Hello reader and writer friends! Christmas is almost upon us! Merry Christmas! And for those of you who celebrate other holidays, happy holidays!
Today I was thinking about the idea of the Ugly Sweater, mostly because my job had an ugly sweater party this week. I remember growing up with these sweaters… and actually associating them with the whole idea of “uncool.” They were the kinds of sweaters worn by older people (let’s face it, as teens we think parents and grandparents are uncool) or the social outcasts. But as is the case with many things from my childhood (geek and nerd culture, for one), this “uncool” thing is now the “cool uncool thing.”
And you know what? I think this can apply to writing, too. Genres go through cycles of popularity, and books are ridiculed and lauded in the same breath. It just shows you that everything goes through cycles, and every book has its audience. A great example of this is Anne Rice and her vampire stories… she once talked about how her books go through cycles of sales that rise and fall every few years, as vampires go in and out of popularity.
Much the same can be said for many genres. They go in and out so quickly that if you miss one good release time, another will be coming.
So my wish for you this season is that you will find your cool uncool things and love them. That you will flaunt your love for them. And if you’re writing them, that readers will flock to it. Don’t be afraid to write (and read) the things you love, just because you love them.
And have a wonderful holiday season, friends. ❤
Selina J. Eckert 