Agents and publishers do not – so I am led to
believe – want novels that are remakes of other people’s work. The new writer
who succeeds in a difficult market is usually one who has something new to say,
something that has not been already done to death by a multitude of more
experienced writers. It’s that fresh approach that a publisher will look for.
Time and again I read articles by agents who
say they are looking for writers with a new, fresh voice, writers who can
tackle an old subject in a way that has not been done before. And there is a
real risk that a new writer who has self-hypnotised on a string of best-selling
novels will produce more of the old formula. The fresh approach may be missing.
So, yes, read other author’s work, and read
avidly. But, when you tackle your own novel, you should avoid the risk of sub-consciously
regurgitating another version of something that has already been done. That’s
one reason why I like to plan out my novels right at the start. I want to be
sure I am not going to waste the next few months doing what someone else has
already done… and probably done better because it was fresh and new when that
previous writer tackled it.
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