I know that you have it in you. You're passionate about writing your first novel, or you've already been published and you want your next novel to "be in excess" of the previous one(s).  Readers are looking for a few "good" authors to right/write a few "good" books.  Can you do it?  Better question: Will you do it?

In hard times, why should I shell out $10, or $15, or $25 for a book that has a few "good" moments? Book lovers will read, no matter what is produced.  They're addicted to books.  But come on novelists, step up your game. 

Look at the music industry.  Artists (and I use the term loosely) have 14 tracks on a cd and only three are worthy of your index finger depressing the "play" button.  So people have stopped buying albums because they made a conscious decision to withdraw their support from subpar artistry.  Every "rapper" wants to be Zapp nowadays. (I didn't say "M.C.")

Same thing is getting ready to go down on the literary side of things.  Times are tight.  The characters are all the same - only the names have changed.  The storylines are all the same - only the settings (time and place) have changed.  And speaking truthfully, changing the name and setting is enough to create a new storyline; however, you must be skillful enough as a storyteller to exploit the opportunity.  (E.g., Having "Becky" as your given name is far different from having "LaQuanda-reisha-foobooyah" as your given name. Becky may have a "competitive advantage" when applying to law school, and LaQuanda... may get the nod when applying to--you fill it in).

One of the worst myths ever perpetuated is based on the saying, "There are no new stories under the sun."  Tell me the year when the last, supposed "new" story was created. Tell me the year when all the possible stories for all of humanity were created leaving room for no more new stories.  Somebody, Anybody -- Please! Who pulled the plug on the brain of the person who initiated that sentiment?  As long as you have people, you have new stories.  As long as you have technology, politics, nations, leaders, war, economics, communication, love, hunger, greed, generosity, the unknown, anger, inspiration, pain, pleasure, creativity, the Most High -- need I go on????  In other words, as long as you have life, you have "new" stories. 

Some might argue that a love story is a love story.  That's like saying six hundred forty eight (648) is the same as eight hundred sixty four (864) because they have the same three digits -- meaning there is a four (4), six (6), and eight (8) in both numbers. A love story between Harry and Carrie is different than a love story between Larry and Barry. 

In this world, you have a "permutation of dynamics" that inspires a wonderful concoction of thoughts, feelings, decisions, and behaviors.  You don't think there aren't a million new stories that can be generated based on the "swine flu" epidemic?  One might argue, "Well, it wouldn't be a new story because we've had epidemics in the past."  Duuuuuh!  Wake up.  Hello.  Turn on the light.  An epidemic in the 1600s is not the same as one in the 2000s.  An epidemic in Poland is not the same as an epidemic in Nigeria.  The respective countries have different technologies, cultures, infrastructures, histories, approaches, practices, economies, etc., that produce stories that are differentiated by more than a nuance in geography. 

New stories are based on new trajectories that are founded in new complexities, and even more so, new simplicities. You don't think Obama's presidency inspires "new" stories?  You don't think digital technology inspires "new" stories?  You don't think global warming inspires "new" stories? 

Come on authors/novelists.  Right/Write the next great masterpiece.  Stop worrying about being on the bestseller's list.  Just right/write the "best" book.  Let the list thing take care of itself. 

Where's the "Harry Potter in the 'Hood" novel?  Where's the novel based on Hillary as the V.P. with Obama?  Where's the novel based on a fallen teen icon who allegedly physically abused his equally popular, songtress girlfriend?  Where's the novel about the Governor who divorces her husband and then marries her former maid of honor? (Yeah, I'm talking about same-sex marriage.)  Where's the novel about the newly appointed Latina Supreme Court Justice who has to decide on  a case involving Mexican immigrants and their status as legal or illegal immigrants (even though I thought they were people too; there's a novel concept: immigrants are people too)?  Where's the novel about being able to resurrect the dead with technology that can bring someone back from the ancestral realm by having just a shred of his/her DNA?  Where's the novel about...? 

This is more than a blog -- this is common sense.