Is it ever okay to write something trendy?
But as someone who often critiques manuscripts with hooks much more instantly marketable than my own, these over-arching statements leave me wondering.
What if you have an element to your book that is trendy? And you're writing it not to jump on a bandwagon, but because it is the story inside of you? What if you feel compelled to tell the story of, say, a wizard or a vampire, even though those trends are all but over?
Do the wise words apply here? Is it still okay to write these books—if they are really great and come from your heart—even though someone may simply hear the word “wizard” and think, “Oh, here's another writer trying to jump on a trend”?
What do you think? Do trends matter when you look at them this way? Are there some trends that will be timeless? How does this apply to more "literary" writers? (Will "kid-with-a-dog" ever become cliche, for example?) And what question does "42" answer, anyway? ;)
I hope you have more answers than I do...
I admit it's hard for me to continue feeling excited about a story I'm writing if I get wind that the trend is passing (if it happens to fit in a current trend). I tend to want some extra assurance that it will be publishable.
ReplyDeleteOf course, said the horse. You can write what you want, when you want, whether it's trendy or not. Don't worry about what others will say. Follow your muse ... Some of the best books I've read are also wildly succesful. Literary and commercial are not mutually exclusive.
ReplyDeleteIsn't 42 the answer to life, the universe and everything? It's been so long since I read the book.
ReplyDeleteI guess my last book was written to the trend that urban fantasy was hot, but that's because I read a lot of it and well, write what ya know.
I suppose it depends on what you want to accomplish. I say write whatever you want.
ReplyDeleteIf you adore the trend you're writing about I say YES! If you like zombies write about them, just make them super specialicious zombies!
ReplyDeletexoxo -- Hilary
Great job turning that adage about "writing from your heart" on its head! I guess it would apply both ways, and would probably be more likely to work because the person isn't trying to fit in-- they're writing from their unique experience.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm the same as you. My writing is definitely more literary and it's hard to imagine my heart turning trendy on me. But ... you never know! :)
Amy
I read many agent blogs and they all say the same thing, write a good book and regardless it will sell.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope that's true as my heart is in the midst of writing a commercial paranormal thriller I hope readers will still enjoy.
I'm with everyone else here: write what you love. So what if people are saying wizards are passe? They haven't met YOUR wizards yet. No matter if what you're writing is a total trend or totally not, its still from you, and you're unique, and so your stories and characters will be unique.
ReplyDeleteSarah Allen
(my creative writing blog)