I'm having a nice cup of tea with lemon and thinking about what I want to write this year in the area of fiction. I remembered an article by Debbie Macomber, one of my favorite romance authors.I just finished reviewing Debbie's article again. Do yourself a favor and go read it. I'm just going to summarize some of what she said and give my own commentary.
Debbie says you can identify trends by identifying and using pop culture to write and sell your novel. I completely agree with her which is why I blog a lot on my other blog where the writing biz meets pop culture about television and movies.
What's happening across the big pond?
Think of how many TV shows here first started on the BBC. I have friends who watch BBC television to see what's coming down the pike. That's something you can try since BBC is on many satellite TV systems.
TV
Yep, we used to call it the boob tube (before boob was in common parlance as a body part). Now it's a reflector of our culture. Look at the shows - all those reality shows so many of us hate as well as the sitcoms, dramas, game shows, and action series.
Movies: Cinema or Other Release
Have you seen the movies that garner the most buzz, awards, or ticket sales? If not, you're missing an eye into pop culture.
Catalogs
Read what Debbie says. I never realized it, but she's right. I get an avalanche of catalogs every year. I never saw them as a peek into millions of people's buying habits, but that's what they are. What people buy translates into what interests them.
Periodicals
I still read magazines and newspapers. I've blogged before about why people should do this. I know Dick Wolfe of the Law and Order franchise has built a substantial career from "ripped from the headlines."
Internet
All of you probably guessed that's one of the ways to spot trends whether it's the Brittany-obsessed, sobbing teen to the yammering dog made even more famous on Talk Soup.
Takeaway Truth
Writers need to look for trends, but they should try to write a trendy story. There's a big difference in the two.
Good post. I had never thought about my writing in this light, but I will from now on!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cathy. I believe you're writing Christian fiction. That began as a trend more than a decade ago and is now an established genre with many sub-genres. I think it has the possibility to be even bigger if someone comes out with a Da Vinci Code type book (sweeping big history-based thriller) that is historically and doctrinally correct where Da Vinci code was a mishmash of twisted facts.
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