I recently read this article from a writer who lamented the common advice that writers should stick to one genre. Sister, I hear you. I understand that the old publishing model was to stick to one trick, but that’s never worked for me. The truth is that none of us are one-trick wonders. Every individual is multifaceted and shines through a variety of knowledge, skills, talents, and interests. Why should reading and writing be limited? Nothing else in life is.
It’s another example of how the traditional publishing industry is outdated and dying – most people just don’t realize and/or actively acknowledge it yet. As the article mentions, I can understand sticking with a single genre while you learn how to write, as well as the industry itself. It’s overwhelming, especially if you do like me and start with no contacts. Heck, I started with less than zero, and spent my first five years working my way up to nothing before I started making any progress. Writing is something that must be in your soul to flourish, and the soil is fertile ground for countless things to grow.
Thank goodness for ebooks and self publishing. That has opened our options to more space for creativity. I’ve published paranormal mystery, regular mystery, visionary science fiction, and even holiday stories that cross with scifi and horror. In the past week, I’ve worked on a fantasy short story, a non-fiction piece on the power of positive thinking, two sci-fi stories, and proofreads for Duality, the Thanksgiving mystery that I’m aiming to publish later this year. Lord willing, I’ll get back to another round of rewrites for Broken Time, my scifi novel about the physicist who’s experiments on string theory cause the apocalypse, and post my March article for The Roost about adopting birds of different species.
A single genre? Nope. That’s too confining for me, and when it comes to crossing genres I’m going for it after writing for 22 years. I identify is women’s scifi and mystery, a trifecta that would make the traditional industry cringe. Well, cringe away. My niche knows to expect anything from me and my style is solid through them all. I don’t read one genre, so why should I write one genre? Who knows? I just took my first crack at fantasy last week. Maybe I’ll eventually try a political thriller someday.
Time will tell. Today, I say celebrate the variety on your ereader and your hard drive. Life is full of things that seem inconsistent, until you get to know the individual expressing them and see how it really does work together. Why should writing and reading be any different? Let’s stand up to that outdated advice and embrace variety slaying one-trick-wonders.
That’s all today. Take care, and have a great rest of the week.
Bye!
It’s another example of how the traditional publishing industry is outdated and dying – most people just don’t realize and/or actively acknowledge it yet. As the article mentions, I can understand sticking with a single genre while you learn how to write, as well as the industry itself. It’s overwhelming, especially if you do like me and start with no contacts. Heck, I started with less than zero, and spent my first five years working my way up to nothing before I started making any progress. Writing is something that must be in your soul to flourish, and the soil is fertile ground for countless things to grow.
Thank goodness for ebooks and self publishing. That has opened our options to more space for creativity. I’ve published paranormal mystery, regular mystery, visionary science fiction, and even holiday stories that cross with scifi and horror. In the past week, I’ve worked on a fantasy short story, a non-fiction piece on the power of positive thinking, two sci-fi stories, and proofreads for Duality, the Thanksgiving mystery that I’m aiming to publish later this year. Lord willing, I’ll get back to another round of rewrites for Broken Time, my scifi novel about the physicist who’s experiments on string theory cause the apocalypse, and post my March article for The Roost about adopting birds of different species.
A single genre? Nope. That’s too confining for me, and when it comes to crossing genres I’m going for it after writing for 22 years. I identify is women’s scifi and mystery, a trifecta that would make the traditional industry cringe. Well, cringe away. My niche knows to expect anything from me and my style is solid through them all. I don’t read one genre, so why should I write one genre? Who knows? I just took my first crack at fantasy last week. Maybe I’ll eventually try a political thriller someday.
Time will tell. Today, I say celebrate the variety on your ereader and your hard drive. Life is full of things that seem inconsistent, until you get to know the individual expressing them and see how it really does work together. Why should writing and reading be any different? Let’s stand up to that outdated advice and embrace variety slaying one-trick-wonders.
That’s all today. Take care, and have a great rest of the week.
Bye!
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