Should one follow or defy trends?

[WaterFish]

I’ve been writing for a while and have always had this question. Those who religiously follow trends tend to have some level of success with their works (even if it’s minimal). While trend setters that defy those rules usually have a good grasp of their own narrative. What they want to do.

I often see new writers confused on what to write because they don’t want their work be thrown into obscurity, and have seen many try a popular gimmick… only to not have passion for it.

Or have that initial passion fade away fast.

Maybe doing whatever is fine, but I wanted to at least bring this up to let you guys answer it for yourselves if you’re a writer. This is definitely a question worth thinking about at least once.

 

[SailusGebel]

It's simple. Do you want a stable, relative success, or do you want to risk it all for a slim chance to hit it big?

 

[Paul_Tromba]

Yes, and no.

 

[CarburetorThompson]

If you enjoy a trend there is no problem with following it.

Personally I'd be fine following trends/being generic if it was for something I enjoy

 

[SailusGebel]

If you enjoy a trend there is no problem with following it.

Good point. I am lucky the stuff I like is not something obscure, like fighter jets.

 

[Daitengu]

Regardless of trends, there's things that you need to have down to be a great. Story flow, organic feeling characters, compelling plot, non-repreating story in the story engine, etc.

 

[laccoff_mawning]

Following trends is fine, as long as you understand why a trend works in the first place, and have enough braincells and enthusiam to actually make something semi-original with it.

But I think if someones tries a "popular gimmic" because they think its going to be easy... its honestly entirely their fault for being so naive.

My answer is that one should always subvert trends in order to make comedies.

 

[ACertainPassingUser]

Follow the trend to gain base popularity
Defy the trend whenever you see a chance

You could produce steady stream of works that follows the Trending to gain popularity and feedback

That's pretty simple after you found out what works and what doesn't, and simplified it.

Then, after producing several works that is popular from following the trend, produce one work that defy the trend every now and then.

By doing that, you wont risk it all in one work, and you can see whenever it doesnt work.

Its okay if your work is thrown into obscurity or being cliche ignored. Its still a work afterall. Its better than having no work at all.

 

[RepresentingEnvy]

Why not both? You can start with the popular gimmick and defy them. That's how some of the popular isekais did it. They started with the base concept but subverted expectations.

 

[SailusGebel]

Why not both? You can start with the popular gimmick and defy them. That's how some of the popular isekais did it. They started with the base concept but subverted expectations.

Or do the opposite and go full cliche, since nowadays everyone try to subvert or defy things. Do the most cliche story, but make it real good.

 

[RepresentingEnvy]

Or do the opposite and go full cliche, since nowadays everyone try to subvert or defy things. Do the most cliche story, but make it real good.

JJK

 

[SailusGebel]

JJK

Not cliche enough! Just kidding. Yeah, JJK fits, though you can still go even more cliche. At the very least there has to be a love interest. ANNOYING love interest.

 

[CarburetorThompson]

Not cliche enough! Just kidding. Yeah, JJK fits, though you can still go even more cliche. At the very least there has to be a love interest. ANNOYING love interest.

I watched JJK but there wasn't any ju jitsu. It's just magic and ghosts or something. I want to see someone put in a gulliotine. I want to see some UFC 1 shit

 

[SailusGebel]

I watched JJK but there wasn't any ju jitsu. It's just magic and ghosts or something. I want to see someone put in a gulliotine. I want to see some UFC 1 shit

YES! That's the stuff! Let me give you a smooch!

 

[Chaos_Sinner777]

Both. Use the ones you like and murder the ones you don't like in a dark alleyway.

 

[Vnator]

The stories I wrote that followed trends got super popular while the ones that tried to properly defy them didn't do as hotly. TBF it's also the nature of these sites (Scribblehub and RoyalRoad) where most of the readers are teenagers who haven't been immersed in those trends/tropes long enough to start to feel tired of them.

Honestly, write what you want. If you write what the masses want, then you're not going to enjoy it as much after a while, and you're here to have fun rather than make money. Unless your story hits it off well enough that you know Amazon Kindle's LitRPG or whatever section readers would buy your story up, then keep writing for fun :)

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

One should go where they want to go regardless of trend. Maybe you'll start a new one.

 

[LORD_SHAXX]

A healthy mix of both. Something unique to you but then something generic

 

[Vnator]

Also another thing to keep in mind is to find a middle ground, or find a trope you want to deconstruct or mess with and advertise your story as being of that trope while properly deconstructing or messing around with it!

Living it for the Plot is supposed to be like that, a story that takes place in a world out of an NTR porno, but the main character works to live a decent life, and chaos ensues: https://www.scribblehub.com/series/696771/living-it-for-the-plot-litrpg/

 

[ElijahRyne]

I’ve been writing for a while and have always had this question. Those who religiously follow trends tend to have some level of success with their works (even if it’s minimal). While trend setters that defy those rules usually have a good grasp of their own narrative. What they want to do.

I often see new writers confused on what to write because they don’t want their work be thrown into obscurity, and have seen many try a popular gimmick… only to not have passion for it.

Or have that initial passion fade away fast.

Maybe doing whatever is fine, but I wanted to at least bring this up to let you guys answer it for yourselves if you’re a writer. This is definitely a question worth thinking about at least once.

Unless it is your lively hood, don’t worry if the story you want to write will follow a trend or be a trend setter. Just write what you wanna write.