Writting with Trends in Mind

[Courtney]

This is a discussion for authors who acknowledge they wrote a story that adheres to various successful trends and how that affected their approach/writing.

Are you a fan of certain trends and wanted to make your own mark in one? Did you think it would improve your chances in publishing if you wrote for an abundant audience? Basically what were your thoughts?

This IS NOT a a place to debate the merits of writing with trend OR to chime in about how you avoid this, prefer setting trends, etc. Overall please don't post here if you're not contributing in a positive many addressing why authors follow trends.

Sorry to exclude but this is to keep On-Topic.

[Lily]

This, is a fascinating topic. Thanks for posting! Give me a few to gather my thoughts...

[Courtney]

:D

[Lily]

Okay, I think I got it now.

Trends are going to be an influence no matter what. It's there, that's just a fact.

In my own writing, I aim for filling gaps. In all forms of publishing, whether trad or indie, I've often perceived a disconnection. At the same time, I'm seeing and hearing from friends, there's nothing new to read, same old, same old...

I want to fill that gap with whatever the overall audience feels they're not getting in the market. Does it make me a trendsetter? I'm not really sure, to be honest. For lack of a better word, perhaps. But that's my overall goal, filling the gaps.

Either way, I do feel I have to keep in mind all the various trends in order to have enough data for a fair comparison, whether I personally agree with a specific trend or not.

[Courtney]

Glad you like. I know people get snobby because they equate this to hackneyed writing but it's savvy if done right and some people are passionate about "trendy" topics and want to put a new spin on an old trick.

[Lily]

Yeah, that's why I slowed my brain down and give my answer some thought first lol

[Jim]

My one and only novel adheres to science fiction's popular post-apocalyptic scenario.

Beginning in the 19th. century, numerous authors have speculated upon what type of social structure might evolve in a world that has been nearly destroyed. For whatever reason, they tend to favor a rigidly controlled and demoralized population or one that lives out their entire lives in blissful ignorance of the severe quality of life limitations placed upon them by a totalitarian regime.

My goal was to go against the grain by creating a social structure in which all of the institutions, philosohphies and bad behavior which the founders believed contributed to the downfall of previous societies have been eliminated. Everyone, without exception, has access to the exact same quantity and quality of food, clothing, housing, formal education and social advancement opportunities; bucking the trend of the standard approach.

[Virginia]

I think trends sometimes bring long held passions and ideas to the surface. I've loved dystopian and apocalyptic literature since I read Z for Zachariah in high school but I didn't really think about writing any before it became a current trend. For now I'm happy reading everything from Wool to We. :-)

[Michael]

I don't know if what I have published is in a trend or not, but I do know I've written many things (unpublished) that go into trends when they were, well a trend lol.
I wrote it because I liked it, I was inspired. It goes with, write what you enjoy to write. And if it happens to be part of a trend, then so be it. not sure if I have more to say so i'll just leave it as that for now haha

[Tabitha]

This was a good topic; don't know how I missed it.

Anyway, I'm on board with Michael. I write what moves me. Sometimes I'm surprised to find that reviewers feel that my writing falls within a "trend" ( like, a particular formula for relationships or motifs within relationships. Does that make sense?)

I think, on a conscious level, that I've even shied away from writing about topics that are currently trendy (i.e. vampires, fallen angels, etc)even though I find those gothic elements interesting.

Gosh, I hope I never subconsciously succumb to trending :0)

[K.P.]

I have no idea what the current trends are, as I don't get a newspaper or even own a television. -_- I'm so way behind the times. I think that's why all my works seem outdated...

[Mary]

Writing to trend is an even better way of seeming outdated, because by the time you are done writing, the trend is often dead as a dodo.

[Anne]

I think in romance, rock and roll is a trending theme. I'm seeing them pop up everywhere. My latest novel involves but doesn't surround that theme, so I hope that I'm right.
Also, it seems that serials are the big thing right now. I couldn't do a serial to save my life. Well, I could, but by the time I finished, the trend will have run its course. ;)

[Gem]

Anne makes a good point - writing to trends is a timing issue. Sometimes the trend will pass before the novel reaches publication. I didn't set out to write to a trend, it was more that I had something in process when a trend formed that suggested there might be enough of an audience to make it work commercially.

**nervously biting fingernails* I guess I'll know in in a little while.