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Back in 2000, Dan Brown changed my life.
I have a Masters in Theology from the University of Oxford and religion, art history, architecture and spirituality are just some of my obsessions. Up until 2000, I thought that the only option to be a successful author in that arena was to follow in the footsteps of Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose.
But then Dan Brown made the religious thriller mainstream and commercial and it now has a great niche all of its own, with Steve Berry, James Rollins, Scott Mariani and others writing in the genre. There are now so many options for readers like me who devour these types of books and I mainline them (since I don't have a TV, I read a LOT!).
So when I wanted to write a fast-paced thriller series based on themes that I love, Dan Brown was definitely one of my influences and my ARKANE books were born. I even wrote short stories for Kobo's Descent, a contest to promote the launch of Inferno, so great was my fan-dom. So I am a Brown lover from way-back, a super-fan, one of those readers that writers want to attract.
But I just finished reading Inferno, Dan Brown's latest book, and instead of reviewing it, I wanted to share my lessons learned as an author.
No spoilers, I promise.
(1) Write what you love and don't get trapped into expectations
Inferno might satisfy the expectations of the publisher, and some fans for another Langdon book. But in reading it, I felt like Dan Brown did not have a fun time writing it, and in fact, he would rather be writing techno-thrillers.
The most interesting bits were about transhumanism and genetic modification as well as population control (which I also used as my bad guy's motivation in Prophecy.) Fascinating topics and I also like his strong female characters (who are far more 3-dimensional than Langdon).
But I think that perhaps Dan needs to stop writing the Langdon series and write something that really turns him on. And as a reader I want to see what he does with a techno-thriller.
Smash through people's criticisms, why don't you, Dan? Please.
You don't need the money so write something that's fun for you. Anything that takes you that long and isn't literary fiction can't have been enjoyable to write.
As authors, it's important that we love what we write and don't box ourselves into a genre that becomes a burden.
Sure, this is a business and you know I'm commercially minded, but I also want to do this as my passion as well as my income. Trying different things is part of the beauty of being a writer. So have a go at a short story in another genre, or a novella, and see how it feels. If you start feeling dry on a project, maybe it's time to switch it up a little.
(2) Book title, marketing and theme need to resonate
I've just read Dante's Inferno in order to write the Sin series, so I know the book pretty well. It's fresh in my mind, and Brown's Inferno doesn't even scratch the surface.
Instead of delving into the world of Dante's Inferno – the book – he has delved into Florence, Dante's home town, with the death mask a key artefact and a few cantos used as clues. But I was looking forward to the resonance of language and dark themes of Dante's Inferno and instead, got a travel guide to Florence and some other European cities. The marketing and hype has all been about Dante's Inferno, but as a hard-core reader of this genre and supporting works, I was disappointed that the book didn't match that.
As writers, it is our responsibility to ensure that the experience of the reader lives up to the expectations of the packaging. Book cover and title are critical in this aspect and it is why authors like Polly Courtney have split with publishers over issues of covers that don't match the book.
(3) Don't confuse the reader
I was confused a lot as Brown's Inferno jumped out of the action into flashback or detailed physical description or directions through the maze of Florence backstreets. Then one of the twists later in the book REALLY confused me and I needed to read back to various points, and then I found continuity issues that annoyed me.
As a reader, I don't want to be jolted from the fictive dream, and as writers, we have a responsibility to make sure the story hangs together.
Most of the professional writers I know use 5-8 beta-readers as well as editors and proof-readers. That's my process too, and my next book Desecration has already had 7 different people critique it and give me feedback as readers and editors. Now it's off to another round of reading, and another round of improvement.
With all the secrecy around Inferno, I can't help but wonder how many beta-readers read the book before it went to press. It's just confusing, even for someone like me who is an uber-geek in matters esoteric.
Am I still a fan of Dan Brown?
There were other issues with the book, and I'm sure you've read the usual criticism of Brown's writing style.
As someone who loved Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, and has defended Dan Brown a lot, I feel disappointed with Inferno. But as a writer, I think it teaches us a lot, and my opinion means little in this world, so I'm embracing my lessons learned on this occasion.
As a reader, I will buy another Dan Brown novel, but Dan, if you're listening, I hope it's a techno-thriller next time.
What do you learn from books by other authors? Do you find as a reader that you are more critical because you're a writer? And does it help your own writing?
Please share your thoughts in the comments below (but please, no spoilers on the plot in case people want to read it).
I’ve just had a similar experience. Yesterday I finished reading a book by a writer I usually enjoy, but I was disappointed with how she handled her ending.
But as a writer, I immediately started thinking about WHY it didn’t work, exactly what I didn’t find satisfying about it, and how I could avoid doing those things in my own writing.
So yes, I believe that I do think more critically – in the sense of being analytical – because I’m a writer. And I certainly hope that it helps my own writing! 😀
I agree with you Joanna that “As authors, it’s important that we love what we write and don’t box ourselves into a genre that becomes a burden.” Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing. I’ve shared a link on my blog. You’re welcome to visit http://www.angelsefer.blogspot.com
Very nicely put, Joanna! I haven’t read this one yet, but I do agree with you — you can always tell when someone stopped having fun writing what they were writing.
I know I get caught up writing a scene sometimes that I “think” the reader needs but is horribly boring, and later I realize there really was only like two sentences the reader actually needed. So, I cut the scene and stick those tidbits in somewhere else.
Love this post! Will share everywhere!
I have enjoyed the previous Dan Brown novels, but I think you’ve missed a key point here. The publisher has put a lot of money into marketing these books, as well as for advertising. These are not really things the author has done, but his publisher.
However, a major misstep on the part of the publisher is charging $15 for the e-book – many fans of the series are complaining about this.
Hi Robin – I think that comes under Brown being trapped in the expectations of what has gone before. He’s basically contracted to produce the same stuff over and over again, because the first couple did so well. His publisher put so much into the marketing because of those contractuals and to justify all that money upfront … so it is a vicious circle.
BUT the author has to be the one to sign the contract and agree to write the same thing again.
I think Stephen King has got it right – deliver to a genre expectation but really play around with story so much more.
“As a reader, I don’t want to be jolted from the fictive dream.”
a) Exactly
b) “Fictive dream”? I love that term. Hadn’t heard it before. Thanks.
I haven’t read Inferno, and don’t plan on it any time soon. No strong feelings for or against Mr. Brown’s writing and there are a pile of good indie books waiting for me to read them.
Thanks Tony 🙂 I think that indies have a lot more freedom to write outside the boundaries of any expectation and that’s what makes so many of them good.
I can’t remember where I heard fictive dream – I should probably credit someone important with the term as I certainly didn’t make it up 🙂
This was a great post. Many of my favorite authors have occasionally disappointed me, and it’s great to be able to learn from their mistakes. A new idea for me, because I am just about halfway through the first draft of my first novel.
Question: Where do you find your beta readers? I’d dearly love some feedback without spending a fortune on it…
Hi Leslie – on beta readers, try your local, in-person writing group – or start one of your own through MeetUp.com or join a group like the Alliance of Independent Authors and find friends in the genre http://allianceindependentauthors.org/a/88
Or just use readers of the genre the first time around and then over time, you will develop a circle of writing friends. More on that here: http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2012/12/07/after-first-draft-whats-next/
Joanna
Good learnings.
A further learning you can take was suggested by Randy Ingermannson (sp? – the advanced fiction writing for dummier/ snowflake and advanced fictionwriting blog).
On his website he has an old issue of his monthly magazine which is called something like ‘Learning From The Masters.’ What he does is take short excerpts from writers like Dan Brown, deconstruct them for MRUs (Motivation Reaction Units), and sometimes rewrite them.
One of his examples was from The Da Vinci Code…was interesting. (The example from Timeline by Michael Crichton was outstanding). Definitely a series of articles worth reading. If you need some links dropping I can do that…just let me know.
Thanks JJ – you are the king of finding stuff like that 🙂
I don’t read Dan Brown, but I’ve run into similar instances with other authors I admire. Even though I may not have loved a specific title they wrote, it didn’t stop me from buying their next book.
Established authors tend to get that free pass, but newbies, not so much.
My fear of involving religion is the generic on what to write. Is writing CATHOLIC CHURCH even acceptable? Or making up a Catholic priest name or a Catholic Church name. I wrote the Vatican for guidance, but I was still in doubt on what to actually write. I grew up a baptized Roman Catholic and enjoy the movies. I assume that they were given permission or connected to the Vatican somehow to get press. Eastern Europe mixed in after the Cold War with a movie of the underground church wanting the first Polish priest against Communism. It is up in the air whether to involve the actual Catholic Church in my writings.
Daniel – there are no rules in fiction! You can make stuff up and use established world society as your world, or make up a world. You only need permission or risk libel charges if you claim it as truth (which Dan Brown actually did for some things in the beginning of Da Vinci code).
There are some sensible things to avoid though – as Salman Rushdie learned …
There is a great history of using religion in writing – go forth and do it!
No rules to writing fiction? It is still a tightrope to me with no net at the bottom. I cannot fly like superman. Creating a world is more what I like doing. But thank you for the encouragement to venture into the unknown.
Thank YOU so much for writing this. I am an author an have published 3 non-fiction books in the traditional way. Although I am proud of this, my dream/passion/yearning is to write a fiction book. Now that I am boxed into this non-fiction arena I have been too anxious to go ahead and write my passion. Because of your posts that I happily read as soon as they arrive in my inbox, however, I am going for it! I am sure I will not have much support from those around me, but I will look forward to your posts and use those to boost my courage!
Thank you!
Hi Erin – I moved from non-fiction to fiction so you can definitely do it 🙂 Here’s the journey of my first novel so you can see how it all went http://www.thecreativepenn.com/firstnovel/
I learned a LOT from that experience 🙂
Thank you!!! You are great!!
I don’t like to think in terms of genre, and I’ve written literary short stories, sci-fi, fantasy, adventure and YA, as the muse strikes.
I enjoy Dan Brown and just bought “Inferno.” Although I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, I’ll be sure to come back and comment when I do.
Keep up the good work. I enjoy your posts.
Very interesting observations and comments, Joanna. I hold your opinion in very high respect and trust your analysis of the story and Brown’s unfortunately demonstrated lack of commitment to it. There are lessons to be learned here, most certainly. Thanks for being so candid.
Thanks so much Patricia, and I hope to continue to earn your respect. I want us all to continue to learn from each other.
I really appreciate your perspective on DB. It’s rare that I come across anyone who defends his books with anything other than “it sells millions, so there’s got to be SOMETHING good about them.” Your careful and well thought out review, from a writer’s perspective no less, hits home in a good way. So thanks for that, first off. 🙂
In reading other authors, I’ve learned to keep track of plot details so I remain consistent. To color my scenes with necessary descriptions only and to let the reader’s mind fill in the blanks on the smaller details. I’ve learned to emphasize characters’ reactions to illustrate their motivations, and I’ve learned to let the story tell me where it wants to go instead of forcing it into a predetermined course. I do outline (roughly) before I write, but I’m careful to leave room for characters to surprise me (which they do!)
I’m definitely more critical as a reader because I also write. We can debate whether or not that’s because I need to read books that fit my style of writing or because I’m developed enough as a writer to know good from bad. But I tend to follow an approach similar to yours, getting loads of feedback before calling a story done enough to submit. And I read pretty widely, and in different genres.
Thanks AJ – I think one of the issues of reading your own work as a writer after multiple drafts is that it can be hard to remember what you kept in from scene X and what was cut etc. That’s why I think beta readers are so critical as they pick up on that stuff. Confusing a beta reader is an epic fail 🙂
I agree that it’s important to write what you love. I also think it’ s important to experiment because only by doing that will you find your voice and the style of writing that fits you. I credit reading a wide variety of books as the single most important activity that’s improved my writing and whenever I read a book there’s always one part of my brain that’s looking at it objectively, figuring out what is working and what isn’t and why. Some people say that detracts from the pleasure of reading, but I disagree – I think it adds to the pleasure because I can appreciate the writer’s skill so much more.
I gave it 3 stars in Amazon Here is my review:
The M. Night Shyamalan of writing “…withouten infamy or praise”
I got disappointed on Brown’s resolution of his plots in Angels and Demons I didn’t hated The Lost Symbol and I loved Da Vinci’s Code so when taking my favorite book: The Divine Comedy as the next issue he planned to write about I couldn’t say no.
I’m happy that I read it, but the writer still has the same issues. He sacrifices logic for the sake of shock and once over that the book is paper thin.
The story is entertaining and a visual treat you get to visit Florence, Venice and Istanbul’s major works of art and architecture and get to learn about all other artists that loved Dante’s Comedy and their various ways to honor the master. But is not memorable, is kind of preachy and the resolution feels flat after the ‘thrill’ ends.
Also it feels that the characters always have ‘exposition duties’ to carry on and tell the story just when is their duty to do so, like actors in cue and not because is organic for them to do so. Brown doesn’t uses any other resources to tell the details and sometimes it would had been better for him not to say more than we already knew.
Something I noticed in this book is that it doesn’t feel he has an universe where Langdon lives, but more of Langdon is a there to carry the story and not living in it. The events of other books don’t get mentioned in passing or when he is close to the places he lived them in, not sure if is to make sure that people can pick on “Langdon’s adventures” in any order or because Brown doesn’t want to do the leg work of having to draw from his universe to resolve plot points, which he is not good at since Da Vinci’s Code.
Also there are unnecessary repetitions that reminded me of the term ‘paid by the word’.
Overall if you have nothing better to read and want to indulge yourself on Dante’s imaginary is not a bad read. If you want something more “Let us not speak of them, but look, and pass.”
Is interesting but I do think you have a point about him not having fun with this character anymore. Funny enough my husband hated Digital Fortress and he is happy he is not doing Techno-Thrillers anymore. Different tastes no doubt.
Great review.
Thanks Ana – and I did have another point in my article originally on the fact that I don’t care at all about Langdon, and his character just doesn’t interest me. I found the Head of WHO lady more interesting and even the pregnant museum curator more sympathetic. Langdon is empty – but maybe that’s how Dan feels about his creation now?
You’ve also got to remember that Digital Fortress was any early book and we all get better over time – so I think if he tried another one, he could pull it off … we shall see. I’ll still buy the next one 🙂
That is a good observation Langdon acts very robotic he doesn’t feel anything at all. He says he feels it but you don’t feel it with him. I think that is the problem he is a detached actor and he hasn’t evolved at all. In Da Vinci’s Code he was very much a live and in tune with what happened. I think Langdon approached Brown so he could tell Angels and Demons and Da Vinci’s code but the last two books had him being forced to speak to him when he is over those mysteries. Langdon might even be lying just to get over it (I know it sounds crazy but we writers have this sort of relationship with our characters at least I do)
My husband didn’t liked DF because it was based on a huge part of a programer’s protocol that is not true. He will never give it a second chance. Oh well is not like Brown needs the money 😉
What a fascinating post! As someone who is pursuing publication (fiction) I’ve long ago joined the “Tainted Reader Club.” How can a writer not be influenced–whether good or bad–by other writers? I cannot imagine that I’m the only one who while reading, thinks… oh, I would have written it this way… or, nope, the character should have done this or that or… What I find extremely helpful as far as studying other authors’ writing styles is listening to the novel on CD (borrowed from the library). There’s something that clicks differently when you hear the story than when you read it.
I’ll be Tweeting this blog segment!
I think writing book after book for a publisher has to be grinding at times for the author, and a disappointing book now and then is the natural result. This is the biggest lesson I learn from the authors I truly enjoy; when writing to publish is your job, you can fall into the trap of writing for your publisher, and your passion can at times take a hit.
So, the lesson I take from experiences like this is we all have to watch out for the dangers that steal from the real reason we write is inner rather than practical – although both will be positively impacted when we write from our hearts no matter what.
First of all, Dan Brown has already written 2 “technothrillers”, “Digital Fortress” (1998) and
Deception Point (2001). I’m confused by your post because you don’t mention them and it isn’t clear whether you’ve read them. (If you had written that you would rather he “went back” to writing technothrillers it would have made more sense.) I enjoyed those early books as well as the first two Robert Langdon novels. I would love to see Dan Brown get out of the Robert Langdon business and explore some new characters. Enough with Langdon, the James Bond meets Jack Bauer (“24”) but in Harris Tweed professor.
Although I didn’t have much fun reading “Inferno”, I somewhat liked Brown’s use of an unreliable narrator. It was quite a trick to pull off and I thought he pulled it off very well. As I was reading on a Kindle and because I couldn’t bear slogging through the earlier parts of the book again I didn’t flip back to check the continuity when the twists started being revealed. As it was, he repeated a number of scenes with only slight modification and that helped pull off the effect and make it understandable. Unfortunately, this repetition of scenes also added to the weight of the book and as I didn’t particularly care for any of the characters (especially after the reveal) I really just wanted to get to the end.
Yes, I did read Digital Fortress and Deception Point but from what I remember, neither was genetic engineering. I’m also thinking that authors generally improve over time (if they keep writing) so maybe his next round of techno-thriller might be more awesome than the first couple of books. I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt 🙂