Write From Where You Are
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Has your writing changed as you’ve gained experience? Do you want to write a hot romance book about beast like aliens instead of thrillers you’ve been doing? You can write from where you are and grow your audience at the same time.
Many people want to write something. They’ve dreamed of the stories in their heads while sitting by the pool with their kids or relaxing in a coffee shop. Some love poetry, others short stories, novels, nonfiction and so forth. All the new websites and electronic books on various platforms means our work can be read in whatever form we write it in.
There is room for everyone at the table. Readers come in every size and shape. Maybe they read romance stories in their thirties and move on to thrillers in their forties. Your readers are as dynamic as you are. Don’t sell them short.
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk
The possibilities are endless. Your story is your product. If you want to sell your best product, you’ve got to write from where you are right now.
When I first thought of being a writer, I was young, in love and making a family. The romance books I wrote were full of joy and happy endings. Then life happened.
The second time I decided I would write books, I had my guy and dogs and more life behind me than in front. My conflicts are tighter. Life still happens, but I keep going anyway. The endings are still happy, but you can tell in my writing that several trips around the sun tempered my joy bubble and allowed me to write deeper emotions.
Instead of only romances, I branched out into fantasy books. I had so much damn fun writing the last one. The characters are sassy and sarcastic, my heroine out of her depth, and mayhem ensues. Why wouldn’t that be fun to write?
There is no reason not to write from where you are. Your writing projects change as you do. As you work your butt off to write what you see in your head, your experience colors things. I would no longer write the first book I ever wrote, but it was the best I could do at that time.
Who I am has changed substantially. My ideas list is as long as Santa’s list of naughty and nice. Solutions to conflict no longer rest on misconstrued conversations or another guy/girl horning in.
My hair is a mess because of Covid, but I’ve noticed I might have a few gray’s up there. Ok, they’re there, but I shouldn’t talk to them or they will multiply. My younger self thought she was smart. Then life laughed and laughed and put more on my plate than I thought I could handle. All that life changed my perspective. That shows up in my work.
Photo by Jake Thacker
I was asked once in a writers’ meeting why would people want to read stories written by old people. I cannot tell you the number of deep breathes I had to take. The silence in the room became uncomfortable. I waited. I wasn’t sure I could say anything that would penetrate the aura of young. I told him to visit a retirement home for bingo night and come back and tell me why he should want to read stories of all kinds. I never saw him again.
I would also caution you not to take a young person’s talent for granted. Their story can be powerful. They don’t have all that experience to filter out all the things. Sometimes the passion comes through and makes their story unforgettable. They aren’t afraid to write raw.
Don’t ever underestimate yourself or your audience. Never allow another person’s story get in the way of yours. No matter where you are in life your story is yours to tell.
What are you reading or writing right now?
