Finishing up with my writing philosophy is the thought of audience. When I write, I usually write for me as I am interested in how the story will turn out. This may seem counter-intuitive, but sometimes the story takes a path of its own and as I write, I see a better path than the one I had envisioned at the start. And other times I have a beginning and middle in mind, but only a vague ending and hope that a great idea comes to me as I write and develop the plot and characters.

Back to the audience, I want these stories to be enjoyed by others, such that they enjoy them as much or more than I. So, any critical feedback would be highly valued. Conversely, if feedback is received from a reader of another genre, it would not carry the same weight. Hence, my current dilemma. I want to write for a certain audience, but I won’t be able to discover that audience until I write. So, I just need to write more and develop my style further and hope that my audience finds me.

But time is the problem. When I was younger I wanted money. Then I wanted space things that I could buy. Then I realised that I didn’t have time to enjoy the things that I bought for the space that I had. So for a long time, I told people all I wanted was time, space and money. But it takes time to make money and money to get space. Then as I got older, I realise that even more than those three, I wanted energy. That has been the biggest realisation of aging. I just don’t have the energy as before. And it takes a surprisingly large amount of creative and physical energy to write well. Writing, not so much. I can put words on paper practically everyday. But are they good words? Perhaps time will tell. SSBK – Jim