Monica Valentinelli: Author, Game Designer and Consultant

Posted on May 5, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli

The Other Side of Author’s Intent: The Writer’s World

In college, it wasn’t unusual to get involved in discussions about how important “author’s intent” was to a work. My “fondest” memory was of a professor who was convinced that it didn’t matter that Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein on a dare; what mattered is that she was supposedly influenced by obstetrics manuals of the period.

Needless to say, I was pretty vocal in that class.

Now, years later I can see the other side to the argument about writer’s intent and that is, that the world the author lives in can shape a writer’s work as well. This can also determine how a reader responds to the work as well—especially those who heavily influenced by propaganda, reviews or “official” opinions.

Conscientious writers who understand both the business side of writers and the creative process typically have a singular intent and that is—to sell books. I’ll often read comments or hear other experienced writers say, “Well, duh! Monica, of course they want to sell books!” I may sound like I’m beating a tired drum, but consumers, reporters, fans, and those who romanticize what writing is all about really don’t. Grand Theft Auto, for example, typically draws a lot of controversy but here’s the thing about that: Don’t you think that the intent of that game is to create a buzz to sell more product?

Sometimes writers do have an intent that differs from selling books or entertaining their readers; you’ll often hear of people who want to “tell their life-changing story” or “have something to say.” In this case, there are two schools: intentional and subtle. Intentional stories are fairly transparent and easy to spot, which is perfect for readers drawn to that kind of style. Subtle intents are harder to spot and, as a result, often satisfy the writer but not necessarily the reader. C.S. Lewis was a Christian theologian who wrote children’s fantasy stories; modern-day author Jim Butcher recently penned a “Fury-crafting” fantasy series supposedly inspired by a writing workshop exercise that pitted Pokemon against the Roman Empire.

Uneducated readers may often jump to conclusions about the nature of a work without ever opening the cover. In today’s vocal age where everyone has an opinion, you might hear strong, passionate statements. “Since you write so much about demons and vampires – you must obviously believe in them!” Or increasingly more common these days: “If you play games that must mean you can’t deal with reality.”

While a writer may have very little control over what a reader thinks – the marketing of your work certainly can have an affect. I do believe that there are things writers can do on a more generic level to keep the work more objective, which is something more experienced writers tend to do.

In my next post, I’m going to talk more about how the information you have access to and how your personal beliefs can shape your writing.

Related posts:

1. Wannabe Writer vs Professional Author
2. Why this Author will never “Tell”
3. Want to Change the World? Well, Maybe you Can!
4. Follow Up from OddCon: Writing Panels and Author George RR Martin
5. Writer’s Block? Maybe it’s “Writer’s Avoidance” Behavior