In a conversation yesterday with a neighbor who had brought something in to frame, he admitted to his love of reading–three books a week!–and his growing disenchantment with contemporary novels. He mentioned in particular author Tom Clancy, and his latest book (which his wife had given him) which evidently is part of a series that is co-authored.
It seems that some of the big names are employing the use of co-authors, etc., going all the way to making money simply off the use of their name alone, having nothing to do with the book in any way creatively. Judging by the diminishing quality of some of these author’s output, I suspect more of them are using fill-in writers than they are willing to admit. I have noticed for example in a Danielle Steel early novel versus a more current one (I have only read two of them out of curiousity) there is almost a boilerplate format for story. Variations of maybe 10 out of the supposed 37 plots.
There are software programs available to beginning writers to help provide a narrative storyline. Good for practice, maybe, but I tend to believe that there are so many good writers around, that the only thing that is going to make someone stand out is that magical gift of perspective. This is what seems to be disappearing in the large scale publishing world, and what both literary journals and online publishing may indeed be able to give a voice and keep alive.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology