Okay, let’s play doctor. No, not that kind of doctor!!
You don’t need to be a psychologist to see that my last post reflected on personal issues regarding my desire to please and seek acceptance. Nonetheless, there is a lesson there that I deal with every day—pleasing my reader. Unfortunately, I start forgetting about my audience and who I'm writing to....I fall into my, "I just want to please everyone mode" which surprise, surprise--doesn't actually please everyone. I want the publishers, the agents, my friends and my family all to love what I write, but it doesn't always work that way. Life might have been a love-fest in the sixties, but alas, those days are gone. Friends, for example, who are waiting for underworld creatures to take over the hemisphere,while bloody corpses are dropping off the face of the Earth, will not care much for my account of a kiss at the Kauai airport between a pilot and a graphic artist. No huge amounts of blood, no fangs and no steam powered locomotives rushing in to save the dying citizens. Though there are readers who want to hear about my characters, those folks might make up a smaller, thinner slice of my overall media pie. Remaining focused on my characters and my plot is hard enough without altering my story just so I can get a larger share of readers. Just so everyone can love me. Dang, I hope you're not a doctor. Maybe my next story or my next book will be written for the other readers, but meanwhile I have to wrap my head around the fact that I can't get approval from everyone with my first novel. Longing for reassurance, I have to stay true to the people who really matter in the world of publishing--READERS! But, do I know who they might be?
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I’ll just lie down on this couch right here, while you pretend you’re my doctor giving me advice.
Well, as you well know, you can never please everyone all the time. Just relax! Write whatever you want to write and let it come from the heart. You will find the audience for it, but just make it quality and sincere. You are a special person who writes in a special way, and always you bring a smile to my face! Take care and good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lena, I think you're very sweet and I'm very happy that I make you smile!
DeleteIt's impossible to please every reader... there'll always be someone who finds something to grumble about. Just stay true to yourself as you write.
ReplyDeleteI think Doctor Kendall has a great ring to it. Thanks for the great advice!
Deletewrite your passion. someone else will share the same thing.
ReplyDeleteMy passion revolves around the fundamentals of our human condition which literally squeezes us into the same boat, making me wonder and question why we don't all get along.
DeleteAw, Eve, you please me...as a reader I mean!! Ditto on all of the above. Stay true to yourself. I always say that there will always be someone who doesn't like what we do, and the only thing that makes it more frustrating is if we go out of our way to please them and they still don't like it. But when someone loves something that we're proud of creating, it is so much more rewarding.
ReplyDeleteThanks Christina. I will remember those kind words and think about them, next time I'm creating something new!
DeleteStay true to the story. Isn't that why you are writing? To tell a story.
ReplyDeleteYup, that's a good one to remember. I guess after 80,000 words I get kind of querimonious.
DeleteIf you're really passionate about what you write, it will find its audience. The best writers write first to please themselves.
ReplyDeleteI've always been my toughest customer. Thanks so much for stopping by Norma. You are a true inspiration!
DeleteThere are two ways to approach your story - both are right - you can decide beforehand exactly who your readership is and write for that market, give them what they want and don't worry about other markets, or, write the novel you want to read and keep on the path that feels right, you'll find your market when you're done. If you like it, others will too :)
ReplyDeleteThat last part is truly a gem Charmaine. Thank you. If I like it, others will too! Awesome. :)
DeleteKeep writing from your heart. You can't be or write something you aren't. There will always be an audience for you, Eve. The tales with body parts tossed off the cliff are somebody else's story and somebody else's audience.
ReplyDeleteThis is good news, when you think about it!
When you're right, you're right. Off the cliff with you body parts before I throw myself off! Just kidding, thanks for the heartfelt comment Lynn.
DeleteAh, you have a lot of good advice here. I've come to find out that there are numbskulls out there that think they know everything. You can't please them at all. If they were dying of thirst, you wouldn't be able to sell them a glass of water. Just be true to yourself...write what you want to write...
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for that thought Beth. I think it is really kind of you to remind me that writing a book is not like selling ice to Eskimos. Some things are harder than that, and I guess we both love a challenge!
DeleteWe just cannot please every reader, although there isn't one of us who wouldn't want to achieve that. You are a fine writer, and your followers are who they should be.
ReplyDeleteWell said Donna. I know in my heart that I can't please everyone, but I just want to please one agent,one publisher, 20,500 or more readers, my family and you! That's all with one manuscript! LOL
DeleteIt's impossible to please everyone...it reminds me of an episode of the Flintstones, when Fred and Barney decided to write a pop song...(did you see this one?)..they wanted to appeal to a wide audience, so they put every popular thing they could think of into one song, and it sounded stupid!...
ReplyDeleteYou will always have an audience because not everyone is into the same thing. I, for one actually really really do not like stories of vampires, aliens, zombies or any of that crap..(With the exception of 'An American Werewolf in London)...(no offense meant to anyone who writes those stories..there's an audience for that stuff too)..I would far rather read a story about real human beings who share a kiss at the Kauai airport.
Keep writing as you do and you'll do great!
Okay Eve, I'm glad you'll be one person who might want to wade through my Kauai airport story! Thanks for the comment and thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI felt the same way for the longest time, but then I wasn't writing from my own voice anymore and I hated that. I was trying to write fantasy and I sounded like some wishy-washy type, and that's just not me.
ReplyDeleteI think you appeal to more people when you genuinely write about the things you are passionate about. Your readers will feel that. :)
Okay, passion is one thing but my style whether I'm writing a noir-esque story or a humorous one would be completely different based on my mood of the day. With my larger work or manuscript (that I'm revising and revising--)well that is something really foreign to me and I worry that I change my character's emotions based on how I'm feeling that day.
DeleteLots of people have some great doctorly advice on here.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree - write what YOU would want to read. That's my guiding star. But I do think about what others who like the same kind of stuff would want to read, so the audience is always in the back of my head too. Guess it's a balancing act of sorts.
Isn't wonderful to have a writing community full of so much talent? Maybe I'm just intimidated! LOL
DeleteI think it is impossible to please every reader. I am sure we all struggle with this - I like to think that if we write what we like and what matters to us, there will be readers who will enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI agree E.D., but since most of the time I write stories, I find that my personality and emotion are different every time I write, because on some level everything matters.
DeleteI agree with the other comments, you can't please everyone and when I write my books for adults next year, I shan't even try to do this. :0)
ReplyDeleteI appreciated the name of the book you emailed me and I plan to take a look at it. Thanks for your solid advice.
DeleteI know that when my first book comes out, it won't be for everyone. Some will love it, some will like it, some will probably hate it, and some won't read it at all. That's fine with me. I'll be appreciative of everyone who reads it and hope for the best because really that's all we can do.
ReplyDeleteI think that sounds like a very healthy attitude! Thanks for stopping by Kelly.
DeleteYou're great just the way you are and I'll always be your fan!
ReplyDeleteYou are wonderful too. Let's start our own mutual admiration society and front it with a publishing company!
DeleteA writing friend once said to get something published you should love it enough to want to marry it. Yes, you should keep your audience in mind but you have to also love what you are writing in order to sell it to others. Thank goodness not everyone will like my work because getting published would be impossible if we all had the same taste.
ReplyDeleteJust write what you love, and you can't go wrong! If you love your story, there are others out there who'll love it juat as much as you do! You can't please everybody, so there's no use in trying;).
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to say, "Don't worry! Just be free!" Unfortunately, very few of us can do that easily. Why? I've got my theories. Namely, we want this too much. We want to write. We want what we write to evoke the feelings we get writing it. We want to make money. We want to have fans. We want to be read--by anyone.
ReplyDeleteI do believe our voices as writers will only come out when we let go, but we have to train ourselves to not care. It doesn't come naturally. Just my take. :)
Just keep doing what you’re doing – it’s perfect!
ReplyDelete