Being selfish is not always wrong. Just as long as you understand that its impossible for your boyfriend to please everyone, you can be as selfish as you want. Maybe you can work out a compromise with the ex-wife.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.