Wrong Genre Bug

[Phillip]

I'm a fantasy and sci-fi writer. I love playing with fantastical elements with high stakes. I'm lucky that a few of my family members read all my stuff. About a year ago, my dad asked me to write a western. I finished the rough draft yesterday and had a blast writing it.

How about you? Have any of you written something different than your preferred genre? Do you even have a preferred genre, or do you write across the board. I recently published a children's book, but it still had fantasy elements. A western was definitely outside my wheelhouse, but I had a ton of fun researching Texas when it was its own country.

[Rock]

I also write SF, and I probably wouldn't try a western.

But I am percolating a new plot for after #6 in the ISC Fleet series where it kinda feels like SF but turns out not to be..sort of a Quantum Leap meets Harry Turtledove with John le Carre as the dessert.

[Terry]

Same here, sci fi. I’ve outlined a couple of paranormals with a touch of romance, but without ray guns it just seems so boring.

[Valerie]

I'm firmly in the romance genre, but that being said, I like to mix it up as far as settings go sometimes. Many of my books are contemporary romances, both YA and adult, but I've tried out others. One historical/regency book, one historical/pioneer times book, and two pairs of fairytale/fantasy stories, plus in my short story collection I did a historical/western type story and a SF/futuristic one as well :)

[E.A.]

Phillip wrote: "I'm a fantasy and sci-fi writer. I love playing with fantastical elements with high stakes. How about you? Have any of you written something different than your preferred genre?" I've written several mystery books and that is my preferred genre, but I did tackle the humour genre when I wrote "Women 101: A Father's Guide to His Son". Mixed results and I discovered that writing something funny is incredibly difficult. Some people found it incredibly funny, while others (including my wife) found it offensive.

[Jeffrey]

Philip, great question. I’m mainly a sci-fi/fantasy reader, with some historical thrown in.
The first book I started writing was a space opera. That was interrupted by my two vampire books. That space opera has been draft is now completed and two sci-fi stories.

I’ve written poetry and some erotica. Writing other genres is an experience to be sure.

[B.A.]

I'm good a romantic suspense, but I like speculative fiction. So I've been dabbing in that a bit. I enjoy reading in the genre. I also write contemporary westerns (I live in the west) and I'm working on the time line for a historical in the west.

[Ubiquitous]

I read a statement by someone once that you could tell any kind of story you want within a Sci-Fi construct. This doesn't always work in reverse. Not all stories can be romances, political thrillers, or mysteries but all of those can be Sci-Fi.

Personally, I like the idea of being free to explore any genre that captures my interest at the moment. If I think the new direction is too far from my primary genre, I can always use a pen name. I might try that someday.

[Andrea]

I write what people would probably call light or general fantasy and poetry, but I think it would be fun and challenging to try and write in a different genre, or to write a dark or gothic fantasy book

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

I don't really have a preferred genre, but I mostly write humor, literary fiction, and paranormal. Most everything I write is a bit of a blend of those. Often times there are elements of horror, romance, maybe a little hint of fantasy, a little mystery, a dab of politics, a dash of religion... and so on. I read so many different kinds of books it's hard to focus on one genre. I think it would be tedious and boring, too. At least for me.

[Phillip]

To answer my own question, now I'm working with a partner for a crime thriller with a detective pit against a serial killer. I'm only so far as drafting treatments, but I have a good feeling about his one.