Writing as a Two-Stage Process

[Verdad]

Brown also pitched it to the the just-right middlebrow market. Other books had been, like you say, too esoteric or too scholarly. Brown set his ideas in a classic thriller/chase/mystery setting with that page-turner flavor. He didn't do it well, but he did it well enough.

Word among publishers is that religious-themed books are supposed to do well as baby-boomers age and start returning to religion and asking questions about it. Da Vinci questioned why Christianity wasn't more to people's liking, saved Christ and blamed the Church. Always a sound strategy.

Yes. Music's been mentioned as an analogy, and it almost always works that way in music, too. Before Madonna or someone suddenly comes up with a 'brand new style', there's an entire underground scene that's already been through all the permutations. Their stuff gets picked up, watered down, and powdered up, and there's your new craze.

This ear for what will resonate is not necessarily a mark of mediocrity, though. It's been often said of Shakespeare, of all people, that he's been little more than a talented plagiator. It's a talent in its own right to recombine the familiar in just the way that will reach people; at its worst, it's just a nose for the market, but at its best it's like being a conduit for what many feel but few can express.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

VERDAD

What you cite is very much how things are in most endeavors, because the best creators are not generally the best performers. It's the performance that matters to the public.

 

[driphoney]

Yes. Music's been mentioned as an analogy, and it almost always works that way in music, too. Before Madonna or someone suddenly comes up with a 'brand new style', there's an entire underground scene that's already been through all the permutations. Their stuff gets picked up, watered down, and powdered up, and there's your new craze.

This ear for what will resonate is not necessarily a mark of mediocrity, though. It's been often said of Shakespeare, of all people, that he's been little more than a talented plagiator. It's a talent in its own right to recombine the familiar in just the way that will reach people; at its worst, it's just a nose for the market, but at its best it's like being a conduit for what many feel but few can express.

I think this can be applied right here on Literotica. There are some fabulous writers here who soar to the top of the list, their works have all red H's and never waiver. There are other really good writers who barely get noticed, have few red H's. Then there are some mediocre writers who have found the Lit 'sweet spot' and do extremely well with limited abilities, but something, either emotional, high drama plot, or fantastic, orgasmic sex, or whatever, builds them a fan base.

On a much smaller scale, it's the same thing. While it might not be literary artistry, isn't it a form of craftmanship to know how to create something that resonates with people? And there should be a level of pride in that, perhaps?

And then there's the rest of us. Sniff.

 

[Liar]

On a much smaller scale, it's the same thing. While it might not be literary artistry, isn't it a form of craftmanship to know how to create something that resonates with people? And there should be a level of pride in that, perhaps?

Or even, knowing how to sell whatever you've got. That's a talent in itself.