I think it was in Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert writes that at a book signing, a woman claimed Eat, Pray, Love was her story, and Elizabeth Gilbert had stolen it from her.

Something strange also happened to me at one of my book signings.

I had just released a women’s fiction novel and was doing a signing in a beautiful, independent bookshop in the Midwest. The store manager mentioned that the book was similar to Sex and the City, and that’s all it took. Suddenly, a young woman ran up to my table and announced that she was the expert on both Sex and the City and my book. She then proceeded to tell me exactly how I should write my next book. She would know, she assured me, as she was the expert, and I was writing for her.

This may be an extreme example, but it’s something many authors struggle with at some point in their careers:

Who am I writing for, really?

Are you writing for yourself? And hoping your people find you?

Or, are you writing for the woman at the book signing who demands your next book be written in a very specific way? One that makes her happy?

Truthfully, I believe it depends on the author you want to be.

If you are okay creating a certain type character and following a formula that does not deviate from what is expected, then you’re okay writing for your specific audience.

If, however, you find that this is too confining, then consider writing for you. The danger in this, however, is that you run the risk of taking a longer time to find your people and establish yourself as an author.

Having done both, writing for others (professionally for many years), and writing the book I wanted to write, I can assure you, writing what you want can feel much better. But it can also make you feel isolated, leaving you in a lonely place.

The truth is, there is no right answer.

It all depends on what you like to write, and how you like to write.

What I recommend to my author clients (and what I’ve tried to do over the years), is to strike a balance. Keep the readers in mind, be true to your target audience, but write what’s calling to you.

So, if you’re writing romance, go ahead and write the story you want (maybe even formula free), but maybe reward your readers with the HEA they expect. Same goes for non-fiction. I gave myself only one rule while writing my new wellness book, Love Like That: it had to offer hope.

So, if you are an author wondering whose book is it anyway? Consider it’s both yours and your readers’ book.

See if you too can find a balance between freedom and conformity. In this way you’ll be happier writing, and your readers will be happy, too.

By the way, if you are an author who hasn’t read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, I highly recommend you do! It’s full of great advice on writing and creating.

Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by My Crunchy Granola Yoga Journey!