“What readers want” — this is the holy grail of authors in every genre. We try to write for ourselves, but how rewarding would it be if we could also please our readers?
The trouble is, I cannot get your feedback halfway through. Books aren’t interactive. Once they reach the readers, they have already been written.
Let me show you what I’m talking about.
I hate the idea of a “feisty” woman. Is there a more condescending word? It’s a word spoken by a man who looks proudly on “his” woman, chest swelling because he has “tamed” her.
Nuh-uh! That’s how you talk about dogs or ferrets. NOT to human beings.
I’ve always written about strong women that do not need men to save them. I’m not the only writer to care about this issue. And above everything, isn’t fiction supposed to be aspirational? But I have noticed that promoting stronger heroines has resulted in even stronger men.
Maybe there is something about the female psyche that craves a firm hand. And time after time, our stone-age, basic need for protection overrules our rational thoughts.
No surprise, then, that my greatest worry before releasing BOUND was that Florian, its hero, is not your typical alpha-type personality, while the focus of his crush is. Flo has his moments, sure, but he’s also very, very sweet.
Heroes like that don’t seem to find much acceptance. Or do they?
I’m glad to say, reviews both public and private prove that making Flo the star of the book worked. But my decision has also become the subject of some discussion. Of course I welcome any such debate, because all opinions on this matter are valuable.
What this doesn’t tell me is which of the two my readers prefer. Does it depend on the plot? Well, as I mentioned, that particular answer would require a story that is already written.
What would be great would be knowing what readers are looking for before I commit to a story.
Until then, I will continue casting all types in my books. Heroes that are strong and selfish, heroes that are kind yet possess a ruthless intelligence, heroes that plan daring rescues and heroes that execute those plans.
Because without a crystal ball, I can only hope that what tickles me will hold my readers’ interest as well.
This is exactly the angle I’ll be pursuing in my upcoming novelette, free and exclusive to my newsletter subscribers (sign up on this page, top right).
As a reminder, TRICKED should be ready in July/August. If you’ve wondered how Jocinda and Graeme got started, this story is for you.
What do you think? Are alpha males a must?
