Novel fads are often short-lived. Chick-lit? So yesterday. Thinking of jumping on the vampire wagon? How about giving Harry Potter some competition? When trends in book publishing break out, chances are, you’ll be too late to catch that stagecoach. In fact, whatever is selling today probably won’t be selling as well after you write a competing book. That’s why today’s topic is to write what you’re passionate about.
Writing Tip for Today: Write your passion is oft-quoted advice, but that’s because it’s so true. Readers can tell if an author isn’t too interested in the work. Sometimes, novels are written at the behest of editors or to cash in on a trend. Nothing wrong there, but especially if you are working on your first sale, you need your book to stand out from a very crowded field. If you write the novel that’s burning to get out, you’ll be able to write with more heat. The more heat, the more authentic the writing. Authentic writing moves us in a way that a cold-hearted vampire story might not be able to do.
Try This! Are you writing your passion? Is there a novel you feel you can’t start (or finish) because of “market conditions?” Reward yourself this week with a block of time for that work. Write on that novel as if no one will ever criticize it. Write it with lots of heat.
In other words, write because you enjoy it, and your words won’t fall flat on the page.
Well said, Rebecca. I’m as guilty as anyone of thinking I might get farther if I wrote this or that genre. But ultimately, my best work comes when I’m really excited about it, when it’s the sort of book I’d seek out to read and when I don’t write to the market but to my heart. Sometimes this means putting away a manuscript until the market gets better. As an esteemed colleague often says: Write at Absolute Top Speed! ~Linda