Norman Mailer, who died this week, aimed to write the Great American Novel. When I’m 
writing, nothing could be further from my mind. I want to write a book that can be enjoyed on a beach chair or airplane seat. A major thrill comes when people say they read my Dot Dead: A Silicon Valley Mystery at one sitting because they couldn’t put it down. One friend sent me an email whose subject line was “Damn You.” Apparently, she’d started reading the book just before bedtime and stayed up till three or four in the morning to finish it. The result was a bad day at work. Forgive me, but I loved it.
Of course, a second reason to put my ass in a chair and rap away at the keys is the cash. Despite the psychic satisfactions mentioned above, this author gig – well, it’s a business. As Dr. Johnson said, "No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money."
Have you read about the Jessica Seinfeld’s new cookbook, Deceptively Delicious? She explains how to slip vegetables into kids’ meals without them noticing. You know, some puréed cauliflower in the mac and cheese or sweet potatoes in the pancakes. Well, I try to sneak some good-for-you “vegetables” in what I write, too.
When Dot Dead starts, the hero is obsessed by making tens of millions from those stock options he's been granted by the start-up where he works. After all, who are the avatars of Silicon Valley if not the billionaire entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs or Larry Ellison? In the course of the narrative, I try to “slip in” the notion that pursuing justice, belonging to a community, and establishing a loving relationship just might also be goals worth striving for. Now, I explained all this to one bright friend and she said, “I loved the book, but I didn’t notice.” Perfect! She probably wouldn’t notice zucchini in her oatmeal either.
What subversive messages do you put in your books or do you notice other writers putting in theirs?
writing, nothing could be further from my mind. I want to write a book that can be enjoyed on a beach chair or airplane seat. A major thrill comes when people say they read my Dot Dead: A Silicon Valley Mystery at one sitting because they couldn’t put it down. One friend sent me an email whose subject line was “Damn You.” Apparently, she’d started reading the book just before bedtime and stayed up till three or four in the morning to finish it. The result was a bad day at work. Forgive me, but I loved it.Of course, a second reason to put my ass in a chair and rap away at the keys is the cash. Despite the psychic satisfactions mentioned above, this author gig – well, it’s a business. As Dr. Johnson said, "No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money."
Have you read about the Jessica Seinfeld’s new cookbook, Deceptively Delicious? She explains how to slip vegetables into kids’ meals without them noticing. You know, some puréed cauliflower in the mac and cheese or sweet potatoes in the pancakes. Well, I try to sneak some good-for-you “vegetables” in what I write, too.When Dot Dead starts, the hero is obsessed by making tens of millions from those stock options he's been granted by the start-up where he works. After all, who are the avatars of Silicon Valley if not the billionaire entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs or Larry Ellison? In the course of the narrative, I try to “slip in” the notion that pursuing justice, belonging to a community, and establishing a loving relationship just might also be goals worth striving for. Now, I explained all this to one bright friend and she said, “I loved the book, but I didn’t notice.” Perfect! She probably wouldn’t notice zucchini in her oatmeal either.
What subversive messages do you put in your books or do you notice other writers putting in theirs?
9 comments:
Like we haven't been slipping vegetables into our kids' food for years? Oh,come on...
Great post, Keith. Yes, I've slipped a few things in THE BLACK WIDOW AGENCY - empowering women, the Sisterhood, that hot flashes really can work to one's advantage, and most importantly... that when the chips are down, they'd better be chocolate!
Oh man, I used to have a cookie recipe called "Wheels of Steel" that sneaked in all kinds of protein/vitamin extras . . .
Interesting post, Keith.
Sure, I've got issue "supplements" in my wacky DARCY CAVANAUGH MSYTERIES: a strong, likeable lesbian pal, a heroine dealing with her grandmother's Alheimers, the dangerous effects of a national nursing shortage . . .
But most of my readers just tell me that they laughed themselves silly!
I've always like books and movies that worked on different levels. On the surface you've got the action to keep you interested, but underneath there are all kinds of subversive clues. Why does my character walk through so many doors? Why does he dream about fish? It's the layers that make me re-read or re-watch a movie.
I blogged about something similar today. Part of what I said was:
The simple answer is to be entertained. Anything else is probably a bonus. There's a wonderful exchange in Dick Francis' novel "Straight" between the main character, a beginning adventure novelist, and the grand dame of British literature, where she demands to know why he writes. He says "to entertain. How about you?" To which she responds, with a stuffy British sniff it is suggested, "To enlighten."
I'm not nearly that much of an egomaniac. Keeping readers entertained for 350+ pages is enough. Anything else they take out of it is the cherry on top. That isn't to say that I don't want to put in as much "stuff" as I can within the framework of the story I'm telling. But lengthy digressions about the meaning of life don't have much place in a fast-paced thriller.
Of course, the story is the most important part of the book, but, like a good hair cut, without the layers, it would be flat. As most folks know, my main character is middle-aged and plus sized, but I don't write to give fat girls a voice. I strive to show how all folks are worthwhile and everybody is a somebody, especially those not deemed acceptable by Hollywood and Madison Avenue.
And yes, Felicia, hot flashes CAN work to one's advantage. :)
Keith--I agree with you and everyone else whose first objective is entertainment. In my case, with the Whiskey Mattimoe mysteries, entertainment is defined as "laughter plus suspense." But the equation works only if I've created characters that readers find compelling.
My greatest joy (aside from selling the books; thank you, Dr. Johnson!) occurs when someone points out that my stories have heart. A recurrent theme, if I may use such a lofty term, is that we're not in this alone. It takes a village (literally, Magnet Springs) to find a killer, mend a broken heart, train a rogue Afghan hound....
BTW, Keith, I had the great pleasure of meeting Mr. Mailer in 2004. What an erudite man. He did mellow a little over the years. A little. Enough at any rate to make peace with himself and listen calmly to others. Thankfully, we will always have his books.
Oh sure, Sue Ann--use a haircut as a metaphor!
Nina, wherever did you meet Mr. Mailer?
Keith, I met Mr. Mailer in St. Petersburg, FL, when I lived there. All roads lead to St. Pete....
Actually, he came in to give the key note address at a writers' conference and was extremely generous with his time away from the podium.
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