I was talking to an editor friend of mine today about what genre I read most. Right now (and for probably the last year or two) it's been historical fiction. I really enjoy the regency period and all the different rules of society that were in place then.
I was wondering to myself if my editor friend thought that since I write suspense, I should read suspense. I mean, isn't it generally accepted that the best writers are really good readers?
But as I thought more about this, I decided that nowhere does it say you have to be well-read in the genre that you write. I can glean the same information about rhythm, dialogue, setting etc., from a historical as I can from a suspense. Granted, suspense has different beats to it, but the basic structure is very similar from the writing aspect.
So, my conclusion is, I don't have to read a lot of suspense to be a good suspense writer myself. And I also realized that I might want to write a historical sometime. Even typing that scares me a little, because I have always written romantic suspense and I'm comfortable there.
But maybe I'm closer to the time where I want to shake things up. Change genres. Write a historical! *covers mouth* But not today. It's still a bit too scary.
What do you think? Can writers successfully switch genres and write something completely different?
I'm an award-winning romantic suspense novelist, but in my free time I love to review books and my fave TV shows, as well as pass along great book deals, and eat Canadian chocolate---not necessarily in that order.
2 comments:
It seems like successful writers tend to stay in their comfort zones, or maybe that's an editor's decision to not put off readers. JK Rowling did pretty well with her non-fantasy book about small-town drama.
I'm trying to think of others, where they use a pseudonym to break out of the genre. I feel like there's a primarily Romance author who writes mysteries, but I can't pull that name out of a hat.
I'd like to write a fantasy. And a mystery. And... maybe I should just write something first. =)
I have a trilogy that is a paranormal romantic thriller, and I feel very comfortable writing that genre. But it could be the it doesn't differ too much from the romantic suspense that I write now. I don't have any interest in writing fantasy or science fiction. I did start a historical romance this past year, and it took a lot of research before I started. I still have hopes for it--someday. But I have 4 or 5 other stories that I want, or maybe need to write first. I have their concepts plotted out. Oh, wait, did I say I didn't do science fiction? I have a zombie book waiting in the wings to be told. If you read the first two paragraphs of RELATIVE EVIL, you'll know what I'm talking about. hahaha!
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