THE VAMPIRE FAD

By Jess C Scott, 16 Mar 2011

Sign spotted at a Barnes & Noble bookstore.

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As a consumer, I understand the escapist and entertainment value of commercial products. I am not really into commercialism, so things like the sparkly vampires of Twilight (and the recent and ongoing vampire/werewolves/zombies/fallen angels/paranormal craze) don't really appeal to me.

As a writer (of authentic/not really "commercially categorizable" fiction), I have always wanted to produce original work that's able to stand the test of time. For better or worse, I am part of the "old school" bunch of writers/artistes who take their craft seriously.

I find some perspectives/sentiments/comments very interesting (when reading the blogs of very successful indie authors). I’ve read at least four times, on different blogs, something along the following lines:

"…reasons for my success: I write commercial fiction. I may not be writing the next Great American Novel, but I have financial security, and whether you like it or not, it’s what CUSTOMERS WANT TO READ, which takes hard work rather than simply writing to satisfy an inner muse."

Well, present-day commercial fiction (of the 'fluff' variety) is not what *I* mostly want to read, and I think there are different markets/target audiences for different genres/types of work. As long as a writer can keep this in mind, I think independent publishing will continue to offer a tremendous amount of opportunities to writers everywhere (regardless of whether they write commercial genre fiction, literary fiction, etc etc).

The subject of commercial fiction brings to mind the following quote:

"As for the mob, I have no desire to be a popular novelist. It is far too easy." ~ Oscar Wilde

Following the trends and fads can bring in a lot of money (and quickly). It's like the production of pornography to satisfy a person's lust [there's no need for any artistic merit (which includes artistic style, or the inclusion of sociopolitical points, etc), because the commercial consumer is primarily interested in the values of escapism + entertainment].

I have a certain vision with regards to my work, which I continue to adhere to, as I produce more work (I published my first book in mid-2009). Keeping in line with my vision is something that will always be important to me, regardless of how much (or how little) money is involved.

Literature is an art form, and I think making that distinction prevents me from getting frustrated at fads and such (though I have been very frustrated in the past, with regards to commercialism). I make a conscious choice to write stories that are unique/authentic, which are not too high-brow/pretentious. I believe something can have style and substance, and still be digestible. I usually aim to write thoughtful prose that is both entertaining and meaningful.

In the long run, fads change, and people move on to the next fad. Which is why fads have never really interested me.

I want my stories to still be relevant tomorrow. I want my books to be able to endure the constant changes in the fickle world of commercial fiction.

Good writing makes the difference between fiction that lasts through the decades and centuries, and fiction that goes up like fireworks, burns out, and is forgotten (comment by Catana).

* Note: A chunk of this post was from a blog comment I left on an article on "the future of books."

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