Yes, of course, you’ve got to compromise, it’s obvious. The question is to what extent? I think you don’t need to sacriface much, just a little bit. I’m convinced the considerable part should be for yourself. And I don’t agree that writing for yourself means journals, diaries. It all depends on what a given writer likes to read and write. I’ve never liked writing diaries, but I still think I write for myself. I write what I enjoy, what makes ME laugh, what brings ME pleasure, satisfaction, fun or whatever. And because I' m not very complicated ( like most of us humans) I hope others would find it relatable. That’s the way it should work ( for me at least). Yes, “Harry Potter” happens to be popular, which eas a big surprise for the author as far as I know. Why? Because she wrote what she wanted. She didn’t have POPULARITY in mind. If she had, she might’ve used some popular tricks which would’ve made the novel just one of the many. She didn’t bother and she won. And yes, the rules don’t always apply, that’s true, the reference to them was a bit ironic in the piece above! Thank you Mark Starlin for readong and commenting!