When it comes to writing and being an author, it’s important to remember that we are essentially in the business of offering a service. Therefore, we should ask ourselves what kind of service we offer and how well we provide it.
In my early days of business, I made the mistake of focusing solely on what I wanted to offer rather than considering what my audience wanted. I should have asked them what they wanted and how I could provide that service based on my unique and individual skills. As writers, we must be flexible and responsive to our audience’s changing tastes. We should adapt our work to meet their preferences, making them feel valued and integral to the writing process.
Nonfiction writers can typically identify the service they offer and assess how well they deliver it.
While it may seem more challenging for fiction writers to identify the service they offer, it’s not as ambiguous as it may appear. By following what we teach at the Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference, we can see that fiction writers generally use specific elements such as mystery, thriller, suspense, action, and romance. Ultimately, our goal is to entertain. To entertain, we use mystery, thriller, suspense, action, and romance regardless of the genre. For instance, in the mystery genre, we provide readers with a puzzle to solve, but we also include thriller, suspense, action, and romance. In horror, we allow readers to experience fear, which can lead to romance while employing those other elements. The key is understanding what readers want, and that’s the service we should provide. And what do they want? Mystery, thriller, suspense, action, and romance. It’s that simple. If we fail to do so, we’re essentially writing for ourselves, which is fine, but we shouldn’t expect to build a substantial audience that way.
As you work on your writing today, I encourage you to actively look for mystery, thriller, suspense, action, and romance elements. These are the elements that truly captivate and motivate readers. By providing these elements, you’ll offer the best service business ever, catering to the needs and desires of your audience, who will, in turn, cater to your needs and wants, as well.
