MathiasCavanaugh.com

A fantasy & science fiction writer's blog by author Mathias Cavanaugh
  • Home
  • Home
  • Novels
    • Daughters of Fate Book 1
    • Daughters of Fate Book 2
    • Daughters of Fate Book 3
  • About Mathias Cavanaugh
  • Info For Literary Agents/Publishers
  • Contact Mathias
Home > Form and Style, The Writing Process > Start Your Own Trend, Don’t Copy!

Start Your Own Trend, Don’t Copy!

June 21, 2012 Mathias Leave a comment Go to comments

I hear aspiring authors such as myself say it all the time. They say they are going to write a vampire novel because vampires are hot. They say they are going to write chick lot because that’s where the money is. They say they are going to write a novel about this teenage wizard because Harry Potter was a smashing success. They say they are going to write a post apocalyptic adventure with teens fighting each other and struggling to survive because, well, because look how many copy’s The Hunger Games has sold.

What these people are doing is writing for other people and trying to hop on a trend. They are not writing for themselves. And, if you ask me, it shows in their final products. I’ve read more than my share of these concoctions.

It seems that every time one of my friends opts to put up a novel on Amazon written in such a manner they ask my opinion on it. Ok, ignore the fact that vampire (the blood sucking type) novels are not really my thing. But I do like a good story. Note I said “good”. It doesn’t even have to be great!

But if I am asked to read one more Twilight knockoff, I am going to scream. Give me one more Harry Potter retelling where the characters are the same with only different names, and I will toss it at your head!

I honestly do understand the compulsion some authors have. They want fame and fortune and see the copycat train as the means to their destination. But really, do they think they are going to get either of those things telling a story already told with only minor changes?

Ok, some authors have made a pretty good career out of doing just that I suppose. Nora Roberts has written over 200 books revolving around duplicated plots of her previous books or other stories that were published. But I don’t really care about the exceptions. Copycats and people who rehash the same story over and over rarely get rewarded for their efforts.

Taking such a course will most likely end in failure. The story has been written. Move on. Write something else. Think that the people who read the story you are trying to duplicate the success of will actually buy your version? You are probably going to surprise by how explosively that grand plan fails.

Don’t write a story because you think someone else will like it. Write the story you want to write. It will show better than the duplicate you tried to create. You’ll succeed far greater by starting your own trend.

Categories: Form and Style, The Writing Process Tags: 200 Books, Amazon, Aspiring Authors, Chick, Compulsion, Concoctions, Copycats, Exceptions, Fame And Fortune, Hunger, Minor Changes, Nora Roberts, Novels, Previous Books, Smashing Success, Somethin, Teenage Wizard, Time One, Vampire Novel, Vampires
Comments (0) Trackbacks (0) Leave a comment Trackback
  1. No comments yet.
  1. No trackbacks yet.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Saturday Twitter Follower Welcomes Why It Is Ok To Dislike A Movie But Not A Book

Let’s Connect!

Follow Me on FacebookFollow Me on TwitterFollow Me on LinkedInFollow Me on PinterestFollow Me on RSSFollow Me on Goodreads

Subscribe to My Newsletter

We keep your data private and share your data only with third parties that make this service possible. Read our Privacy Policy.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Read Books by Mathias Cavanaugh

AVAILABLE NOW ON WATTPAD!

Daughters of Fate Book 1
Daughters of Fate Book 2
Daughters of Fate Book 3

Tales of the Inglorious Brotherhood (In Progress)

Recent Posts

  • Getting Your Writing Done: Burst and Session Writing
  • Daughters of Fate (The Completed Trilogy)
  • Why Twitter Is A Dangerous Place For Me To Be
  • The Little Author Who Cried, “Woe Was Me!”
  • When In Doubt, Blow Something Up!

Categories

Archives

Writing Projects:

Novels:
Under the Darkened Moon (Final Manuscript)
100%
Outsider (1st Draft)
90%
Cry of the Golden Wyvern (1st Draft)
15%
Awakening (1st Draft)
55%
Dragon's Tale (1st Draft)
15%
Her Lovely Blood (1st Draft)
20%
The Half-Orc Princess (1st Draft)
15%
The Stone-Flesh Curse (1st Draft)
10%
Wildflower's Rebellion (Concept)
0%

Short Stories:
Second Chances (Final Manuscript)
100%
The Yoke (Final Manuscript 2nd Take)
100%
First and Second Lessons (3rd Polish Edit)
88%
Sacrifice (Manuscript)
90%
The Flames (5th Polish Edit)
100%

Top
Copyright © 2011-2021 MathiasCavanaugh.com