to educate and, as you mentioned, add value. As a reader, I walk away feeling more knowlegable and compassionate about the world around me (not to mention incredibly grateful for the life I've been privileged to live).
Quick story - Not too long ago someone said to me, "anyone can write a press release." They had no idea that in essence, they just told me that my job, what I did, was something anyone could do. My words weren't any better than the next persons. That person did not understand the thought and planning that goes into each word in a release.
Without a doubt, whether it's writing a book, a press release, or even an email, there's thought and strategy that go into every paragraph. Otherwise, why would anyone care to read?
"Everyone can write." Yep. Everybody can. Everyone has the physical ability to construct words, sentences, paragraphs, and passages resulting in a story (news release, novel, TV show, etc.).
But, your point is exactly right. There's a strategy that goes into every word choice, the sentence structure, and even the paragraph and passage breaks.
Which brings up a good point. Not every writer is setup to write the same story another writer put down on paper. Can you imagine Tolkien trying to write Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code? First of all I'm positive he wouldn't have offended Christians across the world, but really...Dan Brown's book is a page turner. A thrill ride. Tolkien would have spent a chapter describing each monastery.
Now, switch it up. Have Dan Brown write The Lord of the Rings trilogy...Let's face it, Sauron would probably win!
Everyone can write, but nobody can write what someone else wrote. It will be different-sometimes better, sometimes worse, but definitely different.
And a lot of writers never think they need an editor! ;-) How can you add value when no one can even make sense of your gibberish?! Hahahahahaha.
You know, even older writers created strong brand identities, perhaps before anyone really knew what that was exactly. I've always liked Edgar Allan Poe's writing, not necessarily because it is garish, but because his style was so unique for the Romantic Movement of the 19th century. He portrayed universal fears and created archetypal characters that capture the reader's imagination, even if in a morbid way.
He was one of the earliest American short-story writers and basically invented the detective-fiction genre. That's differentiation!
And further, he knew to write for the masses. His Gothic or dark romantic tales and satires were what sold and so there's where he focused.
So I think he's a very early example of a writer with a business strategy or at least a brand. Unfortunately, his didn't pay off until after his death. He struggled financially his whole life. He died alone, very poor, and most likely drunk after wandering the streets of Baltimore. Hence the reason why many writers still today make their living elsewhere. :-)
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