True Believers
So, in the past I’ve commented on the concept of the True Believer, the kind of fan every writer needs. You know, the reader who spends as much time learning about the world you created as you did creating it? The reader who asks questions that you never thought of, and notices details that you forgot. The one who asks you questions that make you think hard before you answer them. This is the kind of reader who tells other people about your book. The kind of reader who starts fan forums and helps take your work from a small following to a huge one.
Up until now, I’ve only seen this level of dedication from people I know. But at VisionCon, I finally met my first True Believers. It was a great experience.
First of all, I was blown away by the enthusiasm I saw. And I was not prepared for how this one pair of smiles could make my whole con complete. As a writer, I love when people enjoy the stories I write, but I had completely missed what makes a True Believer. Part of it is the enthusiasm. But a big part of it is that they love the characters. Not just Chance, but his mom and sister, too. They laugh when I compare Lucas to a chihuahua, because they know why it’s so accurate. They loved that the bad guy got what they thought he deserved. Their blood pressure went up when one of the characters was being abused, and they were so happy Chance did what they wanted to do.
The other thing is, I had no idea how important it would become to me that I not let these folks down. I mean, yeah, I’m a local author. I don’t have that big of a following yet. Steven King, I am not. Even if I never have more than a few fans, I have to say, meeting these two made writing the book worthwhile. (I do want more fans, though, feel free to recruit, dear readers).
I came away with two basic conclusions. First of all, this is the kind of reader who drives me to write the best story I can, because if I screw something up, they are GOING to catch it. Secondly, I will always try to remember that it is the readers who make this author gig work. When I make it big I will not do the kind of skit William Shatner did on Saturday Night live in 1986, or have that attitude even. What William Shatner failed to realize was that he was relevant (and working) again because of the fan dedication he was making fun of. Star Trek made it to the big screen because of the fan dedication that spanned almost a decade with little more than paperback books, syndicated reruns and fan magazines. And conventions.
I love my readers, and I won’t forget that they’re the reason I am writing another book. I promise.