Ask any new aspiring author what the toughest challenge to getting their new book started and I would bet that figuring out just what to write is high on the list. I’ve heard it in the NaNoWriMo events, in forums and in my dealing with other authors. Sometimes choosing what to write can at times be just as daunting as the writing process itself.
Some believe that they need to try and tap into what is trending that way they can write something that can sell. Either out of personal taste or at the urging of an agent or publisher they will try to write a story that can jump onto what is hot right now. Another Harry Potter movie is around the corner! Quick time to write a story about a magical girl who wears glasses and has a star shaped birthmark on her arm which portends the coming war between normals and magicians! Her name will be Harr- Sally! Yeah. That.
It is estimated that as much as sixty percent of the books printed today are printed by the big five publishers. This is a staggering amount of the content we as readers consume. It is in their best interests to invest in books that will sell. Why? Because the publishers are not here to be our altruistic great uncles, they are here to make money. It is in their best interests to find titles that will sell.
I am of two minds about this. On one hand, if publishing is a business then should we not follow market trends? Shouldn’t we try and create stories that the world wants to read? Create books that will make money? On the other hand I want to yell “Screw that! Write whatever you want!” And to be perfectly honest you should! Writing as a hobby and as a skill allow us to partake in worlds that are strange and wonderful. Just don’t expect your ghost, zombie, vampire love triangle to sell very well.
For me the answer is about quality. I write best when I am passionate about the subject matter and not when I am trying to churn out something to be cool. The four long manuscripts I have and the dozens of shorter works are all pieces of me. They are stories I want to tell. They are stories I want people to read. I am proud of them, even if they are flawed. Each one says something, each one expresses something. The story of Sally the magical star girl might be a really good story but if I am not passionate about it I will not want to read it the four dozen times needed for editing and proofreading. If I can find a way to jump on a trend and be passionate about the story and my characters then I will jump right in. Until then, I will keep working and refining and building the stories I want to tell.
So what should you write about? Write about the things you care about. The things you are the most passionate about. Write the stories you want to tell. One day the world will be ready to read them.