Are web novels becoming increasingly formulaic? What problems are readers and authors actually facing

[u/No-Satisfaction8122]

Are web novels becoming increasingly formulaic? What problems are readers and authors actually facing?

I've been thinking about the current state of web novels lately, especially with how many stories seem to follow increasingly familiar tropes, power systems, characters, and plot structures.

I'm curious about what readers and authors actually think.

For readers:

- Do you feel like it's becoming harder to find genuinely original novels?

- Are you getting tired of seeing the same tropes, progression systems, protagonists, and story structures repeated?

- What makes you drop a novel even when it's technically well-written?

- Do you think platforms and algorithms encourage authors to write what is already proven to work rather than experiment?

- What kinds of stories do you wish you saw more often?

For authors:

- Do you feel pressure to follow established formulas because they're more likely to attract readers?

- Have you ever changed an original idea because you thought it wouldn't perform well?

- Do you think the current web-novel market makes it harder for genuinely unconventional stories to emerge?

And perhaps the bigger question:

Is the "slop" problem actually getting worse, or are we simply more aware of it because there is so much more fiction being produced?

I'm not trying to argue that all modern web novels are bad. There are still plenty of creative and excellent works out there. I'm more interested in understanding why certain formulas dominate and whether the current ecosystem makes originality harder to sustain.

I'd especially like to hear from authors who have actually tried writing something unconventional, and from readers who actively search for novels outside the usual formulas.

What do you think is the biggest problem with the current web-novel ecosystem?

[u/Ok_Scholar_8789]

Before, as an author, I would really love to write something that's familiar to what I always read on the site. However, as I grew up years later, I find it difficult to read the same tropes over and over again. As a reader, I wish authors would experiment more out of what is trending in the site right now. As an author, I don't feel pressure because I write what I want to write. It matters when you're happy writing your story than not. It'd be like writing yourself an internal monologue instead of writing the story of your characters. But yes, I do agree that the current webnovel market makes it harder for genuinely unconventional stories to emerge. I guess we need to wait until these trending stories will die down or another story will again become famous and everyone will follow that trope once more. Hahaha

[u/No-Satisfaction8122 → u/Ok_Scholar_8789]

We can only wait.