Loving What You Do

 A popular post from January 2011.

by Julie Wright

I'm currently working on book two of a science fiction series for the middle grade market. Book one of the Hazzardous Universe Series releases March 01, 2011. I want to make sure book two is ready to go so I'm cranking it out now (which is why I've been pretty silent on blogs lately). Yesterday, I researched comets, the conversion of water, oxygen, and nitrogen from rocks, and the various forms of ballet-styled dancing throughout the various peoples of Earth. I also figured out the wickedest-awesomest-coolest way ever to make dragons feasible.

Dragons are a sore point with me. Their eating habits alone make them unlikely for natural selection on any planet. And yet they are so many shades of cool that it's hard to write for the children's market and not want to put a dragon in the story somewhere.

I've never used a dragon in a story. I just couldn't make myself buy into the fantasy of their existence enough to pen one into a novel. I love dragons--love the idea of them, but there are too many rational reasons as to why dragons *can't* exist for me to ever give myself over to them--until yesterday. In my new novel, there be dragons!

I am danged excited about my dragons. I'm danged excited about comets and space dust and solar winds and the magnetic structure of planets. I am excited to learn how to make life on a comet at least semi-plausible.

I am excited that my characters are going places that are awesome.

In short--I'm excited to be writing--which is exactly how it's supposed to be. A long time ago, I wrote a post about keeping it fun. I'd lost my way when it came to fun and writing. I was working too hard to please publishers and critics. I'd forgotten the joy there is creating something that is awesome to ME. A friend of mine, Jeff Savage, told me the biggest reason for all the frustration I'd felt in writing was due to the fact that I wasn't having fun anymore. He was right. I re-evaluated my goals, and wrote something I wanted to write.

And rediscovered myself in the process.

There are a lot of people out there in the literary world to please. There are people who won't like what you like, people who hate your genre, your character, your method.

And while I think it's important to please YOUR audience of readers. I don't think it's important to please EVERY audience of readers. It's been years since Jeff reminded me to have fun, and I haven't ever forgotten to keep that fun in my heart.

Love what you do. Love what you write. If you are loving it, then you've succeeded--no matter what else happens.