Have you ever been let down by a favorite author? I have a few autobuys and I’m not going to mention them because of the nature of this blog, but there’s a few people I immediately pick up if I see them. Lately, every time that I’ve gone for an autobuy expecting to be pleased and feel the way I do about the writer’s other books, I’ve been disappointed. Sometimes grossly, sometimes I’m just left feeling sort of…unfulfilled. And this has happened to me with a number of writers in the last few months.
I’m wondering if maybe exhaustion has left me overly judgmental or just devoid of better feelings. But I’m thinking that isn’t it. I wonder if there’s really a point where we all run out of ideas and under that pressure to produce that we don’t feel yet because we’re not NYT bestsellers, we just crank out whatever we can?
As I mentioned in a previous post, I have literally hundreds of ideas in a file and someday I plan to write them all, given I live that long. But I wonder if ideas isn’t the problem. Perhaps lack of motivation is. Or lack of joy and missing the “fun” of writing they used to have. Maybe they’re tired. Maybe they’re pregnant or having a small infant too.
Whatever the reason I’ll pick up their next books too. Hoping that it was an aberration, because I hate abandoning a favorite author. It’s worse than losing a favorite pair of shoes or dropping a favored pair of jeans in the trash.
How many bad books means someone is never getting back on their game? I don’t know, but it’s a reminder to me that someday, when I’m huge in Europe 😉 , I can’t get bored and if I do I can’t just power through books because I’m expected to. How will I stop that from happening, I have no idea. I’m still dreaming of being big enough for people to even care. But I hope that no matter how much time passes I can keep my joy in the journey and keep producing things that people will want to buy.
Has an old favorite ever let you down?
AJ
Tales from the Crit 
It has happened to me a number of times. In some cases, I think senility might have honestly been the problem! I think it’s a sad truth that many publishers bank on a name and don’t care that the writing has gone completely flat. All I can do is hope these oldsters ARE
Oops. I hit the wrong button. ~rolls eyes~ Who am I calling senile? Anyway, I hope the oldest of my favorite writers are still enjoying the craft, even if their quality his slipped.
Happy writing!