![]() Taken in part from "Writers Unboxed" blog Posted: 06 Aug 2013, featuring Lisa Cron (LC) and Donald Maass (DM) who probe the secrets of this mega-bestseller. Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy has sold 70 million copies and counting. So poorly written, so surface, so . . . compelling people can’t seem to put it down. Why? Why? Why? Maybe Fifty Shades isn’t as poorly written as it seems? Yes, Anastasia says “inner goddess” so many times that if you used it as a drinking game, you’d be in rehab before you finished reading. [taken from "Writers Unboxed"] There are a surprising number of things that E.L. James does so deftly that it genuinely blinds readers to the shoddy prose. She hooks them. And she holds them. The question is: how? The Hook
The Characters — Anastasia
The Characters — Christian
The Technique
| The Inner & Outer Journeys
When a book becomes a phenomenon there’s a reason. Hate it if you like, but the wiser course is to understand how such a book grips so many readers--then steal the methods and use them for your own ends. E.L. James created characters whose warmth, openness and inner conflicts are close to universal. Fundamentally, Anastasia and Christian are two humans searching for each other, healing and love. The moral values beneath James’s story are age old. Purity and the one-true-love ideal. Nothing revolutionary. Great fiction not only moves our hearts but makes us think. Fifty Shades of Grey merely affirms that which many readers believe. Behind the gimmick there’s a simple and unchallenging message. James’s novel is popular, but popularity and greatness are two different things. So, why not take away fifty lessons to make your fiction broadly appealing, but then go beyond that and make your fiction great? Writing tips added and pertinent to the lesson, taken from "The Emotional Thesaurus'
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8 Comments
9/10/2013 07:36:10 am
I really enjoyed reading this. while i think much of her success was building upon an already-established blockbuster (Twilight--then skewing it scandalous) I agree that something hooked that many readers to make James the #1 earning author of 2012. Over Stephen King, James Patterson, Janet Evanovich--everybody. Clearly something worked! You're right that we can take things from what worked and craft a story that's engaging for readers. Great points. thanks!
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9/10/2013 08:00:47 am
Great take on the book and why it's successful. Okay, sex is also a great hook. I shared this. Thank you!
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Harley Brooks
9/10/2013 05:00:38 pm
Sex is a great hook! I just wish it wasn't "glamorized" to the point that that's all a story centers around. I do like a good plot outside the bedroom! Thanks for stopping by, girlfriend. 9/10/2013 04:58:21 pm
I think you're absolutely right about her riding Twilight's coattails, but then again, who's to say any one of us couldn't do the same. Disney is famous for recreating storylines with new heroines/heroes, but the underlying story is still the same. Thanks for stopping by!
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9/10/2013 08:50:19 am
Just met Lisa Cron at a conference, and I highly recommend her!
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9/10/2013 04:56:21 pm
I'd never heard of her until I read this post. Donald Maass is my writing guru. Thanks for stopping by Lynn.
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9/11/2013 07:13:56 am
What an extremely thorough and comprehensive breakdown of the inner workings of the success of this series! I agree that riding on Twilight's coattails would've only gotten it so far but it was the elements pointed out by DM & LC coupled with "word of mouth" that made it sell millions of copies. Thanks for sharing.
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L.L. Muir
10/22/2013 03:26:08 pm
Excellent. I'm using that early paragraph to redraft my blurbs. It's also going to help me see my current wip clearly before starting re-writes.
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Harley Brooks
Chocolate addict, avid stargazer, possible believer of Santa Claus, and motorcycle enthusiast. Oh...and I LOVE to write sexy, emotional, character driven stories about that crazy life transition where teens morph into adults. Archives
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