Trends by Michael A. Black

Trends are funny things. They can crop up unexpectedly and stick around for a while, or they can vanish like the wind with no warning. Trying to chase them can be equally perplexing. Usually, if you try to latch onto a popular one, it’ll be over by the time you get your manuscript finished. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can anticipate one and catch the wave, but other times that’s like trying to catch smoke with your fingers.

Let’s take a look at some trends, both passé and current. Since I’m currently working on a western novel, let’s start with that one. The dime novels of the late 1800’s started this trend, and it continued for over a century. It reached its zenith during the early 1960’s when TV was packed with western shows such as Wagon Train, Bonanza, and Have Gun Will Travel. Western had long dominated the movies as well. Remember High Noon or Rio Grande? (Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson shared a song in that one.) And the western novels of Zane Grey (Riders of the Purple Sage) and Louis L’Amour (Hondo and The Quick and the Dead) were always on the bookshelves. While they’re not the dominant force they once were, the genre is still around today.

Sometimes trends can mutate and piggyback onto a current one. An example of this would be the sword and sandal flicks of the late 1950’s and early 60’s. Movie makers in Europe primarily tapped into Greek mythology and cast the crop of American and British bodybuilders like Steve Reeves and Reg Park as mythological heroes like Hercules and Samson. These movies shared a lot in common with the western genre: a lone hero battling a sinister, powerful villain faces impossible odds and finds the strength to triumph. This could easily describe the western formula as well. Ironically, the sword and sandal trend ran out of gas in the late 1960’s when European directors dropped them in favor of making westerns. Iconic American actor Clint Eastwood, fresh from the Rawhide TV series, traveled to Italy to make the now classic “Dollar” series (A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly).

Eastwood was on the cusp of the next big trend that supplanted the western dominance when he turned in his cowboy hat and gunbelt for a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world (at that time), and starred in the ground breaking Dirty Harry. This introduced the transfer of the western trend to one of cops and robbers. Hill Street Blues, Hunter, The Rookies, Cagney and Lacey… they subsequently dominated the airwaves for several decades.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I failed to mention another concurrent trend that started in the 60’s and is still going strong: secret agents. Who can forget the line immortalized by Sean Connery in Dr. No when the beautiful woman at the baccarat table asked his name? “Bond. James Bond.” Not only did the Bond films spawn a slew of entertaining imitators (The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Our Man Flint), but it’s still going strong today. Just ask Jason Bourne, if you can find him.

There have been others. There’s the dystopian society trend of those hunger games that leave people with an appetite for more, and the vampires and werewolves who experienced a resurgence a few years ago with the Twilight series. But just like Count Dracula avoiding the coming dawn, those lovable monsters have been supplanted by the walking dead as of late. I hope none of you was working on that vampire vs. the wolfman novel… Well, just put it aside and perhaps you can submit it on their next go-around.

But how do you anticipate a trend? The obvious answer is, it ain’t easy. So the best advice I can offer is don’t try. Stay within the established parameters of the various genres and write the novel that’s taking your attention, and keep in mind that trends are cyclical. What goes around eventually comes around. As we come full circle here, let me remind everyone that at this time I’m working on a western. Will the genre make a comeback? Hard to say, but hopefully, it’ll find a niche and who knows… it might even catch a coming wave.

Comments

[Jean Rabe]

superb column, on point. I gotta post this one to my Facebook followers. And WHY AREN'T YOU ON FACEBOOK to promote your stuff?

[Donna Howard]

I think right now on TV at least, the trend seems to be "ghost hunting". Some of the earlier ones are entertaining and interesting, the ones coming out now are just silly and won't last long.

Very entertaining post Michael.

[Ellen Kirschman]

Entertaining and literary. Thanks for the historical references.

[Michael A. Black]

Thanks for the comments. I didn't think about ghosts hunters, and later realized I also failed to mention the superhero craze which is probably reaching its apex. We'll know if a superhero parody crops up. Usually when something is parodied, it's a sure sign that it's on the way out. Remember Blazing Saddles? Facebook to me is a scary proposal, Jean. Maybe I'll leave it to my ghost. ;-)

[camille minichino]

Educational, as always, Michael. And when can we expect that western? Contemporary? I'll bet you're having fun with it!

[Michael A. Black]

Thanks, Camille. As far as the western, it's set in 1879 and features some real life characters as well as some fictional ones. I've gained a new respect for
Ann, whose series is set in the past. It requires a whole new set of rules as far as conjuring metaphors and images. The working title is Legends. I'm sort of in a tight deadline situation having two novels due in December, and I'm feeling the pressure.

[Ann]

I am so excited that you are writing a Western, Mike! I can't wait for it to come out... please keep us posted! :-D