I was just checking what Amazon feels are the top 100 books at the moment. And it is discouraging for a conscientious writer. Fully 80% of the books that the public prefer are Romance Fiction (Gone Girl) or pornography (50 Shades of Gray). That doesn’t leave much room for those of us who work to turn out fiction that has, what I like to refer to, as “body.” (Which, I guess could be construed as porn). Of course, I am biased. I write the kind of books I like to read. And I expect that is the purpose that most writers have in mind when they outline a story.
The thing is, I couldn’t write a romance novel even if I tried. Once, as a writing exercise, I did write a pornographic novel because I had read that the great writers of the 20th century often wrote porno for specific customers so they could pay the bills. But, I never submitted my ms to anyone because it was boring writing and I destroyed it. And why would anyone today want to READ pornography when there is a ready supply as of it,up close and personal, as near as their computer right on the Internet?
If you remove those aforementioned categories, it doesn’t leave much room for the rest of us. And, should you be a writer, don’t even try to reach the depths of romance or pornography. It takes a certain type of person to write those novels and the majority of authors just don’t have that inclination and if they try, just to make money, they will fail.
Speaking of money – ask yourself a question sometime. Are you writing for money? If that is the case, you are setting yourself up for failure. As the byline on this post site says, “The only reason for being a professional writer is that you have to.” If I am not actually writing, or at least letting the idea for a story simmer in my brain, I feel like a wanderer in the desert. I have to write because I am a writer, and win or lose, that is what I do.
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