The most obvious ploy is the ticking clock. It not only
lends urgency but it yanks the reader along at a rush, keeping him intrigued.
Then there’s characterisation. Of course in this dynamic
world, what worked ten years ago may not have the same appeal in 2015. The
innocent 1960s virgin, so prevalent in romances of that time, would drive a
reader from 2015 to drink. We are much more cynical, well-informed and
downright demanding than we were then. Historically though, some classics
retain their appeal because they are much more than the sum of their
characters’ emotions. To Kill A Mockingbird’s racial tensions are still not
outmoded today, and that lazy description of the syrupy south’s inbred
attitudes is not far from the truth in some out-of-the-way places. And that is
why books like these are classics. They endure not just because of the
characters in the books but because of the settings and historical attitudes.
And Harper Lee manipulated the readers’ emotions. Think of the way she pushes
Scout’s lack of desire to be a ‘lady’ so that the reader is on Scout’s side.
Perhaps today’s writers manipulate the readers in more
subtle ways. What of Dick Francis’s heroes who are often of the working class
up against a criminal upper class or just up against class bigotry where he is
on the outside looking in? Dick Francis does that so well that even if the
protagonist is not your usual Everyman, the reader is still very much on his
side. That’s right. The modern protagonist need not be a perfect hero as he has
been in novels and movies of the past. Some have patchy backgrounds and they’ve
made mistakes.
There’s Lee Child’s Jack Reacher who thrums a string in
every male heart. They all want to be Jack with his freedom and lack of
possessions but with an innate sense of responsibility. And of course Jack has
been in the military and knows how to handle himself in vicious situations.
Every man’s dream. There are a lot of wannabe Jacks out there. And Lee knows
how to manipulate those readers.
Tami Hoag’s heroines are believably imperfect. They make
mistakes and have hang-ups that readers can empathise with and they frequently
have to form alliances with people they don’t trust. There’s that little brush
of reality that lends credence to the stories.
So…empathy and sympathy are the buttons. And the harder
those buttons are pushed by authors and movie makers, the more a reader/viewer
becomes invested in the characters. We need to see how the protagonists get
themselves out of a bind, or if the evil antagonists get their come-uppance.
And the best books of all are where you know darned well that the author is
pushing your buttons, but you just don’t care. The book is so good!
