Writing Advice: Write in a Different Genre

Have you ever written in a genre other than your usual one?

Many authors (myself included) tend to stick to one, or at most two, genres. For example, I enjoy fantasy, so most of the stories I create will be in the fantasy section; however, that doesn’t mean I’ll never write a small horror or romance story every once in a while, and I’ll explain why.

Each genre has its perks that you could learn from. If you want to improve your visual storytelling and create an interesting atmosphere, take a quick peek at the horror section.

What if you aren’t good at writing romance? Have you read any romance stories lately? What do they have that your story is lacking?

Now, when I say I write other genres, I don’t mean that I’ll create an entire novel, more so I’ll think of a small scene or chapter in my current story and be like, “this is a horror chapter now”, and see if I can learn anything.

I find writing in a different genre than what I’m used to can be refreshing and fun. It’s a bit of a challenge for me in a couple of ways.

Do I know my characters well enough that if they were transported into a different genre, would I be able to figure out how they would react?

How is my ability to tell a story in a different genre?

I also found that if I’m in a bit of a writing slump, simply changing direction and writing in a different genre can spark some creativity to help me get out of my slump.

There’s so much you can learn if you take a little peek in the other lanes instead of staying in your own. You don’t have to be a master of every genre, but if you’ve been getting consistent feedback saying your visuals or descriptions are a bit lacking, perhaps take a look at stories where visuals and descriptions are the main selling point and do a bit of comparison between their stories and yours. And then, if you think you might have an understanding, write in the other genre for a bit and see how it feels.