Many authors have a specific genre that they work within. Your favorite authors are probably dominant in horror, sci-fi, romance, etc., and that's totally great, but I also love when they dive into unfamiliar territory and try their hands at something new. I have always jumped between genres in my own writing to test my skills as well as reach out to a wider audience. My most well known books have usually been in fantasy, but I've also written comedy and adventure fiction. One genre I've always wanted to break out into was horror.
I love reading horror and science fiction. I've been a die hard fan of Stephen King, Michael Crichton, and many others for years. I've half-started many books in the horror/sci-fi wing and never got the courage to continue them. I just never felt like I could live up to my own expectations when it came to these genres. I spent a lot of time comparing myself to them instead of just going for the jump into new waters.
Over the Covid shut down, I started dabbling in horror again. It took me two years to write my first book in the genre, and just last week I finally finished it. It's still in the editing process right now, but I am hoping that by Author Con next March, I will have it in my hand ready to present to the readers for judgment. I've also been on/off working on a science fiction novel since 2005. You could say I have not yet found my niche, or that my niche continuously changes. I think it's important for writers to expand and not just stick to their comfort zone.
As a writer, I read a lot, and I'm always experimenting with different premises. Sometimes it grabs hold of me, sometimes it fizzles out, but I never delete anything I've started just in case I decide to get back into it. Sometimes I even use something I started a long time ago in something I am working on now. This is turning out to be the case in my sci-fi novel. The one I started in 2005, while it didn't pan out, contains material I have found I could use in a whole new book idea. I call it 'plagiarizing myself,' although I don't know if you can technically really do that with your own work.
Last year, I published my first full fledged comedy book, and it got great feedback. So even though I am more well-known as a fantasy author, I haven't let that limit me to just fantasy.
Do you have a favorite multi-genre author? Tell me about it.
And stay weird.
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