To Paraphrase (badly) William Shakespeare, why would we ever try to compare ourselves to other authors? Do we compare vanilla ice cream to chocolate, or do we appreciate that both are ice cream and eat them with the same vigor? It has been said that all stories have been told, just not by you.
Everything we do takes some type of motivation. Whether it is getting up in the morning, going to a tortuous job because you have to pay the bills, or jumping head-first into writing what you hope will be the next "Gone with the Wind". What is your motivation? Who motivates you?
What is your inspiration? What makes you think "Oh! That would be a great story!" New authors have a bit of a conundrum with this. They may think that inspiration comes from great tragedy or from great happiness. Of course it does, but don't stop there! The world is full of inspiration just waiting for the right wordsmith to come...
Every day I hear an author ask, pine over, complain about, or inquire after the term "Writer's Block." For a while, I actually considered this a real thing. However, based on my own lack of same, and my understanding of the human psyche, I have come to a new conclusion: Writer's Block does not exist.
There is no right or wrong answer to whether you should write a stand-alone or a series of books. The determining factors are your readership, your purpose in writing and your time to get things done.
Writing may be a hobby for many but when an indie author publishes his or her book, it is for a reason. They wish to share their stories with others. Sharing with a cost, however.
Yes, I am a new author. Yes, I have only sold a few books in the two days since releasing my story on several vendor sites.