Changing Genres

[righter1]

Here's a question that's been on my mind for a while...

Premise first: I write mysteries, and have one that's slightly on the sci-fi side. But, I would love to take my MC and shift her (eventually, a long time down the road) into political thrillers.

Here's my question... If you decide you want to switch genres, how do you go about it? I read some in the political thriller genre, not as much as in mysteries, and I wonder if I have the intelligence necessary to write such a book--all the CIA intelligence stuff can be pretty heady.

Has anyone faced this dilemma? Maybe you've switched between two simpler genres, but I'm sure you've faced problems initially. Any advice?

[kriswrite]

Just study the "new" genre thoroughly, then plunge in, head first! :) Seriously, that's all you can do!

Kristina

[Tarin]

Over the years, I've written novels in contemporary, western, romance, historical, and fantasy. And I've toyed with stories in the psychological thriller genre too. Needless to say, not all of those are or will be published.;) People ask me what kind of stories I write and I go "Umm..." Lately, I've taken to calling them "Blood and Thunder" stories, since that seems to be prominent theme in all of them. But a friend of mine informed me that it's entirely to pretentious to name a completely new genre after my work. So I'm back to the "umm..." answer.:p

I love writing different things. The idea of tying myself down to one genre, one set of characters, one setting, one time period... it's stifling. I write because I want to experience. And the more I get to experience the better, right? I suppose a lot of it is influenced by my very eclectic reading habits. I'll read anything, genre notwithstanding, and so I end up with a lot of ideas from different genres. And I love it!

As far as the actuality of switching between genres, I say just go for it! Do you research, learn what you need to, and write the story that's waiting inside to be unraveled.

When you first switch to something entirely new, it can be very scary - like stepping into a river and not knowing how deep it's going to get. But just take it slow, keep breathing, and eventually you'll learn how to swim in the new current. And definitely pray! Sometimes - when my stories are not cooperating - that's about my only edge on sanity.

Good luck on your new endeavor! I hope you have as much fun "genre hopping" as I do!!thumbsup!

[righter1]

I think my biggest fear is that I'm not intelligent enough to pull it off. I know I'm smart, but the genre I would love to write for it seems that the authors have to be near geniuses (which I'm not) in order to create an engaging plot.

Of course, I'm fairly young... I know it's even odd that at 25, I'm confident enough to write mysteries. Most of the writers in this genre are at least 15 years older (or more) than me, and the ones I respect the most are at least twice my age. Maybe my age has something to do with the lack of confidence I feel about exploring a slightly different genre?

[Tarin]

Maybe my age has something to do with the lack of confidence I feel about exploring a slightly different genre?

It will only phase you if you let it. I'm 21, and my age has never been a factor. If anything, I'm just happy that I have so much time ahead of me to learn more and become a better writer.

[righter1]

It will only phase you if you let it. I'm 21, and my age has never been a factor. If anything, I'm just happy that I have so much time ahead of me to learn more and become a better writer.

True... I don't know how I've developed the confidence to feel like my book is worthy to be looked at by NY agents & publishers... I know it will (once it's done, of course).

Maybe it's the thought of approaching something completely new that I know will require a ton of research to get it right... Research phases me, and I never quite know how to approach it. Doing a kids book, eh, no sweat. But, doing something that could be 600 pages long in order to keep with the genre, that seems overwhelming, even though it's just something I'm thinking of long term right now. I don't even have any ideas (except one story with one of my MC's that could possibly twist from mystery to thriller if done right.) But, it's like a long term goal.

Thanks!!!

[Tarin]

Somewhere in my files I've got a full outline and finished first chapter for a CIA/thriller novel. The reason I ditched it was because the thought of researching police procedurals and the like bored me to death. I absolutely love research - but only so long as I'm researching something interesting. Like history.:D I'll always be a historical novelist at heart, I think.:)

[righter1]

Somewhere in my files I've got a full outline and finished first chapter for a CIA/thriller novel. The reason I ditched it was because the thought of researching police procedurals and the like bored me to death. I absolutely love research - but only so long as I'm researching something interesting. Like history.:D I'll always be a historical novelist at heart, I think.:)

See, I figured something out last night while I was watching 'Casino Royale'... I always secretly wanted to be James Bond... Of course, I also wanted to be Nancy Drew, which might explain why I'm writing a book where the MC is an amateur detective. So, researching some of that would be fun, if I knew where to start. I don't have many aspirations to write historical stuff... I've tried writing a western, and I wasn't happy with it, so it's sitting in cyber-land in my laptop, where it probably will stay for a very long time. I really admire the patience those who do write historicals must have... One of the writers in my writers group here in Kansas City writes a historical series (she's working on getting #1 published) and I can't imagine the HOURS UPON HOURS of research that she had to do. Phenomenal.

[silumenye]

My main focus is on fantasy, but I would also like to cross over into other genres. I have an idea for a science fiction novel, ideas for a whole series of detective novels, and an idea for a historical novel set during the Napoleonic Wars. But the amount of research is prohibitive. Sometimes I don't know where to go to get the precise information I need. ????

[jacks girl]

I think you have to enjoy research to do it, sometimes I get into the research so much i forget I'm supposed to be writing a story.

My advice is to sit down and write your story, do an outline to get an idea of where you are going with the story. Then begin to write, if you have questions find someone that can answer them. I spent 30 minutes the other night on the phone with a woman in San Angelo asking her questions about the hotel she was working at because I was going to use it in a story. The Cactus hotel i found out that it was built by a famous Hilton.

Ask questions, do research, and write and don't let anyone tell you, even your own mind, that you can't do it.

[paulchernoch]

righter1:

Have no fear!

I approached my first novel with the same apprehension as you. I chose fantasy because I thought sci-fi would be too hard for me. As a kid I read hundreds and hundreds of sci-fi novels and shorts, plus an equal number of fantasy stories. (I also loved mysteries and WWII stories.) I got my BS from MIT in physics, for goodness sake! Yet I was still to afraid to write a sci-fi novel.

For the third novel in my trilogy I finally switched to a combination of sci-fi and fantasy. Thinking up the science part has not been easy, despite my background. But the hardest part was getting over the fear. Once I thought about it, ideas began to come. And I started looking on the internet for the latest futuristic ideas.

Tarin mentioned not liking the extra work required to write police procedurals. I feel the same way, but the topic I wanted to cover was heavily saturated in ideas about law, justice and courts! My solution was to study American Criminal Procedure, the laws of other nations, and religious ideas about law, but only deep enough to serve the needs of my story. I created my own world in the afterlife and designed my own court system and legal procedures. My world has aspects of the real world, but I was free to play with the details. So by choosing the right genre and setting, I was able to explore ideas without being bound by too much trivia.

- Paul

[Ransom v. Unman]

For my part, my age does affect me to some degree. I'm 25 too (what a coinky-dink!) and still feel young compared to most of my friends and the people I admire.

Nonetheless, you can "switch" genres if you do the research and the work, like everyone's said. I just know that I usually write fantasy, sci-fi and horror because those are the genres that are most attractive to me. I've got a few short-stories that would probably be considered more literary of slice-of-life than anything else, and one of my horror stories also borders on psychological thriller and detective story.


write the story that's waiting inside to be unraveled.


I think that's the best guide for any writer right there.

[DraperJC]

My switching of genres is temporary and unexpected. I write fantasy and have two or three projects going but along came the inspiration to write humor and now I'm 8/10 of the way through it in one week. By the end of this week I'll be done and back to regularly scheduled programming.

[VWeathers]

Silly question and I don't mean to be breaking the thread bu what is the difference between Fantacy and Sci-Fi. I know what Sci-Fi is but what is fantacy? Is it like Lord of the Rings?

[righter1]

Silly question and I don't mean to be breaking the thread bu what is the difference between Fantacy and Sci-Fi. I know what Sci-Fi is but what is fantacy? Is it like Lord of the Rings?

I'm not the biggest expert here, but here's my definition: Fantasy typically involves unrealistic circumstances... time travel, other beings than humans (elves, dwarfs, whatever), talking animals. Movies like LOTR, Eragon, Princess Bride would fall into this category.

Science fiction typically involves things like aliens, some time travel (to the future or an alternate reality), and space travel, and anything that happens in the future. Movies would be any of the Star Wars trilogy (though a strong argument could be made that this is, in reality, space fantasy), anything Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and even Galaxy Quest.

I'm sure some of our experts here can come up with a better definition, but that's how I would define it.