Played out story ideas

[PamCarolson]

What themes do you feel are over played/over used? Have we reached an end to the vampire craze? I was doing some homework and Black Lace publishing does not want any millionaire stories, anything to do with islands, or yachts.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

I don't know if anything ever is 'played out' but I believe that some themes can go out of fashion at least for a while.

In the current economic climate with all the gloom and doom in the news I think that people have probablly turned a bit sour on the millionare sect, many believeing that it's the rich wall-street types who caused this mess in the first place. Also, when you're staring at unemployment and foreclosure do you really want to read about someone buying yachts and ferraris? Probablly not as it would tend to be a reminder of your current issues.

I've read the movies and tv shows are trying to downplay the 'rich' themes in their shows because of this.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Vamps, and pirates, are still good for a couple more years IMO...

I agree with CD. What you're seeing is a social backlash against "millionaires."

 

[SweetWitch]

I don't believe that any theme can be "played out". What grows stale is the "formula" method of writing.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

If the writing is any good, its formulaic, otherwise its schizophrenic word salad.

 

[MichaelWest]

What About Gatsby?

I imagine many people might be weary of oppulence, and it seems that during the Depression the Great Gatsby was mostly forgotten, but tales involving wealth and oppulence are still great stories where it is part of the story and not merely a crutch.

An expensive sportscar can be a very erotic plot device, say take your lover to a park and photograph her semi-undressed or nude, emmulate Story of O and make her sit bare bottom in the leather seats, or have her ride undressed. (Done this - Ferrari). Or it can be symbolic of a man compensating, using money to seduce rather than innate quality or genuine charms (feel like this in a Lamborghini though).

I am in the midst of writing a story that involves a wealthy character, his wealth affords him the freedom to pursue his passion for art and first edition books and so on. It is set in New York, although he is not a broker. Wealth is the magic portal to a different world in this story, it is like Story of O to me where there is the private club of likely affluent men who can afford the luxury of a Roissy and such. Again, I use cars as symbols, in particular a Super XJ8 Portfolio and a Maybach limo, they reveal clues about the character's inner workings, not merely that he has lots of lettuce.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Wealth and glamour are always in season snd always wildly popular with American peasants.

What they wont suffer without riots and blood in the streets is, a neighbor who makes 10 cents more a week, or a friend with an extra nickle in his jeans. The average A/H poster organizes her life around trifles. The rich and famous are a welcome respite for her.

To the average A/H poster, the rich and famous are as exotic as space aliens and carnival freaks, hence the average A/H poster doesnt identify with them. Bill Gates billions might as well be webbed feet or a Ubangi with stretched lips.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

If by "pleyed out" you mean things that I won't read or write? I would have to go with blackmail stories. I see someone being blackmailed and I get the fuck out of town and read something else. I really can't stand that kind of story.

 

[MichaelWest]

I would tend to agree that the world of the wealthy is rather like an "alien" world. I write about it because I am familiar with it. So maybe I am as turned off by a Trailer Park, but to me it is an alien world.

Someone once told me that there are only a few stories, we just retall them. I think the question is have we retold that story too close to another retelling. I bet one could spot the various pieces of Shakespeare's plays (by theme or characters) in every story, a piece here, another there, but we still keep crafting new tales.

 

[slyc_willie]

Have we reached an end to the vampire craze?

Damn, I really hope so . . . .

 

[DesertPirate]

Vamps, and pirates, are still good for a couple more years IMO...

I agree with CD. What you're seeing is a social backlash against "millionaires."

Yes, we are always quite popular

 

[Stella_Omega]

Yes, we are always quite popular

As long as we remain impoverished.

 

[Nirvanadragones]

There will always be vampires. Whether they are read, or not.

 

[sr71plt]

There will always be vampires. Whether they are read, or not.

Better dead than read?

On the question:

When publishers say they don't want a particular topic line, they don't necessarily mean that's an industry trend. Usually it means that they have quite enough of that included in their own coming catalog. They are filling catalog holes when they select. For smaller publishers it can just be personal taste inside the publishing house, too.

I haven't really heard of anything on the downswing in erotica as a whole.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

Vamps, and pirates, are still good for a couple more years IMO...

And werewolves. Don't forget the werewolves. And the shapeshifters. They're still going strong...

 

[Stella_Omega]

And werewolves. Don't forget the werewolves. And the shapeshifters. They're still going strong...

And tentacles are on an upswing. I'm bullish on tentacles.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

And tentacles are on an upswing. I'm bullish on tentacles.

Note to self, get back to writing unfinished tentacle stories...

 

[Stella_Omega]

Note to self, get back to writing unfinished tentacle stories...

I was hoping you'd say that!

 

[3113]

I imagine many people might be weary of oppulence, and it seems that during the Depression the Great Gatsby was mostly forgotten, but tales involving wealth and oppulence are still great stories where it is part of the story and not merely a crutch.

You forget that the big story written during the depression--the great novel of that time read by everyone--was The Grapes of Wrath.

People were, on the other hand, interested during the great depression in light, frothy *Cinderella* type movies, where some poor girl gets the rich handsome prince, or poor Fred and Ginger dance their way to fame and fortune, but that's a bit different from stories of people living in excess for excess' sake. I think these might be put on the back burner for a while if we're discussing what sort of tales might be in and out of fashion.

 

[MichaelWest]

Although this financial "crisis" is not quite the Depression (yet), I look forward to this generation's Grapes of Wrath.

And I would agree, people love stories that provide escape, but might be disgusted by oppulence run amok. Then there was Wall Street, the movie that stated "greed is good" and launched the current generation of Norman Geckos.

I will hope that my story is not trully frothy but I am not attempting to critique the wealthy either, so I doubt I will craft another Grapes of Wrath.

Perhaps the issue isn't so much what stories are played out, but rather how as an author we avoid telling a story so close to what is already done. I was thinking about fairy tales and thought of sleeping beauty, but Anne Rice has written a series on that "theme", so I rather sadly shelved my ideas for fear I might be seen the copycat, even in a limited way. Isn't it too easy for a reader to compare Vampuire fiction with that done by Anne Rice or a story of S&M with Reage?

Where does homage or inspired parallel story telling end and copycating or plagarism begin?

 

[Stella_Omega]

Although this financial "crisis" is not quite the Depression (yet), I look forward to this generation's Grapes of Wrath.

And I would agree, people love stories that provide escape, but might be disgusted by oppulence run amok. Then there was Wall Street, the movie that stated "greed is good" and launched the current generation of Norman Geckos.

I will hope that my story is not trully frothy but I am not attempting to critique the wealthy either, so I doubt I will craft another Grapes of Wrath.

Perhaps the issue isn't so much what stories are played out, but rather how as an author we avoid telling a story so close to what is already done. I was thinking about fairy tales and thought of sleeping beauty, but Anne Rice has written a series on that "theme", so I rather sadly shelved my ideas for fear I might be seen the copycat, even in a limited way. Isn't it too easy for a reader to compare Vampuire fiction with that done by Anne Rice or a story of S&M with Reage?

Where does homage or inspired parallel story telling end and copycating or plagarism begin?

Parallel writing is NOT plagiarism, Micheal. Otherwise, all of those thousands upon thousands of romance writers? So in trouble.


Joss Whedon's vamps were very different than Anne Rice's. "Pirates of the Caribbean" was utterly different than "Captain Blood" or "treasure Island." You won't be copycatting. Your characters will be your own. Where Sleeping Beauty goes after her awakening-- that will be your story, not Rice's.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I definitely could go with more tentacle sex. Goooooooooooooo, monsters!

 

[MichaelWest]

You are right. I know that if one looks, one will find the inspirations for and influences upon my writing. I often read a story and think how I thought it would be different. For example, I read Brian Herbert's first three prequels and found them to be at odds with how I imagined Dune began. I would love to write it how I see it. But is that presumption or hubris? Besides that story now occupies the realm, perhaps preempting it. However, I agree that I can craft my own story, even if it has so much in common, borrowed from or inspired by another's work.

I have written several vignettes inspired by Story of O where I keep certain parts and recast others, and add new to create what I imagined. For me it is honoring the inspiration and respecting the parts I find so perfect that I want to let them stand unaltered (with credit to the source), I just wonder how other writers feel about being "assimilated" so to speak.

And as regards tentacle sex, I am working on a SciFi piece featuring an alien species of sentient cephlapods (Octopus/Squids) where lots of tentacles see lots of sex with a rather adventuresome young lady.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

And as regards tentacle sex, I am working on a SciFi piece featuring an alien species of sentient cephlapods (Octopus/Squids) where lots of tentacles see lots of sex with a rather adventuresome young lady.

I like it already!

 

[Stella_Omega]

You are right. I know that if one looks, one will find the inspirations for and influences upon my writing. I often read a story and think how I thought it would be different. For example, I read Brian Herbert's first three prequels and found them to be at odds with how I imagined Dune began. I would love to write it how I see it. But is that presumption or hubris? Besides that story now occupies the realm, perhaps preempting it. However, I agree that I can craft my own story, even if it has so much in common, borrowed from or inspired by another's work.

Presumption? Possibly. Hubris? Speaking for myself, I don't think Herbert was any sort of.. god, yanno. I mean-- those prequels always seemed less-than-inspired, to be kind...

I have written several vignettes inspired by Story of O where I keep certain parts and recast others, and add new to create what I imagined. For me it is honoring the inspiration and respecting the parts I find so perfect that I want to let them stand unaltered (with credit to the source), I just wonder how other writers feel about being "assimilated" so to speak.

This is a thing we call 'fanfic' and it inhabits a grey area, rife with controversy-- which never stops anyone from writing it, of course. Regeire, in any case, is deceased, so you really don't have to worry about her feelings... her copyright holders however-- they may wish to have some words with you!

And as regards tentacle sex, I am working on a SciFi piece featuring an alien species of sentient cephlapods (Octopus/Squids) where lots of tentacles see lots of sex with a rather adventuresome young lady.