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Should a writer write what their readers want or what they want to write?

Posted on 10th October, 2024

It’s always difficult starting a new series, Harbour House, and this one set in Wivenhoe in Essex and surrounding villages has proved just as troublesome. However, Wartime Arrivals at Harbour House, is now on preorder and out on 29 November and the second book – as yet untitled – is with my editor. I’ll be writing one more book in this series which has to be handed in at the end of February next year. Then I’m going to be writing the first two books in a continuation of my Victorian series, The Nightingale Chronicles, which is currently my bestselling series. Then I’ll be writing a new Regency book before returning to the fourth book in my Harbour House series.

I’ve still got readers asking me to write more books in in my Goodwill House series which I finished last year. I think seven books is more than enough  and really don’t want to go back to those characters – do you think I should ignore my own feelings and do what my readers and my publisher want me to do?

I’ve also written twenty-two World War II books one after the other and really need a change from that era. Fortunately, Boldwood are the sort of publisher who listen to their writers, which is why I’m only writing three books in the new series before changing to Victorian times and then Regency.  I wonder if my Harbour House series takes off after the three books and readers are clamouring for more if I’ll return to this series earlier than I want to.

I write because that’s who I am, a writer first and everything else comes second. I’m hoping to continue doing what I love for many more years and hope that my publisher and my readers will continue to enjoy my stories.

Fenella J Miller