You know you want to write. There’s a deep-seated, gnawing sensation in your gut. Your own reading tastes are quite broad – how do you pick between them?
This predicament is common amongst new writers (myself included), and there is so much conflicting advice it’s difficult to know what best to follow.
Some will tell you to pick your genre early and stick to it; some will say write whatever appeals to you. Others again will suggest writing across several genres you like and see what gets picked up first. (Unless you are going to self-publish)
This then leads to other questions. Should you write according to what is popular now, or go with your gut and write what you love? Can you genre hop, or mix genres? And this is all before putting pen to paper!
It’s true that certain types of stories will peak in popularity, then have the market drop out once it has reached saturation. In this case, is it best to have an alternative to fall back on?
Even to look at the term ‘genre’ – what does it mean?
All questions I’ve pondered myself!
What prompted this post, was someone recently asking me what’s my favourite genre to write, as they’d read several short stories I’d written, all different as I test the waters of several that appeal to me. I couldn’t give a definitive answer, though my main WIP at this time is YA Fantasy (even now, I’m not sure that’s where it fits).
But this motivated my research and I hope it will help others.
What is ‘Genre’?
For the new writer, the term ‘genre’ can be confusing. Most will immediately think Romance, Sci-Fiction, Thriller, Fantasy, Crime, or biographical and historical for example. And they wouldn’t be wrong, but ‘genre’ covers so much more, whether you are referring to classic literature or popular. Then there are sub-genres.
For example, we can divide Romance into –
- Historical
- Contemporary
- Inspirational
- Romance mystery
- and Paranormal Romance to name a few.
Horror or Thrillers can include –
- Supernatural
- Psychological
- Demonic or zombie. And many more.
This list of writing genres/sub-genres made my head hurt! Not sure if this helps or adds to my angst of where my writing fits in, but it may help you 😊
Genre Mixing
Don’t be fooled into believing if you blend as many types of genre into your story, you will reach a broader audience. This doesn’t mean you can’t mix, in fact it’s quite popular, but there must be a strong base in one. Think, who are you writing for?
This article explains the ‘Do’s and Don’ts of Combining Genres’. It also highlights aspects I hadn’t considered, such as, it’s the publisher that will classify your book, regardless of where you believe it belongs. That it’s the publishers and booksellers that best understand the reader audience and their expectations. In the end, it’s the story that matters. Write your story first, worry about the readers market later.
This leads on to the next topic.
What’s Popular Vs What You Love
If you go down the ‘what’s popular now’ road, you may need to consider how long that theme has been trending for already. How long will it take you to write, edit and have a finished product ready to pitch to publishers?(Again, unless you are looking to self-publish).
You may be fortunate that what you love is the newest craze and set to have a lengthy reading life. Or your story may well be the one that starts the mania! (We can all dream!)
During my research for this post, I came across this article by Shelly Thacker that provides food for thought. Though the comparison is between Popular Fiction and Literary Fiction, the points are still valid and relevant to this discussion.
Genre Hopping
When first starting out, a lot of writers experiment with different genres to find their niche, what best suits them and to discover where their voice rings loudest.
Some worry about typecasting; will they be stuck in the same genre their whole career? They may love what they’re doing now, but will they still in 10 years?
There are those that have successfully branched out into other genres under pseudonyms, but we’re advised that to do so under the same name is a huge gamble, unless you’re already a bestselling Author. Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and Margaret Atwood to name a few have proven it can be done. And others – 13 Bestselling Authors Who Write In More Than One Genre
Having said this, it’s unlikely that someone just starting out would have the same success.
“But genre hopping should really only be undertaken in close consultation with your agent and after a lot of soul searching — are you hopping because it’s fun or because it’s the best career move? If it’s the former, have all the fun you want, but don’t forget that a writing career is a marathon, and it’s hard to win when you sit down every mile to change your shoes.”
Decision Time
If you’re an aspiring writer reading this and yet to make your decision, it’s possible you have several stories vying for attention in your head – I imagine one will be louder than the rest.
I don’t believe you can be mistaken in your choice if you’re following your heart. The only mistake is not starting at all.
This article from The Balance Careers is worth the read. I couldn’t agree more with their bottom line that states –
“As critical a decision as this is, it’s important not to let it paralyze you. The worst thing you can do is use your indecision about the genre as an excuse not to write.”
