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!