I don’t know how it’s been for you-all, but this past month was CRAZY busy here at the Library of Winkelman Abbey. With most COVID restrictions lifted, the whole world is trying to make up for two years of lost time, and instead of having nothing to do on a given day it seems we have EVERYTHING to do. And, of course, not enough time in which to do it.
For me, this also this applied to my writing. All of my summer plans have fallen by the wayside, other than the ninety minutes, one Tuesday a month, where I attend an open mic night. And even that feels like something I have to squeeze in. And I am not always successful.
I thought I had mostly outgrown FOMO, but it seems to have metastasized in the zeitgeist.
The Insecure Writer’s Support Group question for August 2022 is: When you set out to write a story, do you try to be more original or do you try to give readers what they want?
This is an odd question to answer. Outside of this blog, I don’t have any readers to speak of. Therefore I don’t have anyone to whom to cater. And I don’t necessarily try to be original, though I don’t think I write quite like anyone I have read, so I suppose that is a form of originality, even if not entirely intentional. None of my manuscripts are similar to each other, either short or long form. Even the 2021 bio-punk sequel to my partially completed 2020 salvage-punk book is distinct enough that I now need to go back and re-write part 1.
So it goes.
The Insecure Writer’s Support Group
is a community dedicated to encouraging
and supporting insecure writers
in all phases of their careers.
Ah, the curse of busyness. I know it well.
I love punk stories. I’ll have to go check yours out!
I’ve been crazy busy too. I only have my critique readers reading my writing now, so I’m like you. But I do think about possible readers if I decide to publish my manuscript later.
It is a bit of an odd question. I’m not sure that I’ve spent a lot of time choosing between originality or following conventions. It’s usually more about figuring out how to make the story flow naturally and make sure the characters are behaving in consistent and believable ways.
Sorry you guys are being overwhelmed.
I think it’s a bit of a balance between the two.
I think we all try to find our readers even when we write for ourselves. At least to an extent. We hope to find an audience that resonates with us.