I've been wanting to write a novel for a while but I have a concern before I write it, the majority of modern novels I have seen are a sort of action adventure type of book. There is sword fighting, or guns, or futuristic battle robots and stuff. The one i want to write is move everyday life style with a slight twist, the protagonist cannot talk. What do you think? would you read that book, I have a beginning written for it but i'm unsure if i should continue, and i cannot submit it for critiques until i make more comments on the site.
A lot of books shelved under general fiction don't have fighting, guns, or anything like that. So in terms of reading, you should branch out more and look at genres you haven't read yet. As far as writing goes, write about whatever you feel like writing about. If your book doesn't have a lot of action or adventure, so be it. Like I mentioned, some books are like that, and there's nothing wrong with that.
I'm trying to parse, "cannot talk", and no "sword fighting, or guns, or futuristic battle robots and stuff". They seem disconnected. My novel has no sword fighting or futuristic battle robots and stuff. There are two scenes with laser weapons, some bow hunting, and one of the two laser scenes pits the gun against the bow. But that's it. No battle scenes. The action scenes are mostly sans weapons (but still exciting). A voiceless protagonist sounds intriguing but very difficult to write.
Pay attention to young adult fiction, because it is rapidly taking over the other genres, and the trends it sets seem to spill over into the rest of the world of literature. Look at two books/series that have recently captivated the hearts and minds of enormous and practically religious followings: The Hunger Games and The Fault in our Stars. One of them is a trilogy about a rebellion against a totalitarian government that uses violence to control people. One of them is a relatively short novel about the daily lives of characters who suffer and cannot do anything about it. I hypothesize that young adult fiction started on a trend of epic, heart-pounding adventures in darker and edgier settings, leaving a vacuum for stories that are more grounded in the real experiences of young adults. This vacuum was partially filled in the last few years by The Fault in our Stars, Eleanor & Park, etc. And since young adult fiction sets powerful trends for the rest of literature, you should see this trend as an exciting opportunity to captivate a huge audience that is already receptive to slice of life with a twist. I take a deeply personal interest in this because I am in the same boat. I am writing about a protagonist who can talk, but no one can form memories of her; therefore, she is effectively a stranger to everyone she talks to. The narrative focuses on the differences this condition makes in her daily life. I know for a fact that there is a significant audience for it (for specific reasons in addition to the YA trend I mentioned), but I still struggle to decide how to move the story along. Should she go on a quest through hellish alternate dimensions in order to defeat the power that holds her in the curse? Should she just wake up one morning like Gregor Samsa with her life suddenly changed, and that is that? These questions actually have less to do with what I think would make the story popular and more to do with what kind of story I would want to read. Either way, I take comfort in knowing that I cannot really go wrong with the idea. And neither can you with your idea. And I personally would be very interested in reading your story. See my reply to your other thread.
Ever read 'The Wheelman'? One of the best books I've ever read and the protagonist is a mute. As I recall he doesn't bother with weapons much either. But from a writing standpoint it must have been quite a hassle.
I think the issue is a lot of books involving - sword fighting, or guns, or futuristic battle robots and stuff - get a lot more hype because it's trendy but you do have options you don't have to follow trends you can be a trendsetter. Write what you like, if you're passionate about it others will notice. That's all how a trend get started in the first place. People read your passion. The mute character sounds interesting - reminds me of The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.
If you write for the market, your writing will have no soul. If you write for yourself, you risk low sales. But then again, books with soul have a way of finding or creating their own market.
Google is your friend: [But the link is wigging out so just Google Amazon the wheelman] It does look intriguing. Just checking if the Kindle link works: Nope. Despite using the proper address and code I get this which shows up as a blank: Code: [MEDIA=amazon]B001N2ZWTS[/MEDIA]
Aha. I found the same book but thought it can't be the right one cus it looks like some action novel... lol. Fair enough. On closer reading, it does say it's about a mute MC. All rightio. Thanks!
EDIT: I see the non-working Amazon links have already been discussed. I kept trying to link to it and thought it was just my computer. But does anyone know about this next book? This book picks up after The Wheelman and is kinda like an unofficial spin-off / sequel. The Wheelman himself is referenced a few times. I'm not going to ruin the surprise of who the main character in this book is. I'll just say I read both of these books straight through and loved every minute of them.
