Earlier this month, I came across a post thread in a writing forum commenting on the release of Stephenie Meyer’s new book, the gender-reversed Twilight, Life and Death.
The original poster implied that this was nothing more than ‘a lazy way to make more money of an already successful idea’. Before I say anything further, let’s make one thing clear: I love Twilight, but I have long been an avid reader of all types of literature, and as a reader, and a writer, I am fully aware of the flaws in the Twilight series. I am not, nor have I ever been a ‘Twi-hard’ fan (whatever that means), but I enjoyed the story—also, obsessive perv or not, I had, and still have, an unhealthy crush on the immortal Edward. That said, this post is not a defence of Twilight; it is an observation of the criticisms writers face, and my two cents on the subject (not that I can really afford it).
All jobs are tough in their own way; in the case of those in the creative industry—namely, the writer—the writing itself, as simultaneously joyful and irritating as it often is, is only the tip of the iceberg. The ridiculously frustrating journey from brain to page is nothing compared to acknowledging the personal experience your book might bring a reader. Personally, I love reading or hearing about multiple interpretations of a single story—it’s fascinating how much our values and social differences influence the way we perceive many things. You can read my post on the perception of ‘stupid’ characters here.
Equally fascinating is the way these individual perceptions are received by others.
Have you ever truly enjoyed a book, and like the proud nerd you might be, gushed about it to someone else, only to be ripped to shreds because the book, according to them, is just ‘utter crap’?
Or maybe you didn’t gush about it. Maybe you overheard a discussion about a certain book, and recognising the downright vicious criticism of it, decided not to mention your initiation into said book’s fandom…
If none of these applies—great.
It means you haven’t been subjected to someone whose concept of book standards goes something like this: ‘I didn’t like it; therefore it must be crap. Everyone, listen up: this book is crap. If you are seen reading it, I will assume you are an idiot.’
THIS ↑↑↑ is idiotic.
I can’t say whether I will ever read the new Twilight, but I disagree that re-writing it is just a ‘lazy way to cash in’. I don’t believe there IS a way to ‘cash-in’, and if there is, by Jeebus—please let me know what it is. Maybe I’m naive, but I feel a story has to actually be good to create a fanbase, whether through luck, marketing, or the actual storytelling. In this case, the interest of the fans speaks for itself.
The bottom line?
If an author WANTS to rewrite their OWN STORY from the perspective of a bloody tree, it’s their call. Others may love it, hate it, buy it, or burn it—but more power to the writer for writing what they love regardless.
Love or hate Stephenie Meyer—on this occasion, I salute her.
Leah McClellan says:
Great points. I loved the Twilight Saga, and though I can't say I had a crush on anyone, I DID have a major crush on the whole story. I guess I was in love with all the characters. I read it and re-read it and read it again (all four books), not just because I enjoyed it, but because the details are fascinating. It's rich. So many threads running through it, so many details, so many connections, so much meaning. I suspect some of the critics just aren't reading deep enough or, as you allude to, they just don't like the characters or the story. And that's fine. That doesn't mean it's bad.
And I admit, Bella got on my nerves at first. So much could have been avoided if she would have just talked! Said something! Did something! I was bouncing in my seat 🙂 But hey, I learned to understand someone who's different from me a little better. She's a Virgo, and I'm a Sagitarrian, what can I say? And Meyer did a good job with the Virgo part. (My personality type tends to clash with people who are as quiet as she is, whether you follow astrology or not.)
I don't know if I'll read the latest, but that's only because I don't want to mess up the image I have in my head of the original story. 🙂
Shona Kaye says:
Thank you, Leah. 🙂
Yes, I feel the same way about the new one… I think if I ever get around to reading it, I will need to compartmentalise everything I feel about the original story.
I also agree with you on Bella–but then I'm a Scorpio, so I would have handled her situation differently aswell. I love using astrology within stories–it adds so much depth and insight all at the same time. 🙂