Absolutely not! A writer who wants to be successful should write for themselves first, and for an audience second. That being said, if you're churning out what you realize is nothing but a Tolkien clone, then you need to go back, find the parts that you (consciously or unconsciously) ripped off...
Hello - I am brand new to this forum, and just wanted to pop in and say hello! My name is Jan Fosse, and I am so glad to find a forum for people who write and think like I do! It gets lonely being the only fantasy writer I know. :)
I actually have a question, if that's okay to post in this...