In class today we started watching J. K. Rowling - A Year In The Life, and it got me thinking about something. I'll link to it. I tried using the YouTube option, but that doesn't seem to be working.
https://youtu.be/p6-6zaa4NI4Anyway, watching it I started to realize just how much of herself she put into the Harry Potter series. Then, I wondered if that had anything to do with the impact it's had on me and so many other fans of her books.
From the start she knew exactly what she wanted to say, exactly how she wanted it to end, and exactly the message she would be sending to her readers. What she wrote came from her heart and beliefs. It's a story that brought together millions of people around the world. I've heard stories about people whose lives took a entirely different direction after reading this series. I don't think that could have been done if she hadn't put so much of herself into the world and characters she created. The Dementors, for example, came from her experiences with depression. The problems she had with her father influenced the many figures Harry found. Sirius, Dumbledore, Hagrid, and Mr. Weasley. Her mother's death had a profound impact as well.
She used her own convictions and beliefs of what was right and true. I can see it, and I believe that's what really makes it come alive. It comes from something deeper than a simple desire to write about a magic school and evil Dark Lord.
I've noticed it in some other series as well. Red Rising for example, which is my most recent book obsession. Then I thought about books I don't like, and started thinking about what it is that pushes me away. The lack of true feeling and depth. Artificialness. The situations feel shallow, the emotions week and unmoving. I can tell when a writer doesn't feel for what they're making, when they've distanced themselves and don't feel passion for what the story they've sat down to write.
That, or they focus too much on themselves. I've seen a lot of books that feel like wish fulfilment. I have no problem basing a character off of yourself. They're easier to understand. However, when it's a matter of crafting a story with no purpose other than to fulfill a childhood fantasy, I as a reader often find myself shut out in a way. It's not here for me. I'm not really sure how to describe it. It's hard to put into words.
Often I feel cheated if I can't find any meaning, nothing that touches me as a person, nothing to see myself in, and nothing that conveyed a tale worth remembering. Hunger Games and Divergent, for all their faults, kept me reading because I was made to think about things. I later found out that those authors also used their books to explore their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. None of these I've mentioned win a medal for their prose, but I'd say there's a reason they saw the success they did. I use books to explore myself and reality in ways I can't do any other way. Books raise questions about myself and what I'm told, and often the books that do that are by writers who do the same thing themselves. That put meaning and heart into their words.
This was probably very messy, and I apologize for it. I'm not sure if I made any sense, but I'm wondering if anyone else feels this way. What do you think makes stories connect and come alive with you? How much does the author and their thoughts have to do with it? Can you tell when there's a disconnect?