Trust Yourself - Write For You

I've been learning a lesson I thought I already knew.  Something in the universe has been throwing signs at me and who am I to ignore them?  I've always said you need to trust yourself and to let go of that doubt writers are often inflicted with.

I say I want to write for me.  I want to write what I enjoy and find readers like me.  People who will enjoy it too.  But then I doubt myself.  I panic.  I switch up and write for others.  And that doesn't work out.  You can't please everyone. 

That's so important I'll say it again.  You cannot please everyone.  No matter how epic your writing skills are, you will be going in one direction with a story.  Not everyone will want to follow.  But that's okay.  Because you need to write your story. 

Almost all of the most popular/prolific writers have weak books.  Why?  Maybe they're burnt out.  Maybe churning out a book or two a year for twenty years isn't working anymore.  And maybe, just maybe, they've stopped writing to please themselves and are only writing for others.  What they think people want.

Writing to fill an empty spot in a market or to fulfill a request or just because you're terrified what you come up with won't be good enough - not a great plan.  Trust yourself.  Write for you.  And you'll have a book you enjoy.  A book you're proud of.  And that's enough.  If you let it be.