I have watched my fair share of Bob Ross, and one thing he repeats often is ‘it’s your world, you can do whatever you want in your world.’ Well, you can write whatever you want in your world, too.
Many stories I’ve read–published or otherwise–feel like the author is holding back, restraining or censoring themselves. Writing what they think people want to read, rather than what they really want to write. I think that kind of writing is apparent to the reader, even if you think you’re being clever about it.
The kind of stories that stick in my head, the stories that are one-of-a-kind, aren’t the ones that try to please everyone, but the ones where the author follows their vision, has something to say, or is just having so much fun they don’t stop to consider what anyone reading it will think.
As the karaoke DJ at my local bar always says ‘we don’t care what you sing, as long as you sing it with heart.’ That’s how I feel about writing. Even if I dislike your character and think your world is bizarre and your plot confusing, if you are passionate about it, and put your all into it, and don’t hold back any of your crazy ideas, I bet it will be more entertaining than a story tailored to fit the perceived desires of some hypothetical reader.
Jonas David 