More of an observation than a rant...
There's been a lot of drama in the m/m writer/reader community this past couple of weeks. I never used to comment when stuff like this came up - mostly because I was either busy, or it just didn't seem worth getting people mad at me.
But what the hell. It's my blog, and there's no law forcing anybody to read it.
Yesterday I stumbled across this post at Jessewave's about the recent decline in the quality of m/m fiction. I've only skimmed the 100+ comments on the article, but it appears a lot of people are getting bored and/or disgusted with m/m these days.
Which begs the question: If what you're reading no longer gives you enjoyment, why are you still reading it?
I freely admit, I do not read m/m in what little free time I have. I read research material, and the occasional mystery or historical novel. Mysteries are great for learning how to plot, and historicals... well, sometimes I just want get lost in another time period.
When I read for enjoyment, I really want to enjoy it, and reading m/m feels a little too much like work. I end up comparing myself to my colleagues, which is a sure-fire creativity killer. It's best for me to remain blissfully unaware of what everyone else is doing.
Which doesn't mean I ignore trends. A professional writer writes what sells. If readers don't like "gay for you" or "insta-love" or any of the other overused tropes out there, there's an easy solution - stop buying them. Believe me, authors will get the message.
Lest I come off sounding unsympathetic, I do understand what readers are saying about the decline in quality. I've skimmed excerpts on Amazon and ARe that looked like they hadn't even been spell checked. But I defy anyone to find a misspelled word or grammatically incorrect sentence in any of my books - even the self-published ones.
The point in all this pontificating (and yes, I do have one) is that these things run in cycles. I burnt myself out on paranormals back in the genre's first big boom in the 90s, which is why I don't read or write them. What could I possibly say about vampire, werewolves, shape-shifters, witches, etc., that hasn't been said a bazillion times before? I adore Regencies, but the research would be a killer - and besides, there's no way I could ever top Mary Balogh or Jo Beverley.
But after every boom there comes a bust, and it looks like m/m's headed in that direction. Readers will flock to whatever the New Shiny turns out to be, and authors will either drop out or find another genre.
Military shape-shifters or cowboy zombies? Only time will tell. :P
But what the hell. It's my blog, and there's no law forcing anybody to read it.
Yesterday I stumbled across this post at Jessewave's about the recent decline in the quality of m/m fiction. I've only skimmed the 100+ comments on the article, but it appears a lot of people are getting bored and/or disgusted with m/m these days.
Which begs the question: If what you're reading no longer gives you enjoyment, why are you still reading it?
I freely admit, I do not read m/m in what little free time I have. I read research material, and the occasional mystery or historical novel. Mysteries are great for learning how to plot, and historicals... well, sometimes I just want get lost in another time period.
When I read for enjoyment, I really want to enjoy it, and reading m/m feels a little too much like work. I end up comparing myself to my colleagues, which is a sure-fire creativity killer. It's best for me to remain blissfully unaware of what everyone else is doing.
Which doesn't mean I ignore trends. A professional writer writes what sells. If readers don't like "gay for you" or "insta-love" or any of the other overused tropes out there, there's an easy solution - stop buying them. Believe me, authors will get the message.
Lest I come off sounding unsympathetic, I do understand what readers are saying about the decline in quality. I've skimmed excerpts on Amazon and ARe that looked like they hadn't even been spell checked. But I defy anyone to find a misspelled word or grammatically incorrect sentence in any of my books - even the self-published ones.
The point in all this pontificating (and yes, I do have one) is that these things run in cycles. I burnt myself out on paranormals back in the genre's first big boom in the 90s, which is why I don't read or write them. What could I possibly say about vampire, werewolves, shape-shifters, witches, etc., that hasn't been said a bazillion times before? I adore Regencies, but the research would be a killer - and besides, there's no way I could ever top Mary Balogh or Jo Beverley.
But after every boom there comes a bust, and it looks like m/m's headed in that direction. Readers will flock to whatever the New Shiny turns out to be, and authors will either drop out or find another genre.
Military shape-shifters or cowboy zombies? Only time will tell. :P
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