Bringing new readers up to speed is a new experience for me. With each installment of Greystone released there is more backstory to fill in along the way and the method of doing so can be tricky. There is a thin line between over explanation and revealing necessary details from previous books.
Previously…
I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit lately. I received an e-mail from a reader who started with The Medusa Coin without having any previous knowledge of the series. Which should be allowed always when writing a series. There is no written law that states every story has to be read from the beginning.
And while it would definitely help, each book has to stand on its own to give new readers a satisfying experience.
Balance is the key…
Yeah, I take Mentor’s lessons to heart as much as Soriya does. When putting together The Medusa Coin certain details were necessary to carry over from the previous books. A lot of it, though, was left up to the reader to discover. How much is fair in that regard though?
Should everything be explained in great detail or is the goal to intrigue the reader to pick up the earlier installments?
New Readers Syndrome
Comic books suffer from this consistently. The edict “Every book is someone’s first” is crucial in this regard but catering to new readers only causes the narrative to suffer for those who have been around since the start of the journey.
Who gets preferential treatment? How much is acceptable?
Notice the lack of answers, so far?
That’s because there is no right answer to this or pretty much anything when it comes to writing. There are guidelines or words of wisdom from the greats in every genre, but typically the narrative dictates all.
The Medusa Coin refers heavily to Signs of Portents. Characters changed because of previous events and reminding the reader of them is crucial to seeing where each player goes from that point. Is it fair to new readers? Probably not. But at the same time slowing down the current story to explain one easily sought out and read on its own isn’t the solution.
What is the solution?
Awareness. Since I received that e-mail – and I am grateful for the reader’s honesty in this regard – I’ve taken great strides to make sure there is enough reference within the current book for all that has come before.
Going back to the comic book side for a moment, Marvel decided to solve “New Readers Syndrome” by including a recap page in each and every issue, describing relevant details from the previous issue/arc to bring the reader up to speed.
I’ve debated doing the same thing. Maybe not in the book proper but here on the site. But again, five years from now someone might find this site and discover Signs of Portents. Do I really want to ruin it for them by spelling out the narrative for other readers who have an interest in reading The Medusa Coin first?
Like I said, no real answers here yet.
For now, I’m gauging reader feedback while keeping an eye on the books ahead. The goal, as it always should be, is to make each book a rip roaring good time for new and returning readers alike.
I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this.
Thanks for reading.
