Passion vs. Trends

(Image by Stockcake)

As a writer: Would you compromise your passion for trends? I was reading an article the other day about how romance books sell much better than other genre, and how, many readers today prefer writers who write in first person even when they're writing a steamy sex scene. One of the readers who was interviewed said that she only reads books written from first person perspective because she can connect better to the story. She also said that she liked uncomplicated books because she didn't want to think. She just wanted a place where she could escape. So, should all writers rush to write from first person point of view, or write simplistic stories?

As a writer: Okay, let's hold off on that response because I want to introduce something else. I was at a writers conference awhile back, and one of the speakers was a screenwriter named Gary. He was funny, and cracked a lot of jokes. But one thing that stuck in my mind from his lecture was the story he told us about his friend who was also a screenwriter. His friend was looking for work, and started to call around to find someone who was interested in him writing a script about G.I. Joe action figure. He was told that someone else had already been commissioned to do that, but if he was willing to write about this other toy—let's call it Molly—they would consider purchasing his script. Months go by, and one day Gary calls his friend to see how he was doing. His friend said that he was about to hang the doll, and himself, because he was tired of staring at a blank page.

As a reader: Years ago, a friend of mine, who loved to read, and write, gave me a book she had enjoyed reading—Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. I have never been into vampires unless it's Halloween, and I want to dress as one, but my friend who knew this about me, insisted that I read the book. I picked up the book reluctantly, and before I knew it, I finished it in two days. I enjoyed the writer's voice, and found the plot fascinating. So, Anne Rice drew me into her story, and I couldn't put the book down.

As a business: Yes, writing is also a business, but should you kill your creativity, and write what the trends dictate? It's a tough decision when you have bills to pay. Yet, at the same time, it squashes the creative process. And I'm sure that there are writers out there who write manuscripts that they are not passionate about. There is no judgement here. We are all different, and our needs, and desires are different. Nothing wrong with that.

As for me, I have to be passionate about what I write. Otherwise, I would produce mediocre work, at best. I rather have another job that would support my writing career, than to write just to please others. Because I think if I write an intriguing story, I can open up the reader's mind to a whole new world, by drawing them in.

I think a writer's job is not just to tell a story, but to let the reader learn something new, something they didn't know much about. And if done right, the reader can still sit back, and lose themselves without being forced to think. 

Uji, The Tale of Genji Museum, and Murasaki Shikibu

I did a few off the beaten path excursions in Japan. Before my trip, I accidently came across a book titled The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu. Her work is referred to as the world’s first novel. And I just had to read it. So, I bought the 1200 page or so book and began reading. Unfortunately, I could not finish it because the Protagonist, Hikaru Genji, has no redeeming qualities, and I didn't care about what would happen to him as the story unfolded. I laughed so hard when I read someone’s review on Amazon: “look, I read this book for class...all you need to know is that Genji's a ho.” A blunt review, but not far from the truth. Also, I would not call this book a novel because there is no story, but rather a series of sentences strung together. Apparently, the last third of it was written by someone else. Of course, this book has been translated to English. Perhaps if I was able to read it in its original archaic language, I would have liked it??

Nevertheless, just the fact that Murasaki was ahead of her time and decided to write a novel impressed me. I also gained some knowledge about her as a lady-in-waiting, the Hein period, and the aristocratic life in the 11^th century Japan.  So, I decided to stop by Uji on my way to Nara to visit The Tale of Genji Museum. Uji is a beautiful city also known for their high-quality green teas.

My tour guide, who took me there, didn’t know anything about Murasaki and didn’t care. He said, “It’s a girl thing.” But later, as we visited different temples, he realized her importance in the Japanese society. When we arrived at The Tale of Genji Museum, he simply went to sit somewhere and didn’t want to bother to go through the museum with me. There was an English audio guide, but it had technical difficulties and wasn’t working and the explanations were in Japanese.

The above photos are scenes from the novel. It’s about Genji, the women he courted, and life during that time period.

There is also a small library and a shop. I bought a few of the photographs which depict Murasaki during different seasons.

Uji is worth a half-a-day trip even if you are not interested in literature. There are small tea shops, a lovely scenery, the Byodo-in: a Buddhist temple, and tea plantations.