There are currently two groups of authors from the perspective of content-generation. The first group, whom I like to call the Trend-setters, traces their origin to when the first trend-setting author received this piece of advice:

Author: What should I write about?

Conscience: Imagine the book that you would want to read. And then go write it.

Trend-setters trust their inner voice to tell them what theme or even genre to write about.

On the other hand, I propose to call the second group the Bandwagoners but not in a sleazy, fake way. Bandwagoners are more attuned to the prevailing tastes of readers, whether it's alien-human romance, Gone Girl psychological thriller, or Jack Reacher action. In fact, Bandwagoners sometimes have special software that acts like a crystal ball to help them predict what the next big hit will be. Their process is called market research and, depending on the author's OC-ness, can be very scientific because, like I said in the previous chapter, everything on the Internet runs on algorithms.

Simply put, market research is the reason why we have all those "cliché" characters in our fave Wattpad books e.g. the bad boy, the girl next door, the playboy millionaire, the jock heartthrob etc. Love them or hate them but, like what Chris D'Amico said in Kick-Ass 2:

"Not stereotypes. Archetypes."

Is it really important to belong to either of these groups? The quick answer is No. In fact, from my own experience, it's best when you combine the two styles (Trend-setter and Bandwagoner) because, first, your story will automatically belong to a category where there are lots of potential readers. Second, your story should have a certain X-factor that will set it apart from the rest.

What's this X-factor? you ask. Well, there are no hard-and-fast rules or precise formula to explain or even replicate what a story's X-factor is. If there were, then everybody would be insta-famous authors. But ask yourself: What's my favorite book? It can be in our out of Wattpad. And then ask yourself: What makes this book so special for me?

For example, Hunger Games. Is it the original setting and plot or the star-crossed love story of Katniss and Peeta? Or maybe you're a Potterhead. Is it because you wished to also receive an exclusive invitation to study at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Or let's say Twilight. Is it the love triangle between the human, the vampire and the werewolf? Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?

Believe it or not, each of the stories mentioned above contains elements that are old and tried-and-tested, no matter how seemingly trend-setting they are. Hunger Games draws a lot of parallelisms with Battle Royale, a Japanese novel published in 1999. Suzanne Collins claims she had never heard of the book until she submitted her own for publication, and this may very well be true because of universal themes and plot lines that each author could have arrived at via independent inspiration. 

And Harry Potter? Well, an old school photo of celebrity Ed Sheeran has been making the rounds on the Internet because three of the students look eerily like the famed trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione, with, scattered around them, Ginny, Draco and Crabbe thrown in. You don't believe me? Why don't you look at the pic yourself and be the judge? I posted the exact photo above. 

The point isn't whether you believe in coincidences or not. The point is that archetypes exist in our lives like Harry's awesome group of childhood friends (compare Stephen King's It or John Green's Paper Towns), the rich bully (compare R.J. Palacio's Wonder) or the hulking bully (Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia) and the best friends who fell in love with each other (compare Cecelia Ahern's Love, Rosie).

Finally, Stephenie Meyer herself, the author of the Twilight books, says that she based the character of Edward on her three favorite literary leading men: Edward Rochester from Jane Eyre, Fitzwilliam Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, and Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables. 

So, you see, successful books have both familiar and fresh elements. The familiar element makes the story resonate with the readers, while the fresh element gives it the oomph or the hook that would make it memorable. It's not important to belong to either group – Trend-setter or Bandwagoner – but I want you to think about how much you care about your audience.

Me personally, I care about my target readers a lot.

Up Next: Genres

Stay Phenomenal!

****

Hi guys, 

My book The Boyfriend App has just been published. Yay! 

If you're familiar with the version uploaded here on Wattpad, I revised it and added 6 never-before-read chapters plus 1 juicy bonus / fan service material about our beloved leading guy (bot?) Ecto. Plus, the book has a gorgeous new cover designed by the publisher. 

If you'd like a copy shipped to your place and sitting on your shelf, just visit my website www.phenomenalpen.com to find out how. 

Thanks and Stay Phenomenal!