Different is bad.
Have you seen the new models of cars that came out for
2018? Look similar to last year’s
models? Of course. Have you noticed the plethora of sequels in
your local movie theater? Of course. The
reason is partly capitalism at it’s finest.
Feed the masses a familiar theme and they will flock to the store for
it. It’s why there’s a Starbucks on
every corner of the globe. Think about
it, when you’re traveling and there’s a coffee shop nearby, do you opt for Benny’s
Cafe, or Starbucks? My guess, you’re
going to Starbucks. Why? Familiarity.
You know exactly what you’re going to get and who knows what’s available
at Benny’s.
This theme can easily be transferred to books. You want a thriller, James Patterson. You want a legal thriller, John Grisham. But increasingly the most creative stories
are being told by independent authors with independent thoughts and no Big 5 Publisher
to tell them how to change their story to make it more appealing. That’s code for more cliché. More familiar to readers.
Now that may seem like a huge generalization, but not so
fast. If you’ve heard the accomplishments
of people like Hugh Howey, Andy Weir, EL James, Amanda Hocking, or John Locke,
you’ll realize publishers weren’t knocking down their door for their
novels. Their stories were different,
edgy, in EL James’s case, pushing the envelope between romantic thriller and pornography. But it was different. And when different becomes popular, it
becomes mainstream and it changes the landscape in good way.
Back in the early ‘80’s I was living in Seattle when a friend
of mine invited me to go see this band called REM. They were playing in a bar in front of 300
people. I loved it. I’d never heard this type of music
before. It was hard to characterize. It was different. Outside of the fact that Michael Stipe spent
the entire concert with his back to the audience, it was great. And maybe REM had a record contract, but it was
with a small record company that left them alone to do whatever they
wanted. The results were magnificent. There are dozens of bands who’ve gone on to
imitate Peter Buck’s jangly guitar from Gin Blossoms to Nirvana. It changed everything.
All of these examples come from creative people who were
unbridled to do whatever their hearts desired.
Hugh Howey imagined a post-apocalyptic society living one-hundred and
forty stories below the surface of the earth.
Creative. John Locke created an
anti-hero in Donovan Creed. A quirky Ex-CIA
hitman who straddles both sides of the law to accomplish his goals.
Where is the future of creative fiction coming from? I don’t know, but I’ll bet an Indie author is
working on it as we speak.
