Many stalwarts in the writing arena had said:

Write for yourself
Write for the sake of it
Write to please yourself

And many greats had also said:

Write keeping readers in mind
Write what people want to read
Readers are the boss

I don’t need to quote them, I guess. You know them already.

So, whom to listen to? Who is right? Does the advice ‘they' gave back then holds true now? Has the writers' mindset changed over a period of time?

Do you think we could do both? Write to please oneself and entertain or entrance the readers at the same time?

Many people would attest to the negative. But I think it’s a fine line that could be treaded.

If your writing is pure, it will delight readers for sure

I strongly believe that if the words are coming from a pure place, wherever the source may be, they will surely find their way into the readers’ hearts.

You will definitely get a dedicated, loyal audience who will swear by your word. You won’t have to make an extra effort to please the readers.

If you are enjoying the process of writing, you have won 99% of the battle

It’s like radiating your exuberance, emitting the warmth, and spreading the scent. When a flower blooms (read enjoying the process and hence happy), everyone around gets the high (read adding value to the readers).

So, if you are loving what you do, the readers are eventually going to like what you write.

Bottom Line

Just write.

And try to think the least about how it is going to be perceived. In the words of the great Kurt Vonnegut

Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.

In the process of doing so, you are bound to attract and add value to like-minded readers.