Writing Across Genres: The Good

In thinking about this post, I've realized that it could easily be split into two camps. The good, and the challenges of writing multiple genres. This blog, which is hinted at in the title, will focus on the "good" parts of writing across several genres, while next weeks, will focus on what the challenges are.

As someone who writes across several genres and sub genres I think I'm a pretty good "expert" (giggles into my tea...there are very few "experts" in writing due to the nature of the craft). Now, the fun part! The genres and sub-genres I write in, just for example.

High Fantasy - think Tolkien, Terry Brooks etc.
Urban Fantasy - Vampires, Loup Garou, Witches etc.
Historical - colonial America era
MG/YA Christian Fantasy - Similar to Narnia, only modernized
Action & Adventure Fantasy - Like Brian Jacques Redwall series
Contemporary Sweet Romance - Nothing graphic, fade to black
Scene-Based Literary Fiction - working on a re-telling of something that happened in my family's history

Within those there are differences in the stories I write as well. I have two High Fantasy story lines that are vastly different. One could almost be marketed as a YA/NA while the other...think more Game of Thrones. Much more adult. Grittier, darker. This illustrates just how your writing and plot can change within the same genre to fit each story.

In all genres of writing there are certain aspects across the board that must be met.
Your characters need to be developed and three dimensional.
Dialogue must be done well, and be believable.
Setting must be fleshed out and aid the telling of the story. This includes "world-building", even for stories set in "our world".

The benefits of writing across genres are many, not only will you learn the tropes and clichés in each, but you will also gain the understanding of how and when use them.  Some people are intimidated when it comes to certain genres, or it may be by choice that they only read one type of book. however, if you're writing across several that person, now reading one of the types that you write, may like your writing style enough to branch out and try something new!
I have had so many people tell me that they never read fantasy before, but will now that they have read my Ryder Chronicles and loved it. That is honestly one of the best feelings in the world.

The year I wrote two novels during NaNoWriMo was honestly one of my most successful! I was writing both a romance AND the second book in a new fantasy trilogy. If I ever felt stuck, I would switch to the other book. This gave my subconscious enough time to figure out how fix the book I was stuck on!

Your craft gets better the more you write. Period.

There is no substitute for practice. All of us are apprentices in a craft that has no master.

By writing across multiple genres even when you get stuck in one, you can hop over to a different world, story, character, and continue to write. No Writers Block Here!

Why Writing is Important

As a lover of words, and as an independently published author, I have been criticized for my choice of work.

Not my "day" job, mind you, my very passion. This has not just come from people that don't know me, but people who have been around me for many years.

I have received the comments and questions including the following:

Writing isn't hard.
Novels aren't important.
Who has the time to read?
And my favorite: That's a degree program?

People don't seem to understand my choice to study what I love and to continue to pursue my dreams of readers falling in love with my worlds and characters.
But they are quick to support and appreciate the studies and careers of Doctors, Nurses, Lawyers, Engineers. Why the stigma around writing and the creative arts? Heck, I've even seen more support for friends who are photography students than for writing!

For me, and many of my friends, writing is not just a hobby, or even a passion, it is a release. It is escapism at it's finest, and it is therapeutic. Being able to express yourself in a creative outlet aids your understanding of yourself, and the world around you.

Often writers are introverts, or at the very least are observers of the world around them. They often understand more of the human condition than they realize. Then through their writing, they help readers to also gain understanding of themselves and the world around them.

Reading a character going through something life altering can help a child with her parent's divorce, or the little boy being bullied on the school yard can find an example of how to be brave. A child or adult facing a disability gets to imagine the sensation of running, or even flying.

Maybe the most important feeling of all may be found between the pages of books:
Hope.

So maybe we authors aren't performing surgeries, or designing a building that will offer hundreds of new job opportunities, or even putting away murders for life.

I contest we are doing something much bigger than those.
We are instigators of imagination, writers of wrongs, and bringers of hope.

Writing isn't useless. It is vital to our species continuation. It is beautiful, necessary, and something to be shared for many generations to come.

Advice

What advice would I give an "aspiring" writer?
Well first off, I dislike the use of aspiring. If you're writing something, anything creative, you're already a writer. So let me rephrase the question.
What advice would I have to writers, especially those just starting on the journey.

First off I would say, welcome! Most other writers you meet are going to welcome you with completely open arms, and want to "talk shop".
There a few pieces of advice that I would like every person that is on the writing journey know:


1. Though writing is (typically) a solitary adventure, you are putting down imaginary characters from an imaginary world down onto paper, you are not alone. There are literally thousands of writers all over the world who are doing the same thing you are. Reach out, connect, cheer each other on, and commiserate when characters misbehave.


2. Practice. Practice. Practice. No one writes a perfect first draft. NO ONE. That is what the revision process is for. Every time you go through it your writing gets better. I promise.


3. If thinking about self publishing, get as many people as you can volunteer to read it before hitting that "submit" button. Yes, typos happen to the best of us (I've found several in traditionally pubbed books as well), but the more eyes you have checking, the less likely you'll have readers pointing them out later.


4. Develop a thick skin. Sadly, as much as you love you story and you characters, writing is still art. And art is subjective in nature. Not everyone who reads your stories will love them, or even like them. Learn to sift through for the gold nuggets of advice, and leave the rest alone.