Authors writing one story over and over

[Naughtylit81]

As I reflect on this question I am immediately reminded of Harry Turtledove who is (was?) an acclaimed writer of alternative history. I remember binging through several of his series in a relatively short period and by the end I found several of his character types and tropes to be exceedingly monotonous. I mean I get it Harry, the older wise character is you and he is going to get to boink the late 30s single mother.

So even in the realm of "legitimate" fiction there are authors we would consider accomplished and talented writers who still have their go to characters, themes, and tropes regardless of whatever else is going on in the story. If it works for them I am going to give myself a pass if there is some rhyming to my story beats.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

As I reflect on this question I am immediately reminded of Harry Turtledove who is (was?) an acclaimed writer of alternative history. I remember binging through several of his series in a relatively short period and by the end I found several of his character types and tropes to be exceedingly monotonous. I mean I get it Harry, the older wise character is you and he is going to get to boink the late 30s single mother.

So even in the realm of "legitimate" fiction there are authors we would consider accomplished and talented writers who still have their go to characters, themes, and tropes regardless of whatever else is going on in the story. If it works for them I am going to give myself a pass if there is some rhyming to my story beats.

Great point. If you read multiple series by any author in a short period of time you invariably pick up similarities.

 

[Niceguy2000]

I certainly agree with the OP.
Coincidentally, yesterday I stumbled on a newer story by one of the authors he mentions.
Basically the same thing....but this was inverse, older guy-younger woman and had a military tie in.
I swear this is true...I thought to myself "This guy can write, I just wish he would do something different".

Likewise, A few weeks ago, I left a very politely worded comment to a story that was a virtual replay of all 12 of his other stories....older UK couple on holiday in the sunny places Brits holiday at and wife gets permission to sleep with guy to satisfy husbands long dormant kink. Other man dominates her, won't use condom, wife is against abortion for religious reasons (but she's not so religious to avoid adultery in the first place )... and the expected ensues. Another reader said the same thing, though less politely, and the author hasn't been seen since.

Again, I appreciate the authors.
I still haven't finished my first work, so they've done more than I have.
The good ones know character development and pacing better than I do combined with the fact I have little imagination (the nice part of being a journalist, you don't need one)...so I'm really not throwing rocks at folks.

Unlike a Hollywood film, TV series or Broadway play where costs make sequels, prequels, and same universe stories attractive, writing here is free.
So hopefully, writers will stretch their talents and try the occasional new story.

And to wrap up...The other day, there was a first story over in the LWs section.
Not bad at all. I wrote a comment of encouragement and offered some minor suggestions. I hope the author reads it.
As (free) readers, the least we can do is give encouragement and feedback, especially to the brave first time writers who share their work here.

 

[SleeperyJim]

I was reading this thread and had to agree with both sides of what turned out to be a twelve-sided discussion. But even that was revealing, in that we write what we want, but we also want other people to like it. It's natural; we all seek approval in some way or another. When I started, I read some stories and a lot of comments and picked LW with the intention of writing a series of 20 short stories on a loosely linked theme, mainly because it seemed the harshest critics gathered in LW like vultures around a dead antelope. It was a challenge, and I enjoyed it. Some of what I wrote was crap, but I also discovered that during writing that series, which was all basically the same event looked at in different ways, I had somehow managed to improve my writing quite a lot to the point I wrote a reasonably successful novel as well.
I suppose my response then is a little banal. Set yourself a target - doesn't matter what it is - and then try and reach it while writing what you want. If you want to write only 750 words, then finish them bang on the number. If you want to write in every genre Lit offers, do that. And if you just want to write bang-bang stories, go for it. If you want to write a story which only gets good reviews, good luck with that. It doesn't matter what your driving force is, that's not for the reader. But it is the satisfaction for you.

And, while in danger of simply repeating what so many critics say, get yourself a good editor. The good ones don't just check spelling and grammar, they help you write a better story that improve your writing overall.

That's all I have to say about that.

 

[Melody_Lightdraft2]

How different do you want?
Graphic owned by me. Artist Tail Teller.

 

[StillStunned]

@Melody_Lightdraft2 Just a quick word of warning: we got told off a while ago for posting AI images here in the forums. Granted, that was when people were posting one image after the other, and I doubt that just the one will get you into trouble, but there's a strong "no AI" policy here.

 

[Voboy]

@Melody_Lightdraft2 Just a quick word of warning: we got told off a while ago for posting AI images here in the forums. Granted, that was when people were posting one image after the other, and I doubt that just the one will get you into trouble, but there's a strong "no AI" policy here.

She's already posted two in two different threads, quite recently.

I imagine it'll soon draw attention.

 

[Melody_Lightdraft2]

Thanks for the warning, the ones I tend to post are not A.I but created through Daz3d software.
The others are purchased from artists, point taken.

 

[Whanmore]

I get that one of the golden rules here is to write what satisfies you, but at a certain point it gets lazy. I've noticed that for several authors, 90% of their stories follow the same general theme and/or storyline and the characters share several identifiable elements with one another, even if names and backgrounds change.

Such is art. Tim Burton. Twain. Neil Gaiman, Judy Blume most artists are like this. Not everyone's trying to be Shakespeare.

 

[StillStunned]

Such is art. Tim Burton. Twain. Neil Gaiman, Judy Blume most artists are like this. Not everyone's trying to be Shakespeare.

Did you ever see "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged", by the Reduced Shakespeare Company? They get through all his comedies in about three minutes. "A king/prince/duke with one/three/five/seven sons/daughters..." etc.

 

[TheLobster]

Not everyone's trying to be Shakespeare.

In here, I believe many are trying to be what Shakespeare actually was, i.e., a competent, talented purveyor of works directed at the masses that are both entertaining and clever.

Notwithstanding what Shakespeare is currently regarded as in the literary world which might be, uh, a tad overblown.

 

[Whanmore]

Notwithstanding what Shakespeare is currently regarded as in the literary world which might be, uh, a tad overblown.

Sure ... opinions are great to have. I was nearly speaking t the original question. Will Shakes IMO seems to have a lot of different setting (for the imagined times) and his characters were somewhat more varied (again relatively speaking) in comparison to like Tim Burton who basically has the same character in the same setting with the same themes.

Most artists are like that. They like what they like. Tarantino only does like gangster or Western style gun violence. He has no desire to push his boundaries or explore different themes and write a Romance love story or anything and that's okay.

Did you ever see "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged", by the Reduced Shakespeare Company? They get through all his comedies in about three minutes. "A king/prince/duke with one/three/five/seven sons/daughters..." etc.

I must have missed it. Seems like they's skip some of the good stuff lol

 

[StillStunned]

I must have missed it. Seems like they's skip some of the good stuff lol

I think the only play they skip is "King John", because no-one has ever read it. When I saw their performance, they asked the audience. The only person who raised their hand was a professor of English Literature.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I think the only play they skip is "King John", because no-one has ever read it. When I saw their performance, they asked the audience. The only person who raised their hand was a professor of English Literature.

Ian McKellen's 80th-birthday tour one-man show had him do bits from all 37 plays, with some anecdotes. King John got 'Meh', and the book tossed aside.

ReducedSC does Hamlet for the whole second half, but gets in the key points of all the others. Some multi-purpose shipwrecks, IIRC.