Quitting a Genre

[Philip Overby]

I wrote a blog post about no longer attempting to write epic fantasy. It's been a long time coming, but I think I recently got a flood of ideas that pertained to either sword and sorcery style fiction or urban fantasy. So I've decided to give up writing epic fantasy. However, I'll still continue to mostly read epic fantasy because it's my preferred genre.

I'm Saying Goodbye to Epic Fantasy Writing

So question for everyone: have you ever quit writing a specific genre for any reason? Does this mean you'll never write it again or you just need to give it a break for a while? I'm 60 percent leaning towards picking up epic fantasy again down the road, but for now I want to really give some other genres a solid try.

 

[Garren Jacobsen]

I'm always hopping around genres and blending some together. I never like focusing on just one thing, it causes burnout. So for me this isn't so much of a problem. Although I do know that I will never write genres like erotica (not my thing). However, if I were to quit a genre I think I would quit it for a good long while if not forever.

 

[Trick]

I can't say I have quit a genre but I have taken an extended sabbatical from epic fantasy. I tried to write a ten book epic. Turns out, you need to learn to write first! So I put it down and am working on shorter works of dark sci-fantasy and supernatural/urban fantasy. I will come back to my epic but it may be ten more years and it's already been seven.

If you decide to leave a genre behind forever, that is a decision you have to make for yourself and I respect that, but I don't think I could do the 'forever' bit.

 

[Incanus]

Epic Fantasy was what got me wanting to write in the first place. After a handful of attempts when I didn't know what I was doing, I decided to put it on hold while I built up some chops first. So I haven't quit--I've just set it aside for a time. It is more or less working--I have been writing shorts and a novella, exchanging critiques, reading wider, learning more about craft, etc. So my plan for my first novel is to keep it relatively simple and making it not over-long, though it will likely have at least a dash of 'epic-ness' to it.

From what you're saying, Phil, it sounds like you will probably return to 'epic' some day. I think that with a little (or big) break from it, you may come back with your original love for the genre significantly rekindled. Stranger things have happened.

 

[WooHooMan]

I'm always hopping around genres and blending some together. I never like focusing on just one thing, it causes burnout. So for me this isn't so much of a problem. Although I do know that I will never write genres like erotica (not my thing). However, if I were to quit a genre I think I would quit it for a good long while if not forever.

I'm on the same boat.
Except I use to write spy fiction exclusively but I haven't written any in a long time. I didn't make a conscious effort to quit the genre but I guess my interests/ambitions just changed.

 

[skip.knox]

My writing is all alternate history fantasy. Within that framework I can write (and have written) short stories, novelettes, mystery/horror, whimsy, and so on. It feels comfortable and I doubt I shall run out of ideas, given that I have three thousand years and an entire continent to work with.

I think I'm going to call it epoch fantasy.

 

[BWFoster78]

A little off topic but hopefully related enough:

I've been reading a lot of advice posts lately from indie authors who have achieved some level of success. Almost every one of them says, "Write in a single genre. If you publish something in a different genre, use a pen name. Otherwise, you'll confuse the readers."

This advice gives me pause since I value highly input from people who have been there and done that. My problem is that I don't truly understand the reasoning behind the advice enough to help make cogent decisions.

For example: Is it enough that everything that I want to write is in Fantasy? Or do I need to stick to epic fantasy?

I tend to think of readers as doing what I would do. If I find an author I like, I'll take a look at that author's other works. If the other works appeal to me, I buy them. If they're in a genre I don't read, I don't buy them, but I also don't hold it against the author. I also will read outside my favorite genres if the author is good enough and if the material interests me otherwise.

I really, really want to break this advice. Actually, I am going to break that advice by writing my next novel in the Superhero genre instead of epic fantasy.

If I ever "make it," I'll probably write a blog post telling you that I shouldn't have ...

 

[Chessie]

I really, really want to break this advice. Actually, I am going to break that advice by writing my next novel in the Superhero genre instead of epic fantasy.

Please do. It's what I'm planning to do myself. One pen name, lots of stories that may or may not be in the same genre. I see nothing wrong with advertising to our readers the versatility of our craft.

Good on you, Phil. There's more to fantasy than just epics.

 

[BWFoster78]

On the topic of epic fantasy, though:

The more I think about my main series and how I plan to continue it, the more grand and epic and just neat it becomes. I love the way that epic fantasy is a blend of so many genres.

Like political thrillers? Throw some of that in there. Romance? Action/Adventure? Coming-of-age? Spy thriller? Military?

Why not? The more, the merrier.

 

[Russ]

Please do. It's what I'm planning to do myself. One pen name, lots of stories that may or may not be in the same genre. I see nothing wrong with advertising to our readers the versatility of our craft.

Good on you, Phil. There's more to fantasy than just epics.

The traditional wisdom is that author branding and clear identification is important, and genre jumping without changing names is not good for sales.

However I suspect that there is less or risk or potential harm involved when you are not yet known for a particular style or genre.

 

[Trick]

The traditional wisdom is that author branding and clear identification is important, and genre jumping without changing names is not good for sales.

But what constitutes genre jumping? If one stays in the general 'fantasy' genre is that okay? If so, is jumping from fantasy to SF not okay with the same name? I can see jumping from non-fiction to fiction with the same name as an issue but lesser jumps seem fine. Sanderson did it. Does that mean it works if you're an unknown or really well known but not when you're in between?

These marketing thoughts/ideas need a little more explanation and reasoning. I'm sure it's out there but I'd like to see it.

 

[Russ]

But what constitutes genre jumping? If one stays in the general 'fantasy' genre is that okay? If so, is jumping from fantasy to SF not okay with the same name? I can see jumping from non-fiction to fiction with the same name as an issue but lesser jumps seem fine. Sanderson did it. Does that mean it works if your an unknown or really well known but not when you're in between?

These marketing thoughts/ideas need a little more explanation and reasoning. I'm sure it's out there but I'd like to see it.

It is certainly out there.

I don't think there is a clear line for genre jumping, it is simply about buyer expectations.

Book sellers and others in the industry generally report that there is little success in making a clear jump from say SF to mystery. The exceptions tend to be people who are "bigger than the genre", which means mighty successful.

It is really hard to tell if it matters from authors with no success because the numbers are so small you can't draw any conclusions from them. If their book sales go from 100 to 150, or vice versa, is it really the impact of the change or just random? So I don't think you can say it "works" for unknowns, just that unknowns don't have a brand or reputation to risk or damage with the change.

The answers are out there if you have a look around. Best way to find out on how this has worked in the past is to ask people involved in the business how it has worked. And remember an exception is often just that.

 

[Trick]

I guess I just can't imagine having a negative reaction to an author because they began publishing books in another genre. I might not read that other stuff but if I already like their other stuff, I'd look at it at least and I wouldn't have done that for an author unknown to me in a genre I don't read. If Sanderson had written his Superhero stuff under a different name, I guarantee I never would have read it. It just doesn't make logical sense to me but this is all my point of view and opinion so I know statistics may very well disagree in a logical way.

 

[Brian G Turner]

So question for everyone: have you ever quit writing a specific genre for any reason?

IMO it's completely normal - in fact, probably essential - to burn out a few projects before an aspiring writer settles on something that they consider "the big one". I've written various short stories, plays, and novels in different genres, before I settled on an epic fantasy I could put my soul into. It seems that the first few projects are something to sharpen your pen with, rather than anything that can become serious.

2c.

 

[Penpilot]

Hmm this is quite interesting. My first book was an epic fantasy. My second was an urban fantasy. I'm working on my third and it's an epic, and I'm about half way through the first draft, and I've decided I like writing urban fantasy more. So, I decided to stick with writing urban fantasy at least for a little while after I finish this epic.

I find that writing urban fantasy allows me to cut loose a bit more. With epic, I find I have to be a bit more restrained. Maybe it's because my stories in epic have a more serious tone when compared to my urban writing. Maybe I have to find a more humorous epic story. *shrug*