Hey Everyone,
Just wanted to make a quick comment on some responses to my new Child of Light book and the beginning of a short series on the Fae of Viridian Deep. Believe it or not, I do read your comments and take note of what you have to say about my work. So, I take regular looks at what people are saying and give thought to whether or not I should respond and what I might say that would make sense.
So, lately, there have been a renewed spate of compliments on the new book, and there is a sequel coming out in October. I did note something of importance I think I need to address though. A few readers were a bit disturbed by the fact that Child of Light read for them more as a Young Adult novel. Was this what I intended to write? Is this the new direction I was going?
I would take you all the way back to The Sword of Shannara in 1977 and point out that I was writing very much the same book back then with Shea and Flick and all the other characters. I say that because to my way of thinking I pretty much write the same kind of book all the time. Yes, these days I sometimes write in the first person. And sometimes in the present tense. And the time frames vary, too.
But my standing mantra for a successful fantasy book is that the story and the writing are intended for all readers of all ages. I don’t write to adults or young people. I don’t write to men or women, boys or girls, old or young. There are no barriers intended. My goal is to write for everyone all the time. After all, what other genre is so immediately accessible to readers than the one I write in? Fantasy is meant for everyone. Why should I write anything that doesn’t meet these criteria when these are the sorts of books that I grew up reading and most thoroughly shaped my entire reading and writing life?
Am I always successful with this effort? Probably not. Some books appeal to my audiences more than others. Some trigger different responses for different readers. As they should. But I never write for a particular audience or type of reader. I do the best I can for everyone and that’s how I want those who pick up one of my books to react. These are adventure stories set in a fantasy realm. But I argue that if you think you don’t like fantasy, you might want to take a look anyway. I cannot tell you how many readers have told me they thought they wouldn’t like my work but ended up doing so anyway.
Isn’t this what every writer wants? Or at least every writer of genre fiction? I like to think so. No discrimination, no boundaries, no prohibitions. Just give me a good read.
I try. I want you to feel welcome, I want you to be satisfied.
Good reading for you all, Terry
