Comments on: Reader Expectations in Romance by Maya Banks

By: Elizabeth Amber

Elizabeth Amber — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 01:02:11 +0000

Hi Maya, Interesting blog. You’re right about the fact that our personal life experiences life shape our expectations. That’s probably one of the reasons some people enjoy a book that others don’t. Though I guess there are some expectations for the behavior of heroes/heroines that we collectively embrace or reject. Books that meet those expectations probably tend to be more popular.

By: orannia

orannia — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:55:57 +0000

Congrats Brandy & Stacy!

By: azteclady

azteclady — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:29:40 +0000

Congrats, Brandy and Stacy!

Thank you for visiting, Ms Banks!

By: Maya Banks

Maya Banks — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:48:51 +0000

Brandy and Stacy, if you guys will email me offlist at mayaATmayabanks.com. You two won by random draw

By: Rhonda

Rhonda — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:41:22 +0000

Hi Maya!
Great topic. I certainly think we bring our own expectations to our reading. A big part of what makes or breaks a book is how things are handled. I totally agree that reading is about escape and fantasy but I also want a book I can get lost in and for me that means a book where the characters do things that are in charcter for them. Your Be With Me and Stay with Me were both GREAT books and the charcters all stayed true to themselves the way you wrote them.

By: Larena Wirum

Larena Wirum — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:49:22 +0000

Personally I read books not looking for reality but because they take you to another place or time. I read for fun.

By: Maya Banks

Maya Banks — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:48:50 +0000

Hey guys, thanks so much for stopping by. I’ve loved reading all your responses. And Orannia, thank you Im so glad you enjoyed Be With Me!

By: Renee

Renee — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:23:06 +0000

I love this discussion. I read romance 100% of the time for escapism. I am very openminded about the story and yes I can see bringing my own biases into the picture but I can’t remember a time when I have ever put down a book because of my bias. I have stopped reading because the book/characters didn’t connect with me. I have even put a book down because I realized I just wasn’t in the mood to read that kind of story but then I usually go back to it when I am in that kind of mood again.

Great topic.

By: orannia

orannia — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:28:06 +0000

HI Maya *waves*

Great topic! I will freely admit to bringing (as Marisa so beautifully put it) baggage to the table….loads of it I want that touch of reality to the characters, not perfect simulations of the current fashion. But as Kati said, if an author can justify a character’s action or state of mind, then I’ll keep reading. I don’t object to characters growing (actually, I get frustrated if they don’t – I want a character to learn from their mistakes..or to at least think about them), but that growth needs to be….organic (not sure if that is the right word)?

And can I just go all fan girl for a moment and gush please? I finished Be With Me last week and really enjoyed it. I really liked how you had the characters work out whether they wanted to be together!

By: Karin

Karin — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:30:11 +0000

Hi Maya!

I think it would be hard for a reader not to bring along their expectations to any story they read. However, I know that even when I apply my expectations I can be pleasantly surprised by a character who steps away and does something I wouldn’t expect from them. Most people act out of character at least once or twice in their life. I know I have just to see what people would say about it, though what I’ve done is pretty tame compared to most. So, I think it can be fun to read about people who aren’t fully what I expected or do something unexpected.

What is most important for me, though, is whether or not I could sit down with that character for a cup of tea or something and whether I care enough about the character to even think about that. If either of those elements is absent, the character just doesn’t matter enough to me to really care how they’re acting and whether or not it’s what I expected as I wouldn’t be expecting much from them.