: Re: Should I follow my instinct or public demand when writing a story? What would you do if you faced the same dilemma Sir Arthur Conan Doyle faced when he actually wanted to end "Sherlock Holmes"

@Jessie137

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Terry Pratchett once said something along the lines of 'If I'd listened to the public I'd have written twenty Rincewind books'. And he would have had an audience for that, but he'd have been a different kind of writer.
Some writers clearly respond to the demand for more of the same to the point where even those who clamoured for it find it stale, Look at some of Janet Evanovich's Amazon reviews for later Stephanie Plum books for example.
Other writers seem to mix and match: Charlaine Harris gave readers all the Eric they wanted but paired Sookie up with the guy she always planned.
So I think the answer is that it depends what kind of writer you are and how you balance your trust in your readers' ability to trust you.

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