You’ve heard it before… “Write what you want to read.” Sounds easy enough, right? Just sit down, listen to the voices in your head and let your imagination run wild. Before you know it, you have authored your book, received your first six figure royalty check, and you’re on a plane to Sweden to accept the Nobel Prize in Literature. Bam! Done! Okay maybe it’s not quite that easy but honestly, it’s not as hard as you think either.
Picture this: you’re at your desk with a cup of coffee in your hand and a laptop taunting you as you sip that blessed elixir of life. You’ve got this brilliant idea that has been swirling around in your head. It’s a story so epic Shakespeare is rolling over in his grave. You put the coffee down, place your fingers on the keyboard and before you can type the first sentence you think to yourself “What the heck am I doing? Is anybody out there really going to want to read about a time travelling panda bear on a quest to find the world’s most incredible chocolate chip cookie?” Well, I will tell you what? If that is what makes you laugh, then absolutely, that is what you should write. After all, who doesn’t want to read about a panda with a boundless affinity for baked goods. He already sounds like my soulmate.
Writing what you want to read is about embracing your own authenticity. It’s your opportunity to tap into your passions, curiosities, and interests. No doubt you’ll find yourself diving down a rabbit hole of obscure trivia every now and then, but if the fact that German chocolate cake originated in Texas, or finding out that bananas are technically berries, adds pizzaz to your story, then why not? Captivate your readers and draw them into your world, no matter how crazy or bizarre it is.
What about characters you might be wondering? When you’re writing what you want to read, character development is only limited by your imagination. Have a hero in mind? Great. Who is to say he can’t have a sidekick that only communicates by singing his words? Or a villain who secretly donates millions of dollars to animal shelters every year? Absurd? Maybe. But if you would read it, then you should write it.
Of course, no journey into the unhinged world of writing would be complete without a little self-doubt. Writing what you want to read can also be a journey of self-discovery. You will have the opportunity to face your fears, gain insights into humanity and even bend the rules of reality. Who’s to say there is no room in the literary world for a portal network in space that connects the kitchens of every famous chef on the planet. Maybe Emeril Lagasse and Gordon Ramsay host dinner for Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg every third Friday of the month.
In the end writing what you want to read is about leaning into the madness, embracing your authenticity, and letting your imagination run wild. Be unconventional because life is too short to write stories about boring things you are not passionate about. Terri Guillemets said, “Being an author is being in charge of your own personal insane asylum,” so unleash your inner weirdo and let your crazy train roll. After all, the world could always use a little more happiness – and maybe a few more time travelling pandas along the way.
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