SquarePeg Books

The dreaded yet beloved Story. The Story that you ache to tell. The Story that you desperately want to share with the world. The Story that is quirky, odd, off-beat or maybe about an “edgy” or possibly “offensive”  subject. The Tale that nags you when you try to sleep and claims squatting rights in your brain until your throw the words down on a page.

THAT Story.

There seems to be 2 schools of thought about the SOYH:

1. Write it, but don’t expect any awesomeness to come from it. It’ll be too weird, too strange, too off-brand, too close to a sensitive subject and you may even piss off your fan base to the point where they never come back.
2. Write it, stretch yourself, go crazy, be true to your words and you’ll find the fans you need.

Not a lot of in-between there.

But what is the Story of Your Heart? Shouldn’t ALL the stories you write be something you have some attachment to? Some desire to see read?

Of course there are the stories that people write to pay the bills. The stories that aren’t terribly awesome in their minds, but meet the contractual requirements. Stories they aren’t hugely invested in, but agreed to slam out because, well, the bank doesn’t really give a damn where the money comes from, so long as it’s there and on time.

I blog about this now because as I’m trying to wriggle back into the groove, I’m beset with question about the SOYH.  Is this really the SOMH, or was it just a quick fling that I somehow feel honor-bound to see through until the end? Do you ever dread the SOYH? Can you have more than one? At the same time? Can every story be a SOYH, or are you doomed to have only that one true love in your entire life?

I care about my stories, I do. Sometimes maybe I care a little too much – like that person who mourns FOREVER over a particular break-up and then picks up stalking as a sideline. I’ve done that (To my stories, I mean. You know. Like when you have problems accepting the story is DOA and there’s no saving it and you should just walk away but, dammit!). But do I care enough about the stories for them to be the SOMH? Should you care about them beyond the business model? Can you fall out of love with a story as quickly as you fell in love with it? If you do fall out of love with it, should you give a second (third, fourth, fifth,…) chance? Who gets hurt more if you do that – the story or yourself?