What to Write

by Maurice Northmore
29th July 2013

Is it best to stick to what we enjoy writing? Or write what others enjoy reading?

Replies

In my opinion writing should be conversational and 'real'. I think it sounds much better and more convincing when your heart is behind what you write.

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Renee
Paule
330 points
Practical publishing
Autobiography, Biography and Memoir
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Renee Paule
08/08/2013

While I know what I like to read - which is an unhelpfully very wide variety - how would anyone know what "other people" like to read?

It is possible to work strictly within a genre - and also (usually in a genre) to write generically - or, again, within a formula... Each of these will have a potential market. It would be necessary to ask - how much that market is already provided (or ober provided) for. What could be brought, within the definition, that would be sufficiently new and interesting to "buy" the work a space in a probably crowded corner of the market?

The important question would be - do you want tot do this?

Put another way - do you want to be a word grinder or an original author?

It could be asked whether you want to write solely/principaly to make money or whether there is something more that you wish to achieve. (We would all like to make at least some money from our efforts).

Another issue would be - whether something you didn't particularly like writing (but "processed") would be very interesting/enjoyable for anyone else to read? Would the "thinness" of your interest show?

... and there could be a whole lot more questions...

:-)

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David
Foster
270 points
Developing your craft
Short stories
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David Foster
29/07/2013

As a reader I enjoy good writing

I think if you write what you want to write, what you enjoy more, then you are more likely to write engaging material. Work with more of you in it, and so will hopefully be a more satisfying read for your audience

Remember a reader needs a writer just as much as a writer needs a reader, so I would say write what you enjoy? The rest will hopefully fall into place

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Michael
Anstead
1000 points
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Fiction
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Michael Anstead
29/07/2013