Source: KELLEPICS on Pixabay, edited with GIMP
Hello friends of The Ink Well.
This installment of writing tips is about author intrusion, which is an issue that often crops up in fiction by emerging authors. Author intrusion is when the reader can sense the presence of the author while reading the story. For example, this can appear in the form of facts and information that the character shouldn’t know, or dialog that is out-of-character, or scene descriptions that do not match the sophistication level of the character.
How does this happen?
There are a few ways author intrusion appears in stories. For example:
- The author shares his or her own knowledge or research. This is jarring to read because the information may not seem like something the character would know.
Example: the story is told from the perspective of a child, and suddenly the story delivers post-graduate academic knowledge or scientific facts. - The story veers from the plot, characters and story progression into a description of morals, religious doctrine, or political beliefs.
Example: In the middle of the story there is a reference to a bible passage or a lesson the author wants the reader to take away from the story. - Details or opinions suddenly appear that don’t support the story, such as a metaphor that doesn’t make sense from the perspective of the character.
Example: The story takes place in the 1800’s and we read that a machine makes a sound like a jet plane.
In all of these instances, it may be an oversight, or it could be that the author just couldn’t help taking part in the story, forgetting that first and foremost we readers are curious about the character’s experiences and views of the world.
Avoiding Author Intrusion
To avoid author intrusion, you must get inside the head of your character and prevent unrelated thoughts, insights or interjections.
Tips:
- Think about what a character “knows.” Delivering information or opinions that do not fall into the character’s realm of knowledge is distracting. It takes us (your readers) out of the internal world of the story.
- Think like an actor. It is a little bit like the work an actor must do to “become” a character. To be convincing as that person, the actor must completely personify the character. All details, from accent to costume, hairstyle and topics of conversation must be completely aligned with that character for viewers to set aside judgement, and become captivated by the story.
The goal should always be to involve the reader as much as possible. The reader should immerse in your story. This cannot happen if the author is present within the story, providing external information.
For more information, see the resources below. Note that if done with intent, author intrusion can also be an effective literary device, as described in the third reference. So remember: The rules of fiction can be broken, if you can do it effectively.
Resources:
- Writers Write: What Is Author Intrusion?
- The Editor’s Blog: Weed Out Author Intrusions
- Literary Devices: Authorial Intrusion
Happy writing!
@jayna, writer and moderator at The Ink Well.
If you're looking to up your fiction game and reach that next level, check out my past writing tips linked below.
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I think, in order to break a rule effectively the writer first has to know the rule. And then, the rule must be broken deliberately, and consciously. Readers and critics may object, but if it's deliberate and conscious, then it's part of the craft. Literature, the art of writing, has moved forward and continues to move forward because of rule breakers. These writers were quite deliberate about transgressing barriers. Most of us probably don't have that skill, but in small ways, I think we can still claim the liberty, as you suggest in bullet point #3, Literary devices: authorial intrusion.
Another wonderful and instructive, Writing Tip.
Thank you for the great comment, @agmoore. I agree completely. I think author intrusion is typically an error, or a lack of understanding of the mechanics of fiction. I read once that Picasso was first a very accomplished artist in the classic sense - able to perfectly render the human form, and whatever he saw in the world - and that he chose to create a new genre of art once he had mastery. As you said, making that choice should be conscious and deliberate once one has mastered the mechanics.
Spot on about Picasso @jayna - he was a very accomplished draftsman with a huge range of techniques at his dispoal to create the effect (on the viewer) that he wanted.
I guess that one of the things we are trying to do in The Ink Well is help writers also have a huge "palette" of writing techniques to choose from to create the effect they want on the reader. (I'm sure that last sentence could be less clumsy)!
Yes, you encapsulated that well, @shanibeer - that we want writers to have that full breadth of tools and knowledge so they can use them to their best advantage, or to consciously to set them aside if needed for artistic reasons.
🌷Thank you!
Thank you very much for these tips, they are very good as well as useful and will help me improve daily and personally.
I'm so glad you find them helpful, @mayifiestas!
Great-great publication!
That's why it's so important to create the characters. Knowing everything about them. Their physical characteristics, their social relationships, their purpose in the story and the psychological changes they will have in the story.
I can't write if I haven't created the character!
Thanks @jayna for the tips and examples.
I love that, @marcybetancourt. Getting to know your character before writing will make the story that much richer and more believable. And if the words aren't flowing, it may very well be that you haven't fully sketched out the character. That happened to me with a recent story I worked on. I really struggled putting the words on the page. My writing workshop group read the draft and told me they didn't feel that they really knew the character. Then I understood why I had such a hard time with the first draft!
I write as much as I can about my characters - in short stories it is essential!
I know their age, hair color, social relationships, etc.
Then, I choose the narrator. It's a practical way of writing.
Many times people think that my stories are based on real facts but it is not so, my stories are always fiction.
I love this, @marcybetancourt. Would you like to write a "guest blog" post for one of our upcoming tips posts? I know people would love to hear your method!
Greetings ...
Thank you for this very valuable lesson. Yes, I have read very carefully and even repeated, and with the knowledge you share this I and we can all improve the writing
Awesome. I'm glad you find it useful, @aquaculture. I hope the tips help you!
This is very useful to me. And I started fixing my writing
That is fantastic to hear. We love to see authors improving their craft.
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I've read a lot of useful tips about writing, but still can't cope up with my academic papers. Last month I decided to apply to personal statements writing services because of as lack of time. And I don't regret it, as these guys delivered a perfect paper that was very well written, and I can't say I spent too much money for it.