#GenreRemorse, Is the Grass Greener on Another Side?

We’ve all probably had a case of buyers remorse, where your must have purchase turned out to be less than imagined (or a case of forgetting not to Drink and Prime on Amazon on a Friday evening…just sayin’). This past week on Twitter I’ve been reading lots of super cute tweets from the romance writers who attended RWA18, the Romance Writers of America convention held in Denver this year. There were loads of pictures with the writers all dressed up in glamourous ballgowns, tiaras, and tons of sparkle (Je suis jealous!). It had me thinking, did I choose the right genre for my writings? Romance is in and very lucrative for many writers (they have the largest reader market currently). Who doesn’t love a good love story? It’s one of my favorite genres to read, so should I make the switch? It’s not just romance either. Who da thunk so many people would be drawn to dragons? And how ’bout those zombies?

I think when it comes to writing, it’s much easier to get into the #WritersZone if you love the genre above all others. When you’re in genre love and the zone, you don’t mind the subject research, the inevitable writers blockages, the odd hours, the marketing and promo plans, and the other zillion things that are constantly being put in our writer’s path. Just like a career path or educational background, you tend to perform better when you’re comfortable in your setting, like what you’re doing, and challenged by the work or study requirements. There are some writers that may make major genre switches, and to those brave souls I salute you, you are indeed a rare breed.

Today’s genres tend to blend a bit I think, just to incorporate the nuances of everyday life (or galactic, fantasy, or horrific situations…). No genre is strictly black or white in my opinion, because of the people, animals, locations, conversations, situations etc. involved. There’s a little literary seepage in every book I’ve read.  After some deliberation, I’ve decided that even with the lure of fantastic conferences and the chance to wear a tiara, I’m staying in the cozy mystery genre for the time being (I can always wear a tiara BTW). I thought I’d share some of the topics I think go cross genre—that just might eliminate any #GenreEnvy or #GenreRemorse going on.