How many writers, I was wondering, swap genre? Do romantic novelists long to write gruesome crime novels? Do the writers of mayhem long to write a love story? If they do, would we know?
I know quite a lot of writers who have different names for different genre. I used to have a different name for romance and historical. (Ellen Noone was my alto-ego for my first romance novels). Many of the writers that I know move between sagas, romantic novels and historical romance, but I don't know anyone who goes from really dramatic blood and guts to romance and vice-versa.
If writers don't move between the two, why not? Is it that the mind that can conceive of the gruesome cannot conceive of the gentle. Having just had a suspense novel accepted, it made me pose this question. I have now moved three times - historical - romance and now suspense. But are my novels that different? Sure there will be some murder and mayhem in my suspense, but there is also a love interest. I know I could not see myself writing a book that did not have "some" romance. Is that because I am essentially a romance writer?
It would be wonderful if other writers who do switch genre got in touch and let us now. Surely, it is not a question of "never the twain shall meet" That would pretty sad, don't you think?
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8 comments:
James Patterson has switched genre lately -- gone from the thriller to softer novels -- and done well.
Technology challenged this morning. But wanted to ask why you changed genres. Did it feel like a big risk?
Hi Kathy, My first ever publisher Robert Hale, stopped publishing the kind of historicals I previously wrote, as well as romance novels. I wanted to be published in the UK and realised if I wanted RH to accept anything, it would have to be a different genre. I could not write Westerns, which they publish, but thought I would try suspense. It took me a long time to write my new novel, but it was challenging and, most importantly, was accepted by RH
Love, Margaret.
I am so looking forward to reading your suspense novel. Love the versality involved in successful genre switching. :)
I can't imagine writing anything but romance:)
I write in several genre and haven't had a problem with it. I will say, however, that whatever the type I write, somewhere within the work there is a romance, but you may have noticed even the most hardboiled detective falls in love in most stories and there almost always is some love interest in whatever classification of story. I love happy endings so I like to write romance.
Jeannine
Hi Jeannine, I just saw your comment. I SO agree, there has to be romance.Michael Connelley's Harry Bosch has his Eleanor (whom I don't like) but he loves her. The tough Temp Brennan in the Kathy Reich novels, has that lovely Detective, Andrew, only she doesn't realise what a "dish" he really is.
I believe it is love that makes the world go around, so you can sure there is a love interest in my suspense, and might I say AND HOW!
Kind regards, Margaret.
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