Authorial Intrusion

"A Series of Unfortunate Events" uses authorial intrusion almost every page. It grew on me, though I never *did* get all the books.

Anything *can* work. But that's the only instance I know where *this* worked.

As an author who uses the device herself, at least the kind of intrusion a la lemony Snickett, I have to say I quite like it. But it is a risk. I have had reviews where it is quite obvious the reviewer is not particularly fond of the style. But for the most part, it seems to have been welcomed fairly warmly and even noted as a specific positive. Then again, both Lemony and I write in children's lit. I wonder whether because it plays to a nostalgic tradition if that makes it more palatable. We also both use it for comic effect. Does anyone have any examples of author intrusion in adult serious novels that they found were particularly effective?

I'm curious. At what point do you separate "authorial intrusion" from "the narrator"?

I'm not a particularly big fan of authorial intrusion, but then again I can't think of a solid example where it worked well (what I've come across is also very limited). But unless I'm reading nonfiction, I assume everything in the novel is fiction. I don't necessary think of intrusion as the author's, but as another character's: the narrator's.

Currently I'm reading The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie. It's narrated in first person, so from my perspective the narrator is also the main character, but the character is essentially writing his own story. He stops now and again to comment on a few things, including his own writing style. This is something I'm sure Hugh Laurie the Author finds humorous. But so does Main Character doubling as The Narrator. I realize this is different than true authorial intrusion, but it still gets me thinking.

A lot of what I've noticed is from the reader's perspective. But from the writer's, I wonder: For authors who have used this device, do you really see this as "you" talking directly to the readers? Or are you writing separate from yourself a disembodied narrator who does the talking?

I still don't get what it is.

Well, I don't know how serious they were, but Rex Stout did it to great effect on occasion in his Nero Wolfe novels. They're narrated first person by Wolfe's sidekick, Archie Goodwin. Often, he'll have Archie say something like,"You've probably already figured it out, since no doubt you're smarter than I am." It works really well, because it brings the reader closer to the story, as if Archie was sitting there telling you a tale over dinner.

A lot of first person treads that line, although seldom so directly. In fact, you could consider first person to be entirely authorial intrusion, in a way.

ETA -- I see Katiemac has made much the same observation while I was posting.

Cassiopeia said:

I still don't get what it is.

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Terrible example I'm whipping up:

"Well." She swallowed. "Let's open the door."

She would soon regret that decision.

That second sentence? That's the authorial intrusion. The author coming through and telling you what's about to happen. The author can do other things, but it's typically used in this way, to generate tension cheaply.

Snicket does it amazingly well. Works well for his darkly humorous style.

ETA -- I see Katiemac has made much the same observation while I was posting.

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You were more succinct than me.

AUTHORIAL INTRUSION: Discussions directed to the reader and constituting a substantial break in the narrative illusion of reality are termed authorial intrusions. While ordinary descriptions are not authorial intrusions, substantial essays addressed to the reader are.

I use it in public speaking, in historical non fiction where the source may be questionable. It has it's place; but in fiction, it divorces the reader from the fantasy world. When I read fiction, I hate being pulled back to the real world.

Smiles
Bob

The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.

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We're on animals on a big farm we call Earth.

The one that comes immediately to mind is The Princess Bride.

The conceit of the book is that the author's father read him this book as a boy, and when the author was grown he went back to read it, and found that instead of a children's book, it was this impenetrable political allegory, and that his father had skipped all the boring parts while reading it to him. So he is presenting this 'abridged' version so that other people could have the same experience he did.

Throughout, the author is continually commenting on the significance of different things in the context of the original allegory, and summarizing the parts that he is skipping.

There was also one part where the author said that he was leaving out a scene (I forget exactly why) but that if you sent him a self-addressed stamped envelope and a dollar, he would send you a copy of the scene. (And my ex did exactly that, and did indeed get the scene mailed to her.)

The authorial intrusion was so integral to what made the book work, I thought that making a movie out of it would be impossible. Thankfully, I was wrong.

when I was back in college an English professeur told us how much he despised authorial intrusion in the old books he was teaching about, which undermined the stories in his opinion. He wound up giving me a really crummy grade, though, so I ain't paying much mind to this view of his ;-)

Robert Crias uses Author intrusion quite a bit in his Elvis Cole series. (true crime- detective genre for those not familiar with him)

I love his style of writing. To me auothor intrusion is allowing the reader 'in' on the story. Here is an example of what I mean;

The message light on my answering machine was blinking. I played it back worried that it was Jennifer and I had missed her call. It was Lou Petras. He called me an asshole and hung up. You've got to love Lou.

The last sentence in bold is author intrusion. I use this quite a bit in some of my writing, particularly when I write in first person. It seems to lend itself to this POV more than others, at least for me.

Dave Eggers uses it a lot in A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.

sheadakota -- I don't find that authorial intrusion. That, to me, is simply the character's voice/narrative.

I suppose, as with any other "rule" that is broken by the author, if it works for the reader, it does not matter.

I have used this occasionally, but always in a humorous context. You can get away with it if it's a joke... I hope...

illiterwrite said:

Dave Eggers uses it a lot in A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.

sheadakota -- I don't find that authorial intrusion. That, to me, is simply the character's voice/narrative.

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I was wondering that whent I posted it, but I thought because the author was directly addressing the reader, it might be considered author intrusion. I have done the same in my own writing and have been told by more than one person that this is considered Author intrusion- dunnoseems like a fine line between narritve voice and author intrusion. Maybe if someone could give examples of the two, it would help (me at least) be less confused about it.

Sounds very similar to breaking the fourth wall, just more subtle. Breaking the fourth wall is where your characters literally talk to the reader, I guess that this is more like the author giving the reader an "insider's hint". Or something...

Daffy Duck & Buggs Bunny often break the "fourth wall," stepping out of character and addressing viewers, e.g. Buggs turning to the audience, when Elmer Fudd remarks about how nice of a woodland critter he is, and saying, "He don't know me very well." :-D

I dont see it as a fatal sin as somebody else here.
If used well, like any other device, can enrich the story, without breaking the suspension of disbelief.

I adore RA Macavoys books but there is often a lien ot two from what would have to be called a narrator's perspective--especially in the Damiano trilogy.

How far into your world do you have to take your reader? If he has to travel deeply into a fantasy world, or far into the past, or even intensely into the mind of a serial killer, then you do not want to intrude on this. You definitely don't want to break the spell.

On the other hand, if you are writing a light romance or adventure, or a children's book, then a comment from the author may make the story even more interesting.

lol, I have to say it makes me so nervous when people here are saying that they have never seen it done well . . . considering that's what I write . . . still someone asked for an example so I might as well use one from my own work:

"They ran far from the house, now entirely swallowed by flames. They ran till they were very far away and then stopped. They stopped because this is where they were supposed to meet the third man. I'm sorry, I just realised I forgot to tell you that there was a third man, and the third man was the most frightening and dangerous one of the lot".

So you see how the narrator interrupts the story realising that they had told the story incorrectly. When I read this bit to kids, often they ask me after if the forgetting thing is actually written into the story, or if I had actually forgot (because obviously they aren't reading along, just listening). It's cute.

Here's another version of authorial intrusion:

"For, late that same night, having nowhere else to go, and not enough money to stay in a hotel, Mr. Underwood arrived at Alex's uncle's doorknob shop and asked if he could stay. And this an Important Development because I suppose you could say that this is where our story truly begins."

Once more the author is in there "I suppose you could say".

And lastly here is an example of the all knowing narrator, the one who knows stuff that no one else in the story does: "And what was even weirder was that sometimes it seemed as if they could practically read each other's minds. This probably had something to do with the fact that they were twins. But they didn't know this. And never would. Which is just the way things happen sometimes."

Anyway . . . that was just using me as an example, I hope that makes it a bit clearer (btw, these all come from an already published book, so I would really rather people not tell me how to fix them or whatever as it is just a little bit too late, lol).

I use authorial intrusion once in a great while, but almost always in a comedic sense. For example I once had a story where two characters were going through a very repetitive process and the "uninvolved narrator" interrupted to comment on how tedious it would be to write this all out so she was just going to skip ahead some.

I thought this was funny for this story, but if I were to try it in my more serious writing I would gag myself.

That's not to say I don't have some sort of authorial intrusion in my more serious works, but it's more subtle and unintended. For example I've read around here that the "Little did he know..." approach is considered authorial intrusion when I always just figured it was foreshadowing by the omniscient narrator. *shrug*

For the most part though I prefer to keep the narrator, and especially the writer (we seem to sort of be two different things), uninvolved. I don't want my characters to know I exist.

I wouldn't write it off as a literary technique, though sometimes it does niggle at me. Reading the back covers of the "Series Of Unfortunate Events" books made my skin crawl, though I admit I didn't read the books themselves so could not say for sure whether the technique was used successfully or not. I guess it depends, for me, and I can't say if it works or not unless I see it.

ETA:

Toothpaste said:

"They ran far from the house, now entirely swallowed by flames. They ran till they were very far away and then stopped. They stopped because this is where they were supposed to meet the third man. I'm sorry, I just realised I forgot to tell you that there was a third man, and the third man was the most frightening and dangerous one of the lot".

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I hope that was meant to be funny, because that's how I found it, and that's the kind of authorial intrusion I occasionally use in my more comedic works.

Yes. It was meant to be funny. I, er, hope it actually was . . .