David, a Techwr-L Chat list member, wrote:
I’ve decided to say something to one of the members that I think he’s not gonna like. At this point, I’ve read four or five of his stories and every one of them uses the same scenario – people or aliens from a dystopic future coming back to our present to change things so as to fix their present/our future. Nothing intrinsically wrong with that scenario, but I think he should branch out and try to vary his subject matter.
I responded with the following:
Consider that he may be trying to find his voice in the genre. Maybe there are parts of each of his stories that are worth combining. Haven't read what you have read but I offer this glimpse into what may be going on by him choosing to write about exactly the same subject.
In January 1990, I auditioned to play drums with a band. We rocked the barn the audition was held in and I really liked the music. They had just been in the studio and had a record that they had given me to learn. I spent 2 weeks learning the fills, the tempos, the beats, and I could play every song on their release. After a couple of hours, they asked me to join the band. Until that point, I had played in basement bands - not even good enough to get up to the garage I like to say. I was a sophomore in college with a full load of classes and I declined their offer. I didn't see where I could fit in rehearsals and gigs. I didn't think I was a good enough musician to even pass the audition.
In September 1990, I saw a front page article in the newspaper that that band was going on tour in Europe. Now, I don't know what kind of budget they had so I don't know if it was sleeping in a van or what, but the fact remained that I had turned down the gig. Had I joined, would I have quit between January and when the tour was booked? I'd like to think no. So anyways, this band I was asked to join is now leaving for Europe and I was stuck at college, reading dead authors as an English major. I was mad at the world. I was mad at God and stopped going to Mass on a regular basis, I was mad that I had not at least tried to play in the band, and I was mad at the fact I believe in choices and that you can only choose to do something with the information you have when you have to make a decision. I began to sink into the joys of being a 21 year-old.
At the same time, I dove into my academics. I was taking a Milton class and I proved without a shadow of a doubt that Satan in Paradise Lost was in no way a heroic character. I went overboard (I admit) and used 18 sources when I only was required to use 6.
At the same time, I tried to write a two part poem about these events - that I had been handed a dream drummer gig and I turned it down, only to find out that it meant I was passing up going on tour in Europe. I wrote so many drafts and for months, it was the only subject I could write about. I tried so many different takes on it. I finally gave up on it, ending up with a spiral notebook of bad BAD poetry with forced ABAB rhyme schemes.
The point is, maybe your member that is writing in the same genre is looking for his voice to convey what he really wants to convey by choosing the genre. He ultimately has something he wants to say about going back in time or time travel or whatever you want to call it. Maybe he's seen 17 Again and 13 going on 30 and the Terminator movies too often that he thinks he can put a new spin on it. Whatever the case may be, don't most authors pick a genre or theme and have it central to their work? Stephen King comes to mind, though I've only read Christine and Pet Sematary. Both of them have to do with the supernatural, no?
So instead of criticizing him, maybe look for some common theme that he is striving to comment about in these four different stories.
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