This blog was stimulated by a reader review on one of my
books. A three star review, which is like damning with faint praise. Most of the
reviews on this book are five star, with a few fours thrown in. People like it.
Reader reviews are an interesting part of being a writer.
You can learn a lot from them. You also have to remember that it's impossible
to make everyone happy, no matter what you do. This particular reader dinged me
because she didn't like and/or understand my style of writing.
Style is a subjective thing. You like Picasso or you don't
You like ZZ Top or you don't (I like both). The reader seemed to think I didn't
understand how to use commas (I do) and said most of my sentences were 5 or 6
words long (they aren't) and that Robert Ludlum could write twice as many pages
to tell the same story (he could). Ludlum is also dead.
My style is consciously direct, clipped, fast moving. I
could write sentences that went on and on if I wanted to, with plenty of
commas. My English background is unusual. I know what I'm doing, even though I
do make mistakes. I break rules on purpose. I don't follow the Chicago Manual
of Style. My style would make most editors completely crazy, but it is correct.
Think of writers who
break the rules: Hemingway, Thomas Wolfe, Steinbeck, Lee Child. Raymond
Chandler comes to mind. William Shakespeare. In fact, pretty much every good
writer you ever heard of.
This reader was disturbed because the sentences were too
short for her liking. She probably wouldn't like Lee Child either. He sometimes
writes sentences of two or three words. What do you think I should take away
from a review like this? Should I be worried that my sentences are too short?
Should I feel upset and inadequate, a failure when held up against Robert Ludlum?
Right, mate, no way.
Some reviewers love to make unflattering comparisons to
other authors. I have reviews that compare me favorably to James Rollins. I
have a review that says Rollins is a much better writer. I don't copy Rollins
or anyone else. My style is mine and not anyone else's. I don't think I'm as
good or better or worse than James Rollins and other successful writers. I try
and learn from them. I am what I am, as Popeye said.
I had one reviewer give me 2 stars without reading the book.
That's a lousy review. She said she read the description, though, and didn't
like it. I mean, SHE DIDN'T READ THE BOOK! All of which means you need to take
reviews with several grains of salt. Believe in yourself: that's what counts.
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