2023 A to Z Challenge Blog: Understanding

Posted bySusanne MatthewsPosted inUncategorized

Happy Tuesday! It isn’t raining today, but it isn’t snowing either, so I’ll take the win.

The last six letters of the alphabet are the hardest ones for me to write about, but today’s letter is U, and I can share some thoughts in a Did You Know that understanding what readers want is an author’s biggest challenge. Why? Because what they want to read and what you want to write aren’t necessarily the same thing.

It would be so much easier if there were some way to convince my muse that this week, she would write a book guaranteed to be a best seller because thousands and thousands of readers were out there screaming for more books in the rom com genre, or the paranormal genre, or in any of the genres I’m comfortable writing, but the truth is that I always seem to be one step behind. In essence, I have yet to figure out exactly what it is that readers want to read when they want to read it. To be fair, there are certain subgenres that I won’t touch simply because I have no expertise or interest in those types of novels. I have a small but devoted following who will eagerly snatch up and read whatever I release, but I can’t seem to write that one book that will allow me to break into the mainstream and make my name a household word.

We all have dreams, but sooner or later, we have to accept that they might not be achievable. I would love to see one of my books made into a movie, but that probably won’t happen. Maybe I’m not meant to. Perhaps I should simply be content to remember that I write what I want to write. I write the story the characters screaming in my head demand that I write. Writing is a release for me, one I enjoy. What more do I need to understand?

Have you checked out my webpage? You can find all my books there. https://mhsusannematthews.ca/ or check out my Amazon page and follow me there. https://www.amazon.com/stores/Susanne-Matthews/author/B00DJCKRP4

That’s it for me today. Find other bloggers and their posts here. https://tinyurl.com/3we8aa84

Come back tomorrow when I’ll give you a Did You Know? for the letter V. Enjoy your day.

Published by Susanne Matthews

Hi! I live in Eastern Ontario. I'm married with three adult children and five wonderful grandchildren. I prefer warm weather, and sunshine but winter gives me time to write. If I’m listening to music, it will be something from the 1960s or 1970s. I enjoy action movies, romantic comedies, but I draw the line at slasher flicks and horror. I love science fiction and fantasy as well. I love to read; I immerse myself in the text and, as my husband says, the house could fall down around me, and I’d never notice. My preferences are as varied as there are genres, but nothing really beats a good romance, especially one that is filled with suspense. I love historical romance too, and have read quite a few of those. If I’m watching television, you can count on it being a suspense — I’m not a fan of reality TV, sit-coms, or game shows. Writing gives me the most pleasure. I love creating characters that become real and undergo all kinds of adventures. It never ceases to amaze me how each character can take on its own unique personality; sometimes, they grow very different from the way I pictured them! Inspiration comes from all around me; imagination has no bounds. If I can think it, imagine it, I can write it!

4 thoughts on “2023 A to Z Challenge Blog: Understanding”

  3. Thousands of readers, screaming for more books !
    Only in my dreams, but I love ‘ creating’ characters, try to make them come alive on the page, as yours do, even in short Tuesday tales.
    As for growing naturally – ( thanks Ronel) This year, nothing’s growing. The trees outside our back yard are still bare.

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