There’s a phrase often uttered among the writing community that goes something like: Write what you want to read. It’s essentially telling authors that if there is a book that you want to read then you should be writing it. The problem is, there are a lot of things people want to read, and there is even more people out there who start-up a book and never get very far with it. This is because writing what you want to read isn’t always the most effective strategy. There’s an even better one, and it appeals to an author’s sense of empathy with other people.
Write what someone you know wants to read.
You can only give yourself so much strength. Many authors will continually explain that someone else or multiple people helped push them to make the book the way they did, or to just carry them through times of frustration with the creation of the book. It happens, and more often than not you need the strength of others to pull through a book. As much as authors may not be as social creatures as other people, they do tend to be rather empathetic and with that comes a talent for creating things other people enjoy.
Of course, you shouldn’t be mistaken. The things you write should still be things you want to read too, because you need to be a fan of your own series before you can properly give your book the right attention. But when you write a novel, think of other people around you, what are the things they want to read in a book, and why.
All it takes is writing a book for one person for it to be successful, because not everyone is going to like what you do, but if you make a book one person likes, it will spread to others guaranteed.
Writing for others brings about some bonuses though. They provide you with drive and direction and hope, as well as inspiration. You’re motivation to get the book done because you want them to be able to read it, and that kind of drive can be more motivating than any pep talk you give yourself as you sit in front of a blank sheet of white.
It’s these types of things that make writing truly enjoyable. If no one else can enjoy the book then what’s the point?
So next time you decide to write a book, think of someone and share with someone about what you want to do, and see if its something they want to read. Provide your beta readers with content as soon as possible to see if its interesting. Because if you are writing for them, you can’t go wrong. There’s a reason famous writers like Neil Gaiman and Jim Butcher have their wives read their books first, because if their wives enjoy it, then they know other people will as well.
So… who are you writing for?
