Why are you writing what you are writing?

I love asking this question of writers. Why? Because I get to sit there and watch them squirm. I get to observe writers justifying a story that really they had no business writing. So, do you know why you are writing your current project?

For many authors, they are writing it because it is far from the story that they should be writing. You need to write from the heart. You need to write the story that really means something to you and the passion of your own life comes across in the story. Too often though, writers choose stories for completely different reasons. I see it all of the time.

• Because their CP said they would be good a writing that story.
• Because it is hot right now.
• Because some editor or agent said they were looking for it.
• Because their entire chapter is writing in that genre (or for that publisher).
• and so on...

Now there is potential side effect of this. The story that is your passion, the story that you may want to write may be one that will never sell. There will be no publisher or agent that will sign that book. Does that mean it is a bad book? No way! It simply means it is not something that the public would buy (in their humble opinion).

Let's extend that thought a bit. If all of your stories that you want to write are those not suitable for publishing what does that tell you? It means you should keep writing. Write from the heart and enjoy it. Publishing may simply not be in your future.

Scott