Manipulating your audience.

Yeah that title was meant to catch your attention (sorry about that) but let me explain what I mean.

We usually believe as fans that we have certain freedom of choice in that we choose what we like and what we would like to happen in a story.

But the truth is that I think skilled authors actually makes us like what they want us to like and make us want to happen what they want to do.in other words the author makes gives the illusion that we choose what we want in a story.

The classical example is The Woobie and the happy ending (Pixar's Walle is a good example). If you mistreat a woobie character it will be guaranteed that the audience will beg you for a happy ending and if you deliver so you will get them happy

In short what I mean is when the author gives you the desire or plants the seed for something to happen as an audience and you stay until it happens.

Do you think such a skill is necessary as a writer?

I think the masters in western media are Adventure Time creators. They make you want something to happen and they know exactly what the audience wants.... But they wait years or whole seasons before they deliver or sometimes they tease us by delivering slowly.

You want Finn to meet Fiona? (they made a whole episode teasing about the possibility for this to happen so you would to want this to happen and you can bet money it will happen one day)

1. You want more backstory about Simon?
2. You want Simon to get together with betty?
3. You want more story about Bubblegum and Marcy's past?
4. You want Finn to have a girlfriend?
5. You want Finn to meet his true parents?

I think that's specific plots the creators themselves "make us want" rather than coming from us as fans. I could point you on each of them the episode the creators made us want those specific plots and they do deliver on them... but slowly to keep us interested.

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Bonus examples for anime fans Princess Tutu you want : Ahiru to become human again. You can bet the creator made you want that by heavily implying it and it isn't something you might have wanted without watching the whole show nor the ending

Madoka Magica You can bet that despite the grimdarkness and the fact that the author confessed his inability of giving a classical happy ending in season 1 he made us believe a happy ending wasn't possible and while many people were convinced the series would have a tragic ending . He made us want a happy ending.... and he delivered.

edited 6th May '14 8:06:03 PM by fallenlegend

Of course making the audience want something out of the story plays a role. If the audience anticipates something to happen, or is curious about what will happen, they will keep coming back for more. Of course the opposite is when the author fails to deliver what the audience is anticipating.

However, another dimension to it is to make sure that while you are trying to give the audience what they want, to not give them what they expect. If you give the audience what they expect, the plot can easily become cliched and predictable, and stifles their anticipation and curiosity. Not giving them what they expect will only increase their anticipation and curiosity.

The best authors will give the audience what they want, but not in the way they expect it.

edited 6th May '14 7:16:11 PM by shiro_okami

Or, even better, making your audience want something without them knowing they want it - and then giving it to them.

So yes. Audience manipulation is a powerful tool. :D