I love a good story. Whether it’s a contemporary romance, urban fantasy, or an edge-of-your-seat spy thriller, I read ‘em all.
And lately, I’ve discovered I like writing all different kinds of stories too.
In the past few months, I’ve written books in three different genres – urban fantasy, young adult, and contemporary romance. Yeah, I know. My muse is all over the place. 
Admittedly, the genres don’t have much in common. My urban fantasies are gritty, gritty, gritty. My young adult is a swashbuckling fantasy. My contemporary romance is set in a small Southern town.
But they’re all stories I wanted to tell. That I needed to tell, if only to quiet the voices of the characters in my head. At least for a little while.
Even if these books don’t sell, even if no one ever reads them but me, I’m still proud of them. I’m still glad I stepped outside my comfort zone and tried something new.
Too often, I think writers get pigeonholed into writing one genre, one series, one character. C’mon. We’ve all seen blog posts bemoaning the fact that a beloved writer has gone from historical romance to alien-filled, sci-fi, space operas. Or vice versa.
But I think we should look at authors switching genres as an opportunity. They’re trying something new, and so should we as readers.
For example, as much as I like Lisa Kleypas’ “Wallflowers” historical romance series, I absolutely adore her contemporaries. Robert B. Parker, author of the “Spenser†P.I. series, has penned a series of westerns that I admire. Donald E. Westlake, known for his “Dortmunder†comic crime capers, wrote a great series of gritty, hard-boiled crime novels under the name Richard Stark.
As a reader, I’m glad these authors branched out and gave me even more great stories to read. Ditto for all the other authors I’ve found through one or more of their series and genres.
Writing fantasy will probably always be my first love. But there are so many more things I want to write. So many more stories I want to tell.
I want to write an elaborate heist book, in the vein of “Ocean’s Eleven.†A western with a gunslinger who’s just as cool as Clint Eastwood. A stand alone that’s the next great American novel. An epic fantasy trilogy. A series with seven books – or more.
These are just a few of the ideas bouncing around in my head. Will readers follow me from series to series, from genre to genre? Or will I end up on one of those blog posts? I don’t know.
But I think it’ll be fun to find out. 
What about you? What’s the book you dream of writing? Who are some of the genre-switching authors and books that you like? Share in the comments.
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You go, girl.
I love genre-hopping, criss-crossing, fuzzing the lines, turning conventions on their heads, as a Reader and a Writer.
Seems to me there are two kinds of readers and they’re a lot like eaters.
One kind wants each entree seperate and not touching each other and she wants the same thing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every single day. I’ve got a kid like that. I can make her oatmeal in my sleep now.
Then, there’s the kind of Reader, or eater, who loves a buffet! That’s me. I want this and I want that and let’s find out how they taste all mashed up together!
An author can’t please all the readers, just like a momma will go nuts trying to play short-order cook.
It makes sense for a newly published author to keep writing the same kind of story for a few years while she establishes herself and becomes known. After that, though, bring on the buffet!
Oh, I definitely do NOT like my food to touch. That’s one of my hang ups. The hubby (a plate piler) always teases me about it.
My issue is I like to read the genre I have a hankering for. So I like it when authors use different names for different genres. I may read all their genres but I know when I autobuy an Amanda Quick, I’m getting a historical romance.
Sort of like how I like seeing the dessert menu at the BEGINNING of a meal so I can anticipate it.
I like to write in whatever genre strikes me, and I’ll read just about anything. I’m guessing the two go hand in hand.
As for genre hopping authors, Louis L’Amour wrote a lovely non-western called The Walking Drum – set in Europe during the early 1000s. Moors and pirates and damsels in distress. :happy sigh: I just love that book.
Unfortunately I am in the minority and don’t enjoy fantasy or paranormal books. That being said I can only write contemporary. I have never sold and don’t know if I ever will but I love writing and seeing my words flow across the screen and can’t imagine writing anything else. LOL
Kimber An — Oh, I definitely like a buffet!
I like certain genres better than others (fantasy, paranormal, westerns, contemporaries) but I just want a good story, first and foremost. I want to read them, and I hope that I can tell a few of my own along the way.
BE — As much as I like westerns, I’ve never read a LL book. I really need to change that …
Patty — Enjoying what you’re writing is the most important thing. Because if you enjoy what you’re doing then I think it really comes across in the story. Instead of maybe trying to write in a certain genre you don’t love just because it’s hot or selling right now.
I’m all for authors who follow their guts and write outside their comfort zones… as long as they don’t market their new space opera as a contemporary romance, that is.
Writing books in multiple genres = good
Pulling the old bait and switch to sell those books to readers = very very bad
I love Jayne Ann Krentz, whether she’s writing suspense under that name, historicals as Amanda Quick, or paranormals as Jayne Castle. It never bothers me when authors branch out and try new things–although it does annoy me when the new thing is packaged like the old thing, presented like the old thing, and I buy it, thinking it’s going to be the old thing and get something completely different! That’s something to be avoided. LOL
Hi Jennifer – it’s good to get out of the comfort zone – I think! I’ve been writing historicals, three so far. But I do have lots of other stories buzzing around my brain and in my “idea’s folder”. A “futuristic”, a contemporary romance, more historicals – but different era’s – maybe a Regency and a Viking – and finally an “inspirational”. Knowing which one to do next is the hardest. It will depend on which one “calls” the loudest! Take care. Caroline x
Louisa, funny you should bring up AQ/JAK/JC because I think she’s a great example of genre hopping. Her Arcane Society novels span all her eras and I snag them all when they come out. A good story is a good story, and a good storyteller is worth following wherever — or whenever — she goes.
Liz — Yeah, I don’t like the bait and switch either — when it comes to anything.
Louisa — I always hear folks buzzing about JAK, but I’ve never read any of her stuff. I’ll have to add her to my to-be-read list.
Caroline — Oh, a Viking historical. That sounds cool. It is always tough to pick between ideas — especially when they’re all so different.
Jessa — Which one of the Arcane Society novels would you recommend? Just curious.
I like Elizabethe Lowell and Karen Robards. I wish they would get back to writing romances, at least a few!
I love branching out as an author and only hope I do it as well as some of my favorites. Robert Parker is one. I’ve read everyone of his Jesse Stone novels(and watched the movies) and his westerns are terrific.
I read across the spectrum and appreciate each genre more for experiencing the others.
I refuse to be pigeonholed in a genre.
If some readers don’t like what I’m currently writing, all they have to do is wait for the next release. Steampunk, cyberpunk, swashbuckler, western, fantasy, contemporary, kink, dark future, urban fantasy, gay, straight, bi, trans. They can pick and choose
I write as the muses move me.
My favorite authors write across the spectrum. Bradbury writes dark fantasy, SF and contemporary. King ventures into contemporary and fantasy every so often.
If Louis L’Amour can start his most famous western series in 1602 England then I can write what I want.
I’m all over the place too, and I’d hate to have to pick only one genre or subgenre and stick to it. Boring — yuck. :/
I have favorite genres as a reader, but I’ll follow a favorite writer just about anywhere at least once. Laney Cairo got me to enjoy a crossdressing book, even though crossdressing as a kink does nothing at all for me, and Abigail Roux got me to enjoy a WWII story. [bemused smile] Heck, Judith McNaught got me to read contemporary romances, back when she switched over from historicals, and I did enjoy hers, even if they didn’t convert me to the genre as a whole.
Angie
I’m right there with you on the switch hitting. Since I’ve landed my agent, I took my novels page down but prior to that, I had military romance, young adult, paranormal military and just plain old paranormal. My muse has apparently been inspired in Iraq to write a little bit of everything but now I must focus on the book that’s going out there so I’m buckling down on the military romance aspect. I’ll work those books into the publishing scene later, though I’m not giving up on them. They’ll just have a little more private time with me as their author than they would if I was trying to pitch them right now.