{what I’ve learned} from the great pumpkin craze

In case you didn’t notice, autumn has had some time to make itself at home, and winter is knocking on the door and seeping through the cracks. If you have Twitter or Facebook or Instagram accounts, you’ve probably seen an abundance of Starbucks red cups and pumpkin spice lattes because, you know, it didn’t happen unless there’s photographic evidence 🙂

Pumpkin is a HUGE trend in the food/beverage industry right now because the actual plant is in season, and it’s best paired with warm, delicious spices that can undo the iciest chill and incite the cozy fire feeling even if you’re miles from home.

But just because everyone is getting on board with pumpkin doesn’t mean it always works.

Case in point:

No. Just no.

If you have a good thing going for you, don’t change just because the industry dictates it unless you’re certain (and have credible evidence) that you can execute it properly with an organic and appealing slant. Because if you can’t, you could end up just as artificial and canned as these puppies taste.

Granted, some may like these and the other seasonal flavors of M&Ms. But they do candy-coated chocolate so well–why mess with a good thing?

The moral of the story:

Before you upend your brand and product to cater to what’s hot in the industry, do some research and weigh your options against credible counsel.

Because you’d hate to be the person who messed up chocolate.

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  • Absolutely! Two integral parts of a writer’s journey, imo: 1) Finding out exactly what story you love to tell and how you love to tell it 2) Owning it. I’ve never been influenced by writing trends. For one thing, *I’m* the one who has to work on the story for months and months. It’s critical to me that I’m entertained and enjoying myself as I go. I can’t imagine forcing myself to write a style of book just because someone else wrote one that zoomed to the top of the bestseller list.

    Thanks, Laurie!

    • Thanks, Becky! I agree completely. No Amish vampires in space for this girl!

      PS: Loved your newsletter today 🙂

  • This was my favorite one yet!!!

    • The post or the M&Ms? I’m not saying some people won’t like them, but the majority I’ve heard just can’t appreciate them 🙂

  • Poor little pumpkin spice M&M. 🙁