I don't know what Ian thinks. I tend to agree with you, however. I'm thinking, for example, of some of Colette's characters, and in particular Lea in La Vagabonde. She is not quite a prostitute: she's in that hinterland of unsuccessful actresses. But she's a real, rounded, fully-realised character, a well-written character. Or there's Dumas' Fernande, who is a prostitute with a heart of gold. But not a cliche at all: she's a believable, sympathetic character. The key is definitely the writing. And no subject should be written off as overdone in this way: any subject can be valid if well-written. (Even some I find personally deeply distressing, like paedophilia. Yet Lolita is a great book.) Very best wishes with your book. It sounds to me like a subject well-worth writing and reading about.
no subject
I tend to agree with you, however. I'm thinking, for example, of some of Colette's characters, and in particular Lea in La Vagabonde. She is not quite a prostitute: she's in that hinterland of unsuccessful actresses. But she's a real, rounded, fully-realised character, a well-written character. Or there's Dumas' Fernande, who is a prostitute with a heart of gold. But not a cliche at all: she's a believable, sympathetic character.
The key is definitely the writing. And no subject should be written off as overdone in this way: any subject can be valid if well-written. (Even some I find personally deeply distressing, like paedophilia. Yet Lolita is a great book.)
Very best wishes with your book. It sounds to me like a subject well-worth writing and reading about.