Most genres run in cycles and trends. What’s hot today may not be tomorrow. Should you chase these trends?
Writing Tip for Today: Here are some tips on writing to trends:
Cycling
My first novel was about a woman teacher who had to return to her own school and face the abuse she’d once endured from a male teacher who was now principal. As I made the querying rounds, I kept running into agents’ notes that said, “No sex or child abuse stories.”
I didn’t know it at the time, but certain topics do tend to run in cycles. The news media and now, social media often drive the larger conversation. This means that if my book hits the market at a time when this abuse narrative is popular or in the news, I might find a more willing agent or editor.
On the other hand, if the market for that topic is glutted or on a down trend, it might mean you can’t find interest in your book. Other cycles I’ve observed: vampire stories (thanks to the Twilight series and movies), child narrator stories or Harry Potter-esque sagas. These and many other topics or genres seem to ebb and flow.
Rushing
So if you see a trend, should you immediately write as fast as you can to get in on the wave? Most agents and seasoned writers will say no—by the time you have a publishable product, the trend is long gone. An exception might be for writers who are able to write quickly or adapt existing material to fit the fad.
If the trend is something that you already care deeply about, go ahead and try. You may or may not be able to hit paydirt, but most of us should write our passions anyway. You can hold on to a manuscript until the cycle comes around again.
The most important reason for not chasing trends is that your heart may not be in the right place. If you only want fame and fortune, your effort could turn out shallow and without depth of emotion. In fiction as well as memoir and even nonfiction, the ultimate goal is always to provoke deep emotion. If it’s only a way to cash in, you may not be able t o write with enough honesty or authenticity.
If you really want/need to join a trend, try shorter forms.
Experimenting
If you really want/need to join a trend, try shorter forms. Write an article or essay or poem about the topic. Pen an op-ed to make your voice heard. Remember, not every idea is book-worthy. By starting with a brief form, you’ll quickly see how much you have to say. And don’t forget that periodicals or compilation books have much shorter turnaround times than stand alone books.
If you miss out on a trend (like my first novel), don’t trash it. Keep writing and revising. Even if the work is not published, you will be honing your writing skills. When and if the trend comes back into fashion, you may get your chance after all.
Or, by the time a former trend comes back, you may have moved on. You’re not the same writer you were. Either begin with a new work-in-progress that better reflects your current skill level or do some heavy revising. No matter the trend, you always want to offer your best writing work.
Have you written to a trend? How was your experience?
