The Importance of Authors Writing for Themselves
Without an author's love for the story and its authenticity, the story falls flat
The publishing world itself is a challenging feat for anyone to navigate.
There are numerous hoops to jump through. Authors also feel as if they need to wow readers with their stories. Not to mention the fame that authors feel they need to achieve to show they made it in the literary realm.
Once authors embark on this journey, it can deflate the ego a bit to figure out that the hard work is just beginning.
Authors consistently compare themselves to others in terms of sales, reviews, and cover creation without having any inkling of competitive intent. Authors consistently re-edit and re-work their manuscripts in the hopes that this is the piece that gets them noticed. Which adds up to sucking out all of the joy of writing altogether.
What authors aren’t consistently doing, however, is following the story and how it wants to be told, and relishing in a job well done.
Now, yes, it is understood that to reach readers, you want to write stories that they want to read.
However, if authors are trying to configure their story to fit into a particular reader's classification of a good story, they are going to miss the mark every time.
Because it is impossible.
I’m not saying by any means that your story is never going to resonate with a reader. What I am saying is that authors should be writing stories they’ve wished to have available to read themselves. That is the goal.
To write a story that you enjoy wholeheartedly.
“Those who hold the pen hold the power.”
― Maureen Muldoon, Spiritual Vixen’s Guide to an Unapologetic Life
At this point, I am probably being questioned as to why I’m not spouting off about genre, target audience, and so on.
In answer to that, here are my suggestions in terms of authors writing for themselves.
Write what entertains you
How many authors before you were wishing for particular stories to become available?
And when they couldn’t find a story like the one they envisioned, they wrote it themselves. Because not only is an author creating a story for the future reader of it, but they are also writing a story that speaks to them.
It is evident when an author was bored with a portion of the story or a written piece because it reads that way.
It isn’t as well told. It doesn’t have as much color. And it isn't entertaining.
Your first and only goal as you write the first draft of your story is to make sure you enjoy the story.
Loosely focus on your target audience
I understand how backward this sounds in the way of thinking.
But — hear me out.
We know what genre we are writing in. Which means that we know what audience we are writing for. That doesn’t mean that your target audience needs to be incessantly present in your mind.
When we only think about the target audience, we tend to write a story we think they would like, and not a story we would necessarily enjoy.
For example: If you are writing a fantasy story with dragons and magic, you may begin to compare yourself to other great stories. (Harry Potter, Eragon, and so on.) You may think of your target audience and ask yourself, would they think my story is better than the greats? Or you may wonder if the target audience is going to enjoy the take your books universe explored.
In doing so, you sacrifice the chance of creating an amazing story.
Don’t let anyone read it until you are happy with the draft you have created
Before anyone else can influence your story in any way, ensure you are happy with the story.
It is your story after all. You should be the person happy with it before you share it with others. This way, you can decide what to change based on what alpha and beta readers have to say about the storyline.
As important as it is for other readers to enjoy your story, it is also important for you to enjoy it.
I understand that the publishing world is a tough market.
But if authors continue to write formula-based storylines or stories they believe a target audience would enjoy, then the stories that are published will sound the same.
By writing a story that entertains you, the author, you are increasing the chance to share an entertaining story with readers.
“Good stories surprise us. They make us think and feel. They stick in our minds and help us remember ideas and concepts in a way that a PowerPoint crammed with bar graphs never can.” — Joe Lazauskas and Shane Snow, The Storytelling Edge” https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/storytelling-quotes