Writing Trends

It's hard to stay true to yourself in many aspects of life and writing is no different.  When I first started this process, I researched trends.  It's not too difficult to see where they are these days.  YA, YA and more YA!  Fantasy, dystopian, and erotica are tops in fiction right now.  Don't get me wrong, I like to read anything and everything (if it sticks to my happy ending rule and even then, I'll read things that don't).  Still, none of the above are my niche.  I write contemporary romance blurring the line with women's fiction.  I like some spice in my love scenes but only to a point.  There's still a place for me out there, I guess, but I don't know if my style is the hot thing right now.

Should that matter?  You tell me.

I thought about writing a fantasy but quickly nixed the idea.  World building is not my strength.  Same with dystopian.  I even flirted with a cozy mystery but again, I kept gravitating toward the romance side of it more than keeping up with the clues, timelines and plot points of a mystery.  When I think about writing a trend, my mind always wanders back to what I like and know.  Romance, romance, romance-hence the name Romantic Writing Diva (although my husband likes to tell me I'm no diva).  I enjoy fun romances set in a fun locale with fun side characters.  So, I've scrapped any idea of trying something different, for right now, and I write contemporary romances set in Louisville or some other Kentucky town.

I read once, and I'm paraphrasing here, that you shouldn't write what you think someone else will like, you should write what you want to write-what you need to write.  Sure, you want your characters to be likable and relatable so others would want to read about them.  You want your plots to be easy to follow so others don't toss your book aside in frustration.  But, write the story you want to tell.  Remember, a fantastic YA story about vampires and werewolves wouldn't be the it thing if Stephenie Meyer hadn't written it in the first place.  Women wouldn't be carrying around their worn copies of Fifty Shades of Grey proudly without E. L. James writing what she wanted to read.  These authors started trends.  Maybe I, or one of you, can too someday.

In my dreams:-)