Why Every Novel Sounds the Same Now
June 3, 2026
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12:09Now PlayingWhy Every Novel Sounds the Same Now
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as posted by the channelWhy do all modern novels sound the same?
According to many publishing insiders, the problem is capitalism. Publishers have become risk-averse, chasing trends and formulas instead of originality.
But what if the real problem isn't profit?
Today, I explore how contemporary publishing has become trapped in an insular MFA culture that rewards sameness over originality. From literary agents to creative writing programs, an entire generation of publishing professionals has been taught to value one narrow aesthetic over everything else—all while dismissing the very qualities that made writers like Dostoyevsky, Nabokov, and Salinger go down in literary history.
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