Narrator vs Story

I wouldn't say that this is the debate roiling the worlds of writing, publishing and academe, but there is some difference of opinion as to what constitutes a good or great narrator.

I think the first rule is don't be boring. I would say the second is don't get in the way of the story. The third is ignore the second and use a strong narrator.

Only the first rule she be obsessively obeyed. Boring writing doesn't get anyone anywhere.

But there is a real difference as to whether the narrator should be a character and should be heard loudly and in some instances overwhelm the story versus a narrator that prefers to gently and quietly guide the reader through the story.

Two extreme examples of both concepts are David Foster Wallace and Ernest Hemingway. Wallace stomps all over his story and everything else as a narrator. Hemingway often takes a much lighter touch using narrations as more of a way to provide necessary information and guide the reader through changes, setting, etc.

In my own writing I prefer the second. I don't want me or the narrator t get in the way of the story. I don't want the reader to stumble or become bored or wonder when narration will cease and story will continue. I want the reader's eyes to flow through the page like a hot knife through butter, where they don't stumble and are pulled into the story, its setting and characters.

This isn't to say Wallace and others like him are bad writers, it comes down t a preference as a writer and reader. After all, Wallace is obviously brilliant, as are others.

However, the problem comes when trying to sell a piece of writing. An agent or publisher who wants a strong narrator may find a guide-like narrator to be uninteresting and lacking. Unfortunately, I think, though please prove me wrong, that the majority of agents tend to want strong narrations versus a more invisible narrator.

Do you change how you write? No. Never. Always seek to improve and entertain, but things shift and perhaps your gentle guide really is nothing more than weak narration. Also, and this is important, agents use entirely subjective measures to decide what they will like, love and represent. Look for the agent who matches your idiosyncratic writing nature.