What are your thoughts?
I've been reading Anne McCaffrey's Dragon Riders of Pern series and this is the second series in the last couple of months that I've read where the author has no qualms about head-hopping. (using more than one POV without giving warning that the point of view is about to change). The other series was Frank Herbert's Dune. I came to the conclusion that if it was so common in times past, why are instructors drilling us authors to not head hop now? New writers are cautioned to only use one point of view per chapter and never to change?
And I thought, wow!
Anne McCaffrey head hops. Continually. Her writing is pretty amazing, and understanding where every character is coming from by exploring their thoughts while they're all in the same room at the same time makes me slow down and think. I'm actually reading the story, not just skimming it. I'm getting into everyone's head and I can visualize the tension.
Frank Herbert's head hopping is unique. Reading the character's thoughts and words and whisperings of what to say and what not to say is like watching a tennis match or high stake chess game.
In a sense, to read their writing is work. Literally. Anytime you use your muscles more than what they're accustomed to is work. And the brain is a muscle. So reading a story that is complicated is work.
So are we supposed to make things easy for our readers? So they don't have to work?
Are we spending so much time "dumbing down" our writing to fit the general public that we are lowering the bar? That we aren't challenging readers to stretch a little out of their comfort zone?
How often have I heard people tell me not to use a certain word because readers might not know what it means?
What? How will they ever learn what that word means if they never see the word? Anne McCaffrey uses an extensive vocabulary. A lot of words I've never seen before. It doesn't stop me from enjoying the story. In fact, it pulls me in. It makes me want to read more. I don't stop to look the words up, though I could. Maybe I should. Instead, I let those strange combinations of letters grow on me and by reading the context I begin to understand them.
So are modern-day writers lowering the standard and actually doing harm to the intelligence of the human race? It seems like a crude suggestion, but in my conversation with a friend, Jason Harris, he put it eloquently.
"If you read a letter written by a young, confederate soldier to his wife during the civil war, and compare the language and vernacular to today - you can see that the decline started a long time ago.
In the early 1900's, Latin was a core study.
In the 1960's, The Lord of the Rings was reading (material) for as young as 10 years old.
The decline has been notable and increasing in tempo.
We are absolutely dumbing things down, and lowering the bar."
Something to think about.
My Kickstarter is still going on. Ian's Realm is 10 years old this year. Come help me celebrate! So many cool rewards and this LE edition won't ever be sold anywhere else ever again!
Ian's Realm Magic Portal 10th Anniversary
