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That Pesky Meter Idea is Odd Enough...

By George Saunders · Story Club · · 10 min read

Deep Dives

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Dear George,

Thanks for all you do here at Story Club. Your outlook on writing and life is such a gift to all of us. Plus you’ve created such a lovely and supportive community.

Your concepts of the P/N meter and radical preference have helped me stay much more present while writing, and in turn, make the whole process more joyful. I’ve been evangelizing them all over the place, including to people I collaborate with (co-writers, editors, mentors, etc). Which led to an interesting impasse:

If everything is subjective, what happens when people disagree? If everyone’s preference is equally valid, who wins?

There are definitely times when I feel like I’m seeing the thing more clearly, that I have a higher perceptual resolution if you will, and in those situations, I can try to make my case. But other times, it really is just a matter of opinion. And somehow, those disagreements end up being the most impassioned. Is stubbornness a good measure of artistic vision? Because the most obstinate person usually ends up winning those.

Add to that the different relationship dynamics like collaborating writers, writer–editor, writer–powerful movie producer dangling lots of money in front of you, and it’s easy to lose track of the P/N meter’s guiding light. Curious how you approach conflict when your only argument is “I like it that way.”

Sincerely,
Anonymous Writer Who Wants To Be Respectful Without Getting Bowled Over

I could have made this look more like “our” meter (with simple “P” on the right, for a “Positive” reaction, and an “N” on the left, for “Negative”) but then I would have had to use AI, and burned through a bunch of fresh water that some fish somewhere needs. Which would make me feel very “N.”

A.

Ah, thank you, Anonymous, for this great (and, I am finding, strangely difficult) question.

Let me start by proposing a slight modification to something you’ve said. Might we modify “everything is subjective” to “everything is personal?”

We’re not making a claim, when we write a sentence, that it is more “valid” than some other version (there is no ultimate arbiter). We’re just saying: “I’m choosing to say this, and in this particular way: I prefer it.” (Or: “I prefer it as of right now.”)

So, yes, it is (always) a matter of opinion but since the work is going to have

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