A Follow Up On Trying Things New

OK, I get that I was a bit vague yesterday on trying things new. I was multitasking when writing the blog post and I guess my head wasn't really in the game. Thank you to the readers who asked some follow up questions.

When I talked about trying some new things, I was not necessarily recommending trying new genres. I still believe in really sticking with that genre you know well. The trying new things is aimed more at what you are doing in the story.

Consider your character types. If you write historical Regency romance and all of your heroines tend to be virginal, shake things up and bring in a heroine who has been around the block a couple of times. Maybe your hero is always a soldier who is struggling with the death of a friend... make him wimpy this time.

Maybe your voice and the approach you take can be different. Try the story in first person instead of third person. If you tend to write hot steamy stories, try going the safe approach. Or the reverse.

One of my authors just recently got some revision notes from her editor. She already writes fairly steamy stories and the editor recommended she "crank it up a few notches." Doing so pushed her in a direction that wasn't a normal approach for her. It was tough, but in the end, the editor was right and the story called for it.

I guess the point is, look at what you are doing. Do you find yourself going back to the same motifs or the same style each time. While those are comfortable areas to write, it might be what will hold you back in the future. Growth as a writer comes from trying new things.