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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/40864
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Or should I dumb down my writing and pander to what I think most people like to read?

(Note: This isn't necessarily about me. It's a general question for many writers facing such a dilemma.)

NB: I have been urged to expatiate in order to make the question more understandable. So let me give this small example:

Suppose you are a writer whose works (which are mostly in the genre of literary magical realism) have not (yet) gotten much readership/sales. But you notice lately - and someone else confirms to you - that YA fiction geared towards teenage girls is very trendy and popular, and many writers do very well even in spite of rather low quality writing. You are tempted to, at least for the time being, venture into that genre and use your skill to start writing to pander to teenage girls despite really having no interest in YA or romance.

Is it advisable to do so? Can one be successful doing so despite not really having much interest in it?

That is a very specific (and maybe a little extreme) example, but i hope it clarifies the point.

Original score: -3