And in whatever way works for you.
I was browsing my Facebook writing groups yesterday and saw a post in which someone had harvested a selection of writing advice from "multiple sources across the internet." It was an interesting list. I had seen each piece of advice before, in various forms, but not curated in this way as a series of quotes. Most I agreed with, some I did not - which is to say, some of the things that work well for other authors do not work so well for me. But one piece of advice continues to stand above the rest and, I think, should do so for every writer, aspiring or published.
Write what makes you happy.
I've read reams of articles on how to promote yourself and your books. Some of them recommend that you identify a target audience, that you write the kind of story they would like. If you want to be successful, they say (by which they mean making money from your writing), you should treat it like a job. I get it. I'm sure that makes sense for some people. But it's a turn off for me, and I suspect for many others. Sure, it helps to know that there's a large audience ready and willing to lap up a spicy dark fantasy or intense crime thriller. If you have a different idea, perhaps something that doesn't fit comfortably within the established genres and sub-genres, should you adjust it to fit? I think that's up to you. My primary audience is myself. If I don't truly enjoy reading my story, why would I write it? Or expect anyone else to like it? This might be one reason it took so long for me to write something I thought was worth publishing.
As far as how to write, we're all different. Find what works for you and stick to it. Some authors are plotters, others are pantsers. For every author that thrives best when following an established routine, there are others who are most productive writing whenever the mood takes them. I usually write utter drivel late in the day, others can barely put two words together until pouring their second cup of coffee. Some authors prepare several books in a series before publishing the first, others focus on one at a time. You get the picture.
Every author is different. Given the same prompt, or even the same characters and plot, two authors may write two different stories in different ways. But that's what makes it fun! Would you agree?