Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 2

Plot Devices: When, How, and Whether to Use Them

Today I’m over at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group with a post on plot devices. When done wrong, they drive me crazy. But when they’re done right, they can make a story very enjoyable. Hope you’ll hop over to join me.

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When Art and Life Collide: The Story Behind My Novel

By Rue Matthiessen

My novel, Woman with Eyes Closed, was inspired by a theft at the Kunsthal museum in 2012. Seven masterworks were stolen. Among them was a painting by Lucian Freud called Woman with Eyes Closed.

Later, I read that evidence pointed to what would have been considered the worst outcome. That the mother of the criminals had put all of the works in her stove and burned them, trying to save her kids. People were talking about it a lot, and arguing. Some were angry about the loss of seven masterworks. Yet others had great sympathy for a mother whose children were in danger. They said that no matter the value or greatness of these works, the value of a human life was much greater, and they understood her actions completely. (In fact, the fate of the paintings was never definitively proven.)

Having grown up in an intense literary and artistic community on Long Island, where I still live, this debate resonated with me. I found myself coming down on both sides. An idea for a fictional work began to brew.

I found out that the woman in the painting, Woman with Eyes Closed, was a young friend of Freud’s, and that she was terminally ill, and had two small children. This opened up a sub plot that seemed custom made. My mother, Deborah Love Matthiessen, died in ’72, when I was thirteen. That story is part of my earlier book, a memoir, Castles & Ruins.

Because I know so well the great benefits art gives to the public, I mourned the (supposed) loss of the paintings. Because I grew up in a literary and artistic milieu where art and letters did often have a greater value than people, even the people who made it, the story behind this painting touched me deeply.

I love where I live, and am grateful that I was encouraged by my parents, in a benign way, to do this work. It can be extremely satisfying to capture something that is missed, a person, a painting, an atmosphere, an era. Our area is known as “the Hamptons.” It has undergone many changes, the original country-and-creatives vibe has been almost completely lost. That is another thing that I felt able to re-create. When I finished Woman with Eyes Closed I went to the beach, in front of the house that I used as a model for the home for my main female character, Perrin Clayton. No one was around, so I felt free to open my arms to the sky and shout I did it!

 

Rue Matthiessen is a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee whose essays and short fiction have appeared in numerous literary journals.  She is the author of three books: the novel Woman With Eyes Closed (2025), the memoir Castles & Ruins (2024) about growing up in Sagaponack, NY, among writers driven by fierce literary ambition, and Buttonwood Cottage, chronicling the renovation of a Caribbean house, scuba diving, and the natural beauty of Bonaire.  Recently she was featured in the Bridgehampton Museum’s Distinguished Lecturer Series and the Longhouse Talks series in East Hampton. She lives on the East End of Long Island.

When Art and Life Collide: The Story Behind My Novel
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Creating a Personal Style Guide

 

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethspanncraig.com

Creating a personal style guide can be really helpful when you’re writing in series. It was something that Penguin did for me when I wrote for them (to make sure I stayed on track throughout the series), and I found it useful enough to continue after I started self-publishing.

A style guide is different from a story bible or character bible. While your story bible tracks characters, relationships, and plot events, your style guide focuses on the mechanical and technical aspects of your writing.

Why Create a Personal Style Guide?

Creating a personal style guide solves a few different problems at one time:

Consistency: Readers notice inconsistencies even when they can’t pinpoint exactly what bothers them. A style guide ensures your character who drank coffee “every morning” in book one isn’t suddenly a lifelong tea drinker in book three.

Efficiency: When you document your style decisions, you avoid repeatedly solving the same problems.

Professional Presentation: Consistency signals professionalism to readers, reviewers, and industry professionals.

Mechanical Elements for Your Style Guide

Here are mechanical aspects I track in my style guide that have saved me lots of time:

Punctuation Choices:

Whether to use the Oxford/serial commaEm dash or en dash preferences (and with/without spaces)Ellipsis formatting (three dots or the ellipsis character; spaces or no spaces)

Capitalization Standards:

Title capitalization style (which words get capitalized in chapter titles)Treatment of place names (Downtown vs. downtown)Fictional organizations, businesses, and eventsTime periods and eras (the Sixties vs. the sixties)

Number Formatting:

Time expressions (2:30 p.m. vs. 2:30 PM vs. half past two)

Formatting Choices:

Italics usage (for emphasis, thoughts, foreign words?)Bold text applications (chapter headings only? scene breaks?)How to format text messages, emails, or letters within your narrativeScene break indicatorsChapter heading style and numbering

Spelling Preferences:

Variant spellings (toward vs. towards, etc.)Compound words (makeup vs. make-up, healthcare vs. health care)Treatment of foreign wordsRegional dialect spellings for consistency

Technology and Modern Elements:

How to handle brand names (iPhone or smartphone?)Social media platform referencesTreatment of app names and digital terminologyHandling of text messages and digital communication

Special Cases:

Recurring unusual terms unique to your story worldConsistent handling of slang or vernacularFormat for internal thoughtsHandling of flashbacks or dreamsTreatment of letters, notes, or documents within text

The key is creating a system that works for you. My style guide is a Word document.

Style Guides for Collaboration

For indie authors who work with different editors across a series, a comprehensive style guide ensures consistency regardless of who handles each book.

Do you maintain any kind of style guide for your writing? What elements have you found most helpful to document?

Discover how creating a personal style guide can streamline your writing process, strengthen your voice, and eliminate unnecessary decision-making:: #WritersTips #WritingLife
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Keeping It Cozy While Using Paranormal Elements

by Jenna Maeson

The paranormal is a big deal in books right now. Like a really big deal. And it seems to be infiltrating all genres, even the ones that don’t usually include paranormal elements, like cozy mysteries. I write cozy mysteries with semi-paranormal elements, as in my main character can hear the thoughts of animals and her mom is a psychic. But how do you include these types of things while still keeping the core of the cozy mystery – not gory, not super scary, etc.

How to Keep The Paranormal Cozy

The best way I can think to describe it is to make sure the paranormal elements are cozy too. Let me explain. It really comes down to making the paranormal accessible to everyone without going too far to one end of the scale or the other. People are not coming to cozy mysteries looking for exorcisms, possessions, violent spirits – they want something easy, comfortable.

You need to write your paranormal elements in a way that it has the potential to appeal to everyone -even those most opposed to the paranormal. Granted there will be some people who are uncomfortable with any paranormal elements in their books at all, and that’s fine. But for those who maybe don’t lean towards the paranormal naturally when the choose their next read, it needs to feel safe, not scary. People have a wide variety of view on the paranormal these days so your best bet is to make anything paranormal in a cozy mystery fun, interesting, and low key. “Cute” if you will. Think Casper the friendly ghost level.

Keep it “Cute”

Whatever paranormal elements you add can bring in humor and mischief and maybe a little bit of spooky but don’t push it too far beyond that. Keep it very tied to the story – a ghost that lives in an old bookshop, spells for good luck or falling in love. In my stories, my main character can hear animal’s thoughts. While that is unusual for sure, it shouldn’t feel scary or threating to anyone picking up my book, whether they are fans of the paranormal or not.

Now, with my main character’s mom who is psychic, it becomes slightly more tricky. She does at time bring in foreboding and spooky elements, but at the most they are setting up or hinting at things in the mystery. They are never too dark, or even too specific, just references to a “dark energy” or being careful who you trust. All of this to say, including the paranormal in a cozy mystery can add a new energy and level of intrigue, but when you are including these elements you need to keep in mind the elements of a cozy mystery and what cozy mystery readers are wanting from their books and not stray far beyond those parameters.

 

About Jenna Maeson: Jenna Maeson has been writing stories since before she could write words. She knew from an early age the writing stories was her goal in life – to make people laugh, dream, and wonder. She currently has a self-published series of cozy mysteries on Amazon called Tails of Trouble, that follows Olivia Morgan and her canine sidekick, Elmer through a host of intriguing small town mysteries. Aside from being a write, Jenna is also a mom to one human child and three four-legged children, a wife, and entrepreneur, and a full-time corporate training designer.

www.jennamaesonmysteries.com
@jennamaesonmysteries on Instagram

Check out her latest release, Secrets Underground, on Amazon: https://a.co/d/d92F6RZ

Adding paranormal elements to cozy mysteries? Keep them cute, safe, and tied to the story. By Jenna Maeson:
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Quick note from Elizabeth that I’m taking a 2-week summer blogging break starting next Monday. :) See you back here July 28.

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When to Deliberately Break Your Writing Routine

by Elizabeth S. Craig

Writers hear it all the time: establish a consistent routine. Write at the same time every day. Create a dedicated workspace. And I totally agree. My routine has helped me stay productive over the years.

But sometimes the best thing for your writing is to deliberately break that routine. I’m not talking about the interruptions that life throws our way, but strategic, intentional changes when your writing needs a creative jump-start.

Recognizing When It’s Time for a Change

How do you know when to shake things up? I’ve come to recognize several tell-tale signs:

When I find myself staring at the screen more than typing, despite following my usual schedule.

If I repeatedly get stuck around the same point in different projects, my routine might be reinforcing the pattern.

When my characters start feeling like carbon copies of each other, or my plots follow predictable patterns, then that’s my creativity crying out for something different.

And perhaps even more telling: when writing feels more like an obligation than a joy, even on good days. That’s when I know a deliberate routine-breaker isn’t just helpful, it’s necessary.

Simple Ways to Shake Things Up

Breaking a routine doesn’t mean totally abandoning discipline. Instead, it means trying new approaches with the same commitment. Here are some changes that have worked for me:

Time shifts: If you always write in the morning, try an afternoon or evening session.

Location changes: During particularly stubborn chapters, I’ve taken my laptop and headed to a park or the library for a change of pace.

Medium switches: When I’m plotting, I often step away from the computer completely and work on paper. I know folks who swear by index cards, too.

Write out of order: If you’re stuck in the middle, try writing the climactic scene, then work backward to figure out how your characters got there.

Voice experiments: Write a scene from another character’s perspective, even if you’ll eventually rewrite it.

Making Your Breaks Productive

Random changes rarely help as much as strategic ones:

Set specific parameters—instead of vaguely “trying something different,” decide to “write in the evening for three days” or “draft the next chapter longhand.”

Pay attention to what works (and what doesn’t). If you try something and don’t get anywhere with the approach, note it and try something different instead of forcing it.

Change just one element at a time. If you’re shifting your writing location, maybe keep your word count goals or pre-writing rituals the same.

After your experiment, return to your regular routine with new awareness. What worked well enough to incorporate another time?

Finding Your Balance

Breaking a routine works best when you’ve established one in the first place. And I definitely don’t recommend major changes during the final push on a deadline or during really stressful times.

But I’ve also discovered that never challenging your established patterns poses its own risks. The adaptability you develop through occasional, deliberate changes builds resilience that serves you well when life eventually forces adjustments anyway.

Have you experimented with your writing routine?

Feeling stuck in your writing routine? Discover when and how to strategically disrupt your process for renewed creativity and insight. Sometimes breaking the rules is exactly what your writing needs:: #WritingLife #CreativeProcess
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Navigating Feedback Contradictions: When Readers Disagree

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethspanncraig.com

It’s a scenario every writer dreads: you’ve sent your manuscript to several beta readers, and their feedback arrives with contradictions that leave you more confused than before. One reader loves your protagonist while another finds her unlikable. Someone thinks your middle section drags while someone else considers it the strongest part of the book. One wants more description, another thinks you should cut what’s already there.

After navigating this maze many times with my own manuscripts, I’ve found some approaches that help make sense of these contradictions without losing my mind—or my story.

Remember That Reading Is Subjective

Each reader brings their own preferences and expectations to your manuscript. The thriller enthusiast wants faster pacing, while the literary fiction fan craves more introspection. Neither one is wrong; they’re just reading through different lenses.

Sometimes it’s really helpful to note each reader’s general preferences before diving into their feedback. Knowing Reader A loves detailed world-building while Reader B prefers sparse prose helps me put their contradictory comments in proper context.

Look for Patterns Instead of Individual Comments

Try to shift focus from individual comments to patterns across multiple readers. If only one person mentions that a character feels flat, it might be their personal reaction. But if three out of five readers mention it—even in different ways—that’s a pattern worth addressing.

All Feedback Isn’t Created Equal

Not all feedback should carry the same weight, and that’s okay to acknowledge. I’ve learned to consider the source before deciding how heavily to weigh certain comments. Feedback from someone who regularly reads and understands your genre often deserves more consideration than comments from someone who rarely reads books like yours.

Similarly, specific feedback is generally more valuable than vague reactions. “I was confused here because the timeline jumped unexpectedly” gives me something concrete to work with, unlike “This part felt off.”

Find the Problem Behind the Suggested Solutions

Try looking past readers’ specific suggestions to identify the underlying problem they’re trying to solve. Often, different readers spot the same issue but offer different fixes based on their reading preferences.

If one reader suggests cutting a character while another thinks that character needs more development, the core issue might be that the character feels purposeless in the story.

Trust Your Vision, But Watch for Blind Spots

Your story vision should remain your north star, but feedback often illuminates blind spots you can’t see yourself. I always ask: “Does this feedback, even if I disagree with it, point to something I’ve overlooked?”

Develop a Simple Feedback Framework

To help organize contradictory comments, I use a simple framework:

Universal Issues: Problems multiple readers identified (highest priority)Critical Elements: Feedback affecting core story elements like plot coherence or character motivation (high priority)Stylistic Preferences: Comments about word choice, description level, or stylistic elements (variable priority)Personal Reactions: Subjective responses that vary widely between readers (lowest priority)

This framework helps me decide what deserves the most attention and which might simply reflect different reading preferences.

When You’re Really Stuck, Seek a Tiebreaker

When truly caught between contradictory feedback, I’ve found that bringing in a fresh perspective—often a professional editor—helps break the deadlock. A good editor brings both expertise and emotional distance, offering clarity when you’re too close to see the forest for the trees.

Remember Your Target Reader

Finally, when navigating contradictions, I always return to thoughts of my target audience. Feedback from readers who resemble your intended audience should generally carry more weight than comments from those outside that group.

If you’re writing cozy mysteries for readers who enjoy gentle puzzles and small-town settings, the feedback from your thriller-loving friend about “picking up the pace” might be less relevant than comments from a devoted cozy reader.

Instead of trying to please everyone, I’ve learned to use contradictions to clarify my own vision and make more intentional choices.

How do you handle conflicting feedback on your writing?

When beta readers disagree, how do you decide which feedback to follow? : #WritingTips #WritingCommunity
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Planting Seeds for Your Mystery’s Solution

Planting Seeds for Your Mystery’s Solution

by Elizabeth S. Craig

The most satisfying mystery solutions can hinge on details that were hiding in plain sight all along. Mystery writers are constantly walking the tightrope between giving readers enough information to solve the puzzle and not telegraphing endings. One effective technique is the “subtle callback”—planting what seem like insignificant details early that become crucial to the solution without being obvious Chekhov’s guns. Clues are fun for writers as well as readers, and ensure that the readers are given every clue the sleuth gets.

Unlike traditional red herrings, which deliberately lead readers down the wrong path, subtle callbacks are truthful clues that appear innocuous until the moment they gain significance. When handled correctly, these callbacks create that great “aha!” moment when readers realize the solution was there all along.

The Art of the Innocent Detail

Effective callbacks usually begin as details that feel like natural worldbuilding or character development. It could be a vintage brooch mentioned in passing during a description of an elderly character’s appearance. Or the protagonist’s offhand comment about a neighbor’s gardening schedule. Or the unusual way a suspect always arranges items on their desk.

These details should play a part beyond their eventual role as clues. They might establish setting, develop character, or just add a little texture to your fictional world. Their dual purpose is what makes them really effective. They belong in the narrative regardless of their role in the mystery.

Placement and Repetition

The classic advice to “hide a tree in a forest” works very well here. You could introduce your crucial detail in a scene that has other descriptive elements, or during a moment of action or dialogue that draws the reader’s attention somewhere else. Sometimes I have my sleuth uncover another body right after finding a clue. :)

You could repeat the detail once or twice, but in different contexts to keep from highlighting its importance. This repetition helps ensure readers remember the detail when it matters, but that readers don’t flag it as significant.

The Revelation Moment

The sleuth’s revelation might work better when your sleuth is thinking about something seemingly unrelated when the connection suddenly crystallizes.

Remember that it has to be fair to readers. The connection can’t rely on specialized knowledge the reader couldn’t possibly have.

How do you plant your subtle clues? Have you noticed this technique in mystery novels?

The mystery writer's secret weapon: Learn how to plant subtle callbacks that hide your crucial clues in plain sight. Your readers will never see the solution coming—but all the pieces will be there:: #WritingTips #MysteryWriting
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Simple Systems for Organizing Your Book Materials

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethspanncraig.com

It’s not the most glamorous writing topic, but having a system for organizing my book materials has been an absolute game-changer. After much trial and error (mostly error), I’ve developed an approach that helps me quickly find what I need without the frantic searching that used to eat up my writing time.

The Series-First Folder Approach

I learned the hard way that organizing by date or lumping all books together creates chaos once you have more than a few titles.

What’s working for me:

Creating main folders by series name (Myrtle Clover, Southern Quilting, etc.)Within each series folder, individual book folders labeled by number and titleUsing consistent naming patterns (like “01-Pretty Is as Pretty Dies” instead of just the title)

This hierarchy makes finding materials intuitive even years later.

What Goes In Each Book Folder?

The contents of each book folder have evolved over time as I’ve figured out which materials I actually need to reference later.

My essential book folder contents:

Final manuscript versions (Word, PDF, and epub)Cover art (in various sizes and formats)Book descriptions (Amazon version, shorter version, taglines)ISBN information with format assignmentsPublication datesAny special promotional text I’ve created for advertising

I’ve found that keeping the advertising copy I wrote for Amazon and other retailers has saved me countless hours when setting up promotions or creating new materials.

The “Business Side” Organization

Beyond the creative materials, there’s all that business documentation that becomes increasingly important as your catalog grows.

My parallel business system:

A “Publishing Business” folder separate from my book content foldersSubfolders for taxes, contracts, royalty statements, and expense receiptsA master spreadsheet tracking ISBNs, publication dates, and format details across all books

While I initially resisted this level of organization (it felt corporate), having these materials readily available has made tax season significantly less stressful and helped me make better decisions about where to focus my publishing efforts.

Backing It All Up: The Rule of Three

My simple backup approach:

Cloud storageExternal hard drive updated monthlyOccasional offline archives of completed projects on USB drives

This might seem excessive, but the peace of mind is worth the minimal effort it takes to maintain multiple backups.

Evolving As You Go

The beauty of creating personal organization systems is that they can evolve as your needs change.

If you’re just starting out, don’t feel you need an elaborate system immediately. Start with some basic folder structure and consistent naming, then let your organization evolve naturally.

Spending a few minutes organizing materials when I complete a project can save hours of frustration later.

Do you have any organizational systems for your writing projects?

A simple folder structure that's saved one writer's sanity:
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LitLinks

 

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

LitLinks are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

Have you visited the WKB lately?  Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox!  Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here. Follow the WKB on Facebook here.

LitLinks is going on summer vacation! I’m using this time to sync the feature with my BlueSky links, which will make the process more efficient going forward. My Monday blog posts will continue as normal. See you back here in July with more helpful writing links.

4 Simple Ways Freelancers are Finding New Clients In 2025: by Robyn RosteUK: Bernardine Evaristo Wins Special £100,000 Women’s Prize: by Porter AndersonJay Gatsby, Confidence Man: By Danielle Teller9 Books About Women Without Children: by Nicole Louie#1 Sign of a Successful Writer? Persevering Through Failure: by Dr. Diana StoutHow to Win Book Awards: by Lisa TenorFinding Inspiration to Write About Trauma: by Mary L. Devine10 Things I Learned Teaching Children to Write: by Tari Lynn JewettWriting Tips from a Neurodivergent Brain: by Jenny HansenThe 3 Brains of an Artist: By Steven PressfieldOlder, Wiser. . .and Solving Crimes: by Alison GoodmanSave or Shred? On the Allure and Conundrum of Unpublished Novels: By Randee DawnAre You Holding Back Your Own Writing Career? by Fox Print EditorialConfessions of a First-Time Editor: by Cassandra Lee YiengWriting Outside Your Usual Genre: Pros & Cons to Consider: by Nick BaileyThriller-Writing Words of Wisdom: compiled by Dale Ivan SmithHiding Bodies in Vacant Properties in Crime Fiction: @mkinberg.bsky.socialThe Best Author Swag I Ever Made: by Elizabeth ColeAudio Publishers Association: US Audiobook Sales Reach $2.22 Billion: by Porter AndersonCanadian Book Consumer Study: Pricing and More: by Porter AndersonDo You Really Need IngramSpark? by David Wogahn @janefriedman.comThe Hidden World of Writing Scams: by Rachel ThompsonFirst Page Critique – A New Day to Tell a Lie: by Debbie BurkeVulnerable, Villain, or Just Vile? Writing Problematic Characters: By Grace WynterSecrets Thesaurus: Knowing Death Is Coming for Someone: by Becca PuglisiGrow Your Characters: 6 Tips to Enrich MG Characters: by Author Donna GalantiDialogue’s Ten Basic Can’t-Go-Wrong Rules: By Carolyn Howard-JohnsonWhen “Diverse” Is Who You Are: by Tracy Badua and Alechia Dow @natalieaguirre7.bsky.socialFrom Shi**y First Draft to Something Worth Sharing: by April DávilaAn Argument for Why The Christmas Carol Is Really a Coming-of-Age Story: by Colleen Patrick @janefriedman.comThe Art and Craft of Ghostwriting: @rozmorris.bsky.social‬ with Matty DalrympleIs Fictional Truth Reliable? by Sue ColettaDestroy Role Models: Female Characters Don’t Have To Be ‘Good’: by Lucy V HayWant to Write Better Action Scenes? Cut This One Thing: by KM WeilandHow to handle accented speech: by Daphne Gray=Grant3 Tips for More Organic Writing: By Cathy YardleyHow Readers React to Reactions: By Donald MaassIs it OK to End on a Cliffhanger? By Brandi ReissenweberEase Your Reader Over the Bridge of Sudden Change: By Kathryn CraftImmersive Interiority: How to Collapse Narrative Distance to Get Emotion on the Page: by Alex Van Tol @janefriedman.com6 Types of Narrators: Overview, Examples and Writing Tips: by Polly WattImproving Your Writing Skills With Clean Copy Mastery: By M.T. SchwartzmanWriting: Small Stuff Revision: by Linda S. ClareCliffhangers and Transitions: by Charles YallowitzWriting Voice: Paragraph Patterns: by Anne Janzer

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On LitLinks:
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Writing Outside Your Usual Genre: Pros & Cons to Consider

by Nick Bailey @ReedsyHQ

Every writer has that moment when they wonder: what would happen if I tried something completely different? Whether it’s Stephen King’s pivot to alternate history with 11/22/63, or Cormac McCarthy’s excursion into post-apocalyptic sci-fi with The Road, “out-of-genre” books have been making waves for decades — and it can be tempting to try the same tactics yourself.

Of course, that’s all well and good for bestselling authors who can afford to take bold swings. But what about less established writers? A fledgling author has plenty to gain from exploring uncharted literary territory, but it doesn’t come without risk.

In that vein, this article will consider the pros and cons of writing outside your usual genre. Let’s start off with a positive, shall we?

Pro: You’ll gain access to new narrative tools

Don’t believe the old adage — an old dog can learn new tricks. By stepping outside your usual wheelhouse, you’ll pick up new narrative tools you can apply to your go-to genre as well. This tactic can even help pull you out of writer’s block at its most crippling!

Say you’re a romance writer whose love stories have lost that special spark. Instead of forcing a relationship that isn’t working, why not step away from the will-they-won’t-they and try an adrenaline-pumping thriller?

Parts of the genre will feel familiar: character-driven storytelling, riveting tension, and intense emotional stakes are all staples of both romance and thriller novels. But the slow, lackadaisical pace of most romance stories won’t fly in a high-octane thriller — so you’ll need to tighten up the pacing to keep readers engaged. Then once you return to romance, you’ll know how to keep the energy up even during “quieter” moments.

The romance-to-thriller pipeline is just one example of how you might expand your writing repertoire. A foray into fantasy, for instance, will teach you the art of immersive worldbuilding; likewise, you’ll gain valuable research skills by diving into the world of historical fiction. No matter the genre, there’s always something new (yet also widely applicable) to learn.

Con: Your instincts may not serve you

Unfortunately, old habits die hard. If you‘ve spent years developing your skills in one genre, your carefully honed intuition might be “off the mark” in other genres.

Imagine you’re a seasoned YA veteran looking to venture into the mystery genre. A few chapters in, you might be tempted to show off your protagonist’s detective skills with an extended internal monologue, allowing them to mull over the case in excruciating detail. Inner monologues have served you well in YA, after all — they’re great for slowing down the pace and giving your protagonist time to reflect after a tense or dramatic scene.

However, what works in the character-focused world of YA doesn’t always translate to a more plot-centric, Agatha-Christie style whodunnit. The allure here lies in the mystery itself, not the mystery solver! Devoting page time to developing your dashing detective might seem like the right call here, but in reality, it will stifle your story’s forward momentum.

Pro: You can diversify your audience

Aside from the opportunity to refine your craft, there’s also a commercial benefit to writing outside your genre: you get to diversify your audience. Instead of competing solely within your regular market, you can tap into new streams of revenue — if you’re a sci-fi specialist who loves creating new worlds, for example, there’s a whole legion of fantasy fans waiting for you.

Keep in mind that most readers won’t exclusively stick to a single niche. There are plenty of voracious bookworms willing to devour multiple genres — and many readers, once they find an author they love, will read everything they’ve written regardless of genre. By diversifying your portfolio, you’ll be in a position to capture a wider range of readers time and time again.

Developing your writing chops can also provide a layer of protection against the fickle tide of publishing-market forces. If contemporary romance sales take a nosedive, but cozy mysteries are surging in popularity, an author who’s established in both can switch their marketing focus accordingly!

Con: You risk brand confusion

There is a downside to presenting your audience with a book outside your usual genre: brand confusion. If you’re known for writing lighthearted cozy fantasy, then releasing a macabre supernatural horror will leave your regular readers perplexed at best, alienated at worst. (That said — never fudge the marketing on your book to portray it as another, not-totally-reflective genre! This can only lead to readers feeling deceived and disappointed by its contents.)

In any case, if you want to avoid diluting your brand, consider using a separate pen name for certain books. You’d be far from the first; take romance extraordinaire Nora Roberts, for example. She released several novels under the pseudonym “J.D. Robb” to create distance between her typical romances and her ventures into mystery.

You can even tailor this fresh persona around your new genre — a name like “Nebula Vonn” screams sci-fi, for example, while “Frances Holloway” carries the sophisticated air of a distinguished historical fiction novelist. 

Whether or not you use a pseudonym is entirely up to you — but if you’re feeling unsure, think about just how far away this new book is from your original genre. If you want to make a move from horror to thriller, there’s enough crossover appeal that you won’t risk alienating your audience if you keep it all under the same pen name. Shifting from horror to, say, YA would be a much tougher sell.

Remember, nothing is lost in the pursuit of experience. You don’t necessarily have to write a full-length novel outside your usual genre — it could just be something you experiment with in your spare time, or a fun side project for you to share with your loyal Substack subscribers.

Whatever approach you take, I commend you for accepting the challenge. After all, if you never step outside your comfort zone, you’ll never know what you’re capable of creating. Good luck!

Nick Bailey writes about anything and everything in the realm of writing and self-publishing for Reedsy, a publishing platform that connects authors with editors, designers, and marketers to help them publish a book. Aside from reading, Nick enjoys hiking, electronic music, and filling up his personal cookbook with new recipes.

The pros and cons of literary genre-hopping and when it might be worth the risk: via @ReedsyHQ
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