I find myself in a rather strange predicament; I have nothing to say lately.Now, some philosophers might argue that saying "I have nothing to say" is technically saying something. And I suppose I'd have to agree. But, even with that said, I find myself rather subdued these days and with nothing fascinating or interesting to report.
I am in a very quiet and contemplative place. But that quiet contemplation is not describable with words. It's just quiet. This is not an easy feeling for a writer who, as I've said in the past, flies on wordy wings - the wordiest of all, most times.
I have been wondering though lately... do you think the classics would be successful if written today? I don't think they would. I don't mean written today with today's style. I mean if they were written as they were then but tried to be sold today.
I recently saw Charles Dickens' David Copperfield and although I know watching a movie and reading a book are often more dissimilar than similar, I found David a boring character. It was all the periphery characters that were most interesting, flawed, and grew/changed. Even though David had a horrible childhood, as many of Dickens' child character do, he grew up well, despite his horrors and never showed any sign of being affected.
Secondly, he didn't even bring about or solve the battle scene. He was just simply the sun of some strange universe filled with other more remarkable planets.
So, I reflect on what sells today... what sold yesterday... and how they are different.
Today, readers expect or anticipate that your main character will be the most flawed or unique and will go through the most change, there-by changing those around him/her. Was that always true of the classics? No. Yet, they've survived the test of time. Is that always true of today's characters? No. Look at Twilight. Bella didn't really "change" until the last book. And I would argue that her "change" wasn't even really a "change?" She was still the same character but stronger, more balanced, and prettier. (Of course I still have about 100 pages to go before I am done, so perhaps I am premature in my conclusion...)
Well, look at that! I guess, I had something to talk about after all. But even still... in this very wintry of winters... my mind seems to be hibernating. Quiet and contemplative, like the snow, once again falling outside my window....
Do you think the classics would sell in today's market? Why or why not?
