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Joined: 3/14/2011
Posts: 80
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How many of you stick to one specific genre with your writing? Do you only write mysteries? Are fantasies the only thing to tickle your fancy? Give me hard boiled detective novels or give me death!
I know plenty of people who are like that, but I'm not one of them. While I do write strictly for a YA crowd, I've hit several genres inside that category: contemporary, fantasy, paranormal and soft sci-fi. I read across the board so I'm not really surprised my story ideas are all over the place as well. I think it's good to stretch your talents and see if you excel in one more than another as well.
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Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 412
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I have plotted at this point, a space opera, a cycle of 4 sci fi books, several fantasy, low and high, a war thriller, a spy thriller, two mysteries (one adult, one 3rd grade level) a paranormal urban fantasy in four books, a hard sf robots gone amuck story, and many more.
Genre? Storytelling, thtas my genre.
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Joined: 3/14/2011
Posts: 80
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A+ answer 
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Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 102
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I think this is an important question. All of the writers I know have experimented with different genres. Sometimes the results are great, sometimes not. But the problem seems to be getting these experiments published. I've read multiple agent blogs insisting that writers stay true to their platform and write in only one genre.
I do understand this from a marketing perspective. But is it fair, or even reasonable for the artist? Writing in different genres allows us to grow as writers, to make and learn from new types of mistakes, and to see our literary world from a different perspective. Isn't that in everyone's best interest?
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Joined: 3/14/2011
Posts: 80
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I feel like that's the same as saying if you write a series that everyone loves and sells well that you should never end that series. Like you I understand their reasoning, but maybe you get a whole new group of fans.
Look at James Patterson. He writes these best selling adult novels but also has a children's series that does very well.
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Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 412
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I like Harlan Ellison. The vast majority of his works could be considered sci fi or modern fantasy. But he refuses to be pigenholed that way, and claims, I'm a writer, pure and simple. He's stated, "I am not a science fiction writer. I've just used a lot of furniture from that genre"
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Joined: 3/14/2011
Posts: 49
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I write whatever I feel like writing. So far, that's included (either written or planned) soft sci-fi, epic fantasy, slipstream, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, post-apocalyptic/dystopian sci-fi, women's fiction, romance, steampunk, cyberpunk, horror, and literary fiction.
The only thing that pretty much all of my work has in common is some kind of romantic element, whether it's the main plot or a subplot.
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Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 244
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I stick mostly to fantasy though I have written some romance (at least in short story form, with one category length story that is absolute drivel). I'm revising a contemporary fantasy, I want to revise my high/traditional fantasy that I wrote before, I've just started drafting a contemporary romance that's very sweet and innocent. I have an idea percolating for an adventure novel.
I'm all over the place, but for the most part I do stay in new adult/adult. I read a lot of YA but the YA voice just doesn't click in my writing.
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Joined: 3/14/2011
Posts: 80
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Just a note, I wouldn't consider YA to be a genre but a category. There are genres inside that category 
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Joined: 3/4/2011
Posts: 58
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For twenty some years, I thought I could and would only write science fiction/space opera.
For college, I made a horrific attempt at writing a "literary" novel which I ended up burning in the campus garbage incinerator. I also discovered a talent for humorous poetry, but it wasn't something I really enjoyed. I just wrote it for the grades. So, back to sci-fi.
Then I met several sci-fi/romance authors who were wonderful and mentored me. I read a lot in the sub-genre, and tried my hand at a couple, though I thought I'd NEVER write a romance. To my surprise, both turned out well, and my agent is going out on submission with one of them soon.
Now I'm working on an Earth-based sci-fi/superhero novel. I swore I'd never write something Earth-based, but I've done it twice, now. So, never say never, huh?
I have a background in parapsychology, so maybe a paranormal is in my future.
It all falls under the umbrella of "fantastic" fiction, so I'm branching out but not too far.
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Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 244
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I wasn't saying that YA is a genre, just that there's consistency in my writing by sticking away from YA with the adult/new adult categories no matter what genre I'm writing in.
I think I'm just trying to figure out where I belong writing-wise and so far my discoveries have been on the adult side of the category spectrum.
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Joined: 3/16/2011
Posts: 279
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I've only been writing for a year or so and I haven't really found my genre yet. I lean towards writing for young adults but I have the feeling that my writing preferences will be similar to my reading ones...varied. A little history here, a little horror there and an article on equine genetics way out in left field somewhere.
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I tend to write in many sub-genres, though most everything I write falls under the sci-fi/fantasy umbrella. Most of my works incorporate other genres. For example the urban fantasy that I'm currently working on has a mystery subplot and a few romance subplots, though not enough to be fully part of either genre.
I used to write more contemporary romance, and likely will in the future, but for right now my brain's set on a fantasy kick.
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