Venturing Into Different Genres

 

In one of the comments on Wednesday's post, our guest blogger Tiffany Reisz said that she uses her real name to write and plans to cross genres and use her name for whatever she publishes.

 

Now many times when people write in different genres they write with different pen names. For instance, Nora Roberts writes romance under the Nora name and futuristic romantic suspense as JD Robb. There are a number of reasons to do this. Perhaps you don't want people judging your new genre by your old one. Or maybe you don't think the two fan bases should cross. For example, you write young adult and want to venture into erotic paranormals. Although I will say that a number of authors who write sexy (not erotic) adult romance also write YA--Gena Showalter, Richelle Mead, PC Cast, etc. and it seems to be fine.

I also think that some people do the different name thing because there is a mindset out there that once you're successful in a genre, you shouldn't switch your brand and confuse your readers. I understand that reasoning, but I also think it's limiting to a writer. Is every story in my head an erotic romance? No. They probably are all romantic in some way, but I haven't ruled out writing something paranormal or full out suspense or going back and writing another YA at some point. I like a lot of genres. Not every story I come up with is going to fit in the same box.

But is that a dangerous thing to do as an author? Build a fanbase who likes you for one type of book then switch and do something completely different? I don't know. As a reader, I tend to follow an author. In erotic romance (just like in YA) the subgenre lines are blurred a bit. So it's not uncommon to see an author put out a contemporary erotic romance, then a futuristic one, then a paranormal. But in the other more specific genres, it's not exactly that freewheeling. For instance, would you buy a Stephen King romance? Or a Nicholas Sparks space opera?

As a writer, I hope to continue writing the contemporary erotic series I sold the first two of. I definitely have a number of books in mind for that one. I also hope to sell Wanderlust (still under consideration at Harlequin) and write some sexy, non-erotic rockstar romances. But outside of that, I haven't ruled out venturing into other areas. I plan to use my current name for all of it--unless I write YA, then I'll probably use a different pen. (Don't want teens wandering into my definitely over-18-only erotic romances.) Mostly, I just hope to have this problem to face, lol, 'cause that means I've sold more books. : )

But how about you? Do you plan to stick to one genre as a writer? Do you plan to use one name if you do genre-hop or use different pens? And as a reader, do you follow authors or genres? Would it throw you off if your favorite author started writing something very different?

Are You Tied to Your Genre?

 

There is a lot of focus out there on creating a brand for yourself.  This includes a number of components--your website, your voice, your blog, how you present yourself, etc.  (Sierra has talked about this recently.)  This also includes your genre.

 

If you write chick lit, you're probably not going to have a website with storm clouds and ominous music.  If you write dark paranormal, you better not have pictures of rainbows and puppies with a pink color scheme.  Wait...on second thought...NO ONE should have that theme, I don't care the genre.

But if you go through all this trouble to brand yourself before you're published, does this mean you're locking yourself into one genre?  I know nothing is physically holding you back from changing themes and images at any time, but it almost acts as part of the mental box we put ourselves in.  (I'm a YA Writer, I'm a suspense writer.)

I understand that in order to build readership once you get published, it's important to establish yourself in one genre before venturing into something else.  But, before we're published, we don't have that monkey on our back.  We can write whatever the heck we want--and some say it's good to do so.

When we're first starting, we're not always sure of our voice or where it fits best.  Instead, we usually just jump into writing what we love to read.  My first book was a darker YA paranormal because at the time that's what I was reading most.  But then I realized what I liked most about writing that book was the romance part.  And I knew if I changed to writing an adult romance for the next book, I wouldn't have to worry about those pesky restrictions about how sexy the book could be, lol.

So that's what I did.  And it was even more fun for me to write.  Now I'm finishing up an erotic romance--still under the romance genre, but a different market and tone.  Writing each has been a different challenge, but I've enjoyed flexing my writing muscles and testing out the different areas.  And I think hopping around genres has really helped me from getting in a rut or from having my stories/characters bleed into one another.

So I encourage you to not lock yourself into one box.  Sometimes the best palate cleanser after finishing one book is writing something in totally new area for the next one.  You might discover your niche is something completely different from what you originally thought.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts.  Do you stick to one genre?  If so, are you ever tempted to write something else?  Where do you think your voice could work besides the genre you're writing in?  If you have tried others, what genres have you experimented with?

 

**Today's Theme Song**
"Not Myself Tonight" - Christina Aguilera
(player in sidebar, take a listen)


 

The Gateway Book - Getting Hooked on a Genre

 

Gateway in Siena
Photo by UrbanDigger


When selecting which books to read, my guess is that most of us stick to a handful of our favorite genres or sub-genres.  For me, the lion's share of what I read is contemporary romance and young adult.  I also have a fondness for horror, mystery, and romantic suspense--but those are rare reads these days.  I'm not opposed to reading in other areas, but with so little pleasure reading time, I end up sticking to my mainstays most of the time.

 

Now, that means it's often hard to convince someone to give your genre a try.  For instance, many of you are not romance readers, so when I mention a recommendation/review, you probably don't pay much attention because you've already labeled it as not your thing.  I know I do the same thing.

But as writers (and readers) it's good to expand our horizons and get a feel for what else is out there.  So, with so little free reading time, I'd hate to pick up a book in a genre I haven't explored and accidentally select a crappy one--which may ruin me for exploring the genre further.

So what I thought would be fun to do today is to list a gateway book for your genre of choice.  Meaning:  


If you wanted to "sell" someone on your genre/subgenre and they've never picked up that kind of story, what's the ONE book you would want them to read that you know has the best shot at hooking them on the genre?

For instance, I'm writing erotic romance--a niche genre that is booming, but isn't mainstream for most.  It also isn't for everyone.  However, if someone is curious about testing out the genre, I often recommend Maya Banks' Sweet Surrender because even though it has some seriously risqué elements (it is erotic romance people), the characters are well-developed, the story sucks you in, the romance is primary, and the buildup of tension is deliciously executed.  It also eases the reader in instead of slapping them with erotic elements page one.

When I was looking to try out historical romance, everyone recommended Outlander, which totally sold me on historical romance--something I really hadn't had an interest in before.  So that was my gateway book.

Here are some other books I'd recommend as gateways:

 


And if you're looking for a terrific (though a bit outdated) book that lists gateway picks for a slew of different areas, check out The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List.  I got a used copy of this a few years ago and still go to it for recommendations.

 

So you tell me--what's your chosen genre/sub-genre and what gateway book would you recommend to get a newbie hooked?  And for my fellow romance readers, tell me what author/books I HAVE to read to consider myself well-read in my own genre? :)

**Today's Theme Song**
"Best of You" - Foo Fighters
(player in sidebar, take a listen)


 

Question of the Day: Genre Respect

 

 

Why do you think some genres are championed while others are considered "guilty pleasure" or "junk food" reading?


Do you think genre fiction (romance, mystery, suspense, etc.) is easier to write than literary fiction?  If something's "commercial", is that a bad thing?  When people ask you what you read, do you tell them or do you pick the most high brow book you've read lately and tell them that one?  And if you're a literary fiction reader, what is your opinion on genre fiction?  What books or type of books would you never admit to reading?  (I apparently have no shame when it comes to this since I have reviewed some verra hawt books over here.  And yes, my mother does read my blog.  *waves* Hi Mom!)


**This week I'm am on a cruise, so I apologize for the short posts and the lack of responses to comments.  I look forward to reading all of your answers when I return!**


 

Netflix Knows Me Better Than I Know Myself

When I started my first novel, I didn't give much thought to what genre fit my me or my voice. I just had an idea for a story and started writing. So what did I end up with? Well, on the surface, I ended up with a young adult paranormal romance. But if you dug a little further, the story had a mix of a lot of ingredients: comedy, teen drama, romance, dark/borderline horror elements, fantasy (gods/goddesses), and even a hint of commentary on religion.

Whoa. Yeah, tried to do a bit much there. And it showed. Of course, I'm not saying that a book can't do ten different things at once, but probably not the best idea for me to go for all of that in a first novel attempt. What was I thinking?

Well, after signing into my Netflix account this weekend, I found the answer. For those of you who don't have Netflix, when you go to your homepage, Netflix offers lists of movies it thinks you will like based on how you rated other movies. And the categories they list are often very specific. I always get a kick out of them.

So when I saw what came up for me, I realized what had happened in my first book. I had tried to shove everything I'm interested in into one story. And apparently my interests are a bit schizophrenic. Here is what I learned about myself based on the genres Netflix assigned to me:

I like the dark side...
  • Suspenseful Psychological Horror Movies
  • Scary Ghost-Story Thrillers
  • Dark Dramas based on Contemporary Literature
  • Scary Serial Killer Thrillers
I'm a hopeless romantic...
  • Romantic Dramas based on Bestsellers
  • Romantic and Suspenseful Fantasy from the 1980s
I love to laugh...
  • Goofy Opposites Attract Movies
  • Raunchy Teen High School Comedies
  • Slapstick Comedies
I'm oh-so-mature...
  • Romantic High School Movies from 1980s
  • Raunchy Teen High School Comedies
I like to pretend I'm smart...
  • Political Documentaries
  • Mind-Bending Movies
I enjoy a screwed-up backstory...
  • Dysfunctional Family TV Shows
And chicks that kick ass...
  • Movies Featuring a Strong Female Lead

Sounds right to me. Looks like Netflix knows more about me than I realized. So if you're unsure what kind of story you want to write, first evaluate what you like to watch and read. That doesn't necessarily mean your voice and writing strengths will play to all of your interests. For instance, I don't think I'd be very good at writing a political book. But it's somewhere to start.

So for those of you who have Netflix, what genres does it pick for you? And if you don't have it, what do you think would come up? Have you ever tried to do too much with one story? Of all your interests, how did you know what genre would fit your voice and writing strengths best?

**Today's Theme Song**
"Everything To Everyone" - Everclear
(player in sidebar if you'd like a listen)

Why do you read what you read?


As I start this blog, I found myself wondering how I became such a book-obsessed dork and why I prefer certain types of stories to others. Looking back, I've decided that reading development is kind of like that Plinko game from the Price is Right--certain people and book experiences bump you in one direction or the other. Some of us land in the $5000 slot and become lifelong readers of every type of book, others land in zero and miss out completely, and many of us fall somewhere in between finding a particular reading niche. Here's how my Plinko game went:



4th grade: Inspired by my mother's love of mystery novels, I start reading James Howe's Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery series and Betty Ren Wright's The Dollhouse Murders .
Result: A love of stories that scare me and make me laugh. This also leads to me being convinced that my room is haunted by an evil stuffed monkey that has sat on my shelf since toddlerhood. Monkey gets evicted to the attic, I sleep on the couch for six months (seriously.)


5th grade: My teacher, Mrs. Hymel, starts reading a chapter a day of Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time to the class. I'm hooked. I go to the library to get the book because I can't tolerate waiting for her to finish. I proceed to read the rest of the series in rapid succession. When I'm finished with those, I move on to The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
Result: My love for both fantasy and series books is planted.

6th grade: We're assigned to read Where the Red Fern Grows
and Bridge to Terabithia . Amazing literary books. But both tore me to shreds. I had just lost my grandmother who I was extremely close to and books involving deaths just shattered me.
Result: I develop a respect but also a wariness for literary fiction. In addition, I acquire a lifelong aversion to novels that kill off the dog. I go on a binge of R.L. Stine horror books (such as The Baby-Sitter (Point Horror Series)
)and Roald Dahl instead. I also began to indulge my budding interest in the paranormal. My science fair projects for this year: ESP and Poltergeists.

9th grade: I dig through my mom's book collection and pull out V.C. Andrews' Flowers in the Attic and Petals on the Wind . These books were depressing, full of drama, gothic, darkly romantic, and totally addictive. But why do I remember these? Because in the second book there was (wait for it) sex. Gasp. I was a very naive at fourteen and found this to be so scandalous. This is the first time I remember hiding the spine of the book while I was reading in public just in case. Of course, I went on to read like twenty more books by Ms. Andrews.
Result: Discover that romance + sexy + darkness = awesomeness

10th grade: I realize that most of my favorite horror movies started as books. I go through a Stephen King and Anne Rice phase. I also read a "based on true events" book called The Black Hope Horror: The True Story of a Haunting that scares the bejesus out of me. I have to remove the book from my room at night so I can sleep.
Result: Decide psychics, monsters, vampires, and ghosts are by far way cooler than normal humans.

9th grade-12th grade: My teachers beat us over the head with the classics because that's their job. I know now these books are works of art, masterpieces, etc. But as a teenager, I thought all of them (outside of Shakespeare and Poe) were big giant suckfests.

Result: I raise the stock of the Cliff Notes company (allowing me to ace all English tests and papers) and am further turned off by the term "literary."

And what do I do with the time I should be using to read my assigned books? I write my own romance novel because clearly there is no chance of actual romantic interludes in my own angsty life. A hundred and fifty typed pages of sappy teenage indulgence is born and titled Kismet. My male protagonist bears a striking resemblance to Joe McIntyre of New Kids on the Block.

College: I start off with a double major: Psyc and English, but feel overwhelmed. I drop English because it's not as "practical", but still sneak in a few classes. LSU offers a Vampires in Literature class. How frigging cool is that? Not only do I get the chance to read stacks of vamp novels, I get the chance to write short stories about them, too.
Result: Regret dropping the English major. Promise myself that once I get settled in my psychology career, I will try to write in my free time.

So now, years later, where does that leave me?

Reading and writing the same things I grew to love as a child. My Plinko chip landed in the voracious reader of genre fiction slot. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not closed off to the literary side, but honestly its not the first thing I pick up. So, be warned that most of my reviews on here will fall under genre fiction.

So, I'm curious. What books from your past guided your tastes? Can you remember that first moment or first book that really hooked you on reading? Or something that turned you away from a certain genre? Leave a comment and let me know.