What/Who Do You Write For?

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Better to write for yourself and have no public, then to write for the public and have no self. –Cyril Connolly

Why do you write stories? Do you write because you want to be published, so you write directly what the market is currently publishing? Or do you write because you love the art of crafting good stories? The exploration of character growth and the telling of the story that God has laid on your heart?

If you’re writing for the market, the market is always changing—like trying to hit a moving target when you still don’t know how to fire the arrow from the bow. What is being published and popular now was purchased by editors over a year ago and the change is already hitting for the next new and great thing.

There is always a time and place to write for the market, especially for the established author when your editor chases you down to write the next first release of a brand new line.

But new writers always seem to walk a fine line. Between writing what they want to write and writing what everyone seems to be publishing. It’s a recipe for a hair-pulling disaster. It draws me back to the quote at the top of the post and the question it prompts: would you rather write for the public or write for yourself?

There is a similar quote I have run across (and forgive the paraphrase): set yourself on fire and people will come from all over to see the flame. People want to see passion and excitement. They want to see joy rising from God’s people and taking off through the stories they are writing.

Publishing is always changing. One thing never does: great stories. Strong writing. A voice that sweeps readers away, so no matter the genre the reader is falling in love with the story. I was talking to a friend recently who had picked up a book in a genre he wouldn’t normally consider and stayed up until one in the morning to finish it.

What is that?

That’s not market writing.

That’s not writing for the sake of having a book that will sell to the publisher and sell to a reader.

That is passion on fire through story. That is great writing that hooked a reader and kept him coming back long after the acceptable expectation of turning off the light and setting the story aside.

It’s not a matter of writing what the market wants. It’s a matter of writing what is on fire in our souls to put on paper. That doesn’t mean it will be easy to publish that book or even get it in front of an editor. It might take years to find the right one and the right time. But we aren’t writing for the public or writing just for the sake of seeing our name on the cover of a book.

We are—and should—be writing for the sake of a story burning in our soul that must be told. The right publisher will come along in it’s own timing. It’s our responsibility in the meantime to perfect our craft and make this the best book we could write.

Our public will find this story soon enough and maybe, just maybe, you’ll change the world—or at least how one person in this world views everything here after.

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Casey Herringshaw is a homeschool graduate and has been writing since high school. She lives in rural Eastern Oregon in a town more densely populated with cows than people.