Writerly Ways

You can find my writing news here THere's a bit of it.

I wanted to talk a little about writing what you want vs what you think will sell. I'm learning more and more that these may not be the same thing. Let's be honest, Soldiers of the Sun was me writing what I want. I knew going in it wasn't tremendously marketable. M/M/M, historical urban fantasy with a philandering character. And yes, it's not been a big seller. Sadly. Sigh.

I don’t know why I did it but yesterday I looked at a thread I had never seen before on m/m romance group, which is probably the largest group for the genre I’m writing in (even though, if you look at the above link, I’m thinking of tossing in the towel as far as romance is concerned). The thread was something along the things that’ll make you not finish and/or be annoyed with a book.

I don’t usually read forums like that. You just know you’ll see someone bagging on what you like personally. Of course the comments were about bad grammar or characters acting stupid. No, even in a theoretically pro-LGBT group, there was a ton of vitriol against various sections of that group. Heaven help the transsexuals, bisexuals and polyamorous.

Now I DO know that there are rifts in the community with feminine men being picked on by other gay men, a complete misunderstanding about bisexuality and transsexuals. Of course the comments here were more like ‘eewwww those things are so gross. I just want to see two men fucking.’ And no, I’m not even making that up. That was there more than once (points back to a writerly way from a few weeks back when I said it feels like the audience is more about watching two men fucking than getting an actual story).

M/M/M and bisexuality was definitely hated on. Open relationships are a big no. Cheating too.

At least I can understand cheating but that’s a bit sad too. There can be interesting, traumatic etc.

I really wanted to do one where a character does cheat. He has reasons. I want to deal with that breach of trust and how, and if, it can be regained. Of course that book will probably end up 1 starred all over the damn place.

Maybe I could just write mindless man sex. I’d sell better. Forget plot. Forget realism. Forget acknowledging transsexuals, bisexuals, effeminate men, cheating and polyamory exists. I’d probably make it into audiobooks (which is based on sales).

But I can’t. I can’t write what I don’t like. And again I’m feeling more and more like my audience makes me feel like I need a shower. I KNOW not everyone is like that. Probably not even half of them are. But man, the ones that are, are so vocal.

Of course there’s the whole write what you want and you THINK you’re doing good and then your first readers deflate that bubble with a cat o’nine tails. I know more than one of us can identify with that feeling. It makes you rethink this whole thing. Sigh.

On the plus side, I did get a chapter done for Blood Red Roulette so that’s something.


yearly word count

82629 / 110000
(75.12%)