A * means this is the website’s first appearance on the WD list. All listings within each category are alphabetically arranged.

Children’s, MG, YA

Creative Nonfiction

Freelance

Historical

Horror

Journalism

Mystery/Thriller

Poetry

Romance

Science Fiction/Fantasy

Screenwriting

Short Fiction

Spiritual

Travel

Women’s Fiction

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Fair play. Gaia Wakes is a book that explores the idea of planetary consciousness, and in doing so, violates the formal boundaries traditionally separating the natural sciences from the social, the scientific from the speculative, and the academic from the literary. It had posed a central question: What if the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence were the first stirrings of a vast, emergent, interconnected consciousness—a brain capable of intentionally and rapidly coordinating the planet’s bodily functions? In it, I made the argument that such a development—something I call Gaiacephalos—would fit an evolutionary pattern of upgrades to the complexity of life that has already repeated four times over four billion years. It would be governed by a logic articulated in development economics, driven by the collapse of environmental services and systems.

How should one categorize such a treatise? A recent text from a friend wondered: “Is Science Non-Fiction really a genre?” No, but I like the sound of it. Or a not-quite-portmanteau perhaps: “Social Science Fiction”? Or just: “Speculative Nonfiction”?

The genre questions I was now fielding were the latest iterations of a lack of traditional recognizability that had plagued my book since it was no more than a disjointed collection of notes straddling platforms (bulleted Google documents and chicken-scratched notebooks) and time-frames (stretching 3.8 billion years in the past to the first life on Earth, and into a hypothetical and indeterminately proximate/distant future) and genres (Environmental Science, Social Sciences, Science and Technology, maybe Science Fiction).

A word then on what qualifies as “scientific”: There is an irony in the sciences, whether of the natural or social persuasion. On one hand, they are entirely geared toward prediction; if a hypothesis fails to improve our ability to predict the developments of our observable universe, it is rejected. Robert Pirsig famously observed that our capacity to generate hypotheses outpaces our ability to test them—a dilemma that forces science into a widening liminal space between the knowable and the known. But on the other hand, good (i.e. predictive) scientists are strongly cautioned against making prognostications: the foretelling of future events without ample caveats regarding all the parameters and conditions that must remain stable in order for their predictions to hold.

While my book did not claim to predict the advent of Gaiacephalos, it did claim to identify Gaiacephalos as one possible analytic outcome of current developmental trajectories. And it conjectured a scenario in which a scalar leap of organization had occurred, throwing into question many of the social parameters that we might otherwise deem fixed. I evoked the anthropologist Gregory Bateson’s analogy of a truck reversing to describe the challenge of understanding the mechanics of ever-higher levels of analysis: Add a trailer and the process gets tricky. Add a second and it becomes diabolically difficult for one to intuit the dynamics of control. Add a third and we are entirely adrift.

So here was another point in favor of my “Speculative Nonfiction” non-genre: I was loosening too many parameters at once to really be recognized as “science” at all. And yet, we can simultaneously acknowledge the pitfalls of forecasting, while nevertheless defending the need to do so. As historian David Christian writes in Maps of Time, humanity may be seen as hurtling into a dark, unknown future, and any light we can cast upon the road ahead, however dim, might help us avert disaster. 

Click to continue.

Even if a reader were to grant my book the moniker of “scientific” for the sake of finding a genre home, it wouldn’t be clear from which science it derived, or even from which family of sciences. My history of scalar upgrades itself crossed (or “trespassed, in Albert O. Hirschman’s evocative phrase) the disciplinary boundary between the natural and social sciences. And my next predicted upgrade would transcend our understanding of the “social”, as well: What we currently think of as interacting collections of multifarious individuals would be incorporated into a unitary superordinate entity.

In addition to genres, the book straddled markets. It was too irresponsibly speculative—too willing to conjure untested futures—to be embraced as a proper academic work. The university press with which I had published my last book advised: Take it to the trades. (They had recently published a similarly future-looking, speculative social science and technology book that had sold well, but which received some blowback for being ungrounded.) Even to consider it, the university press would need the sign-offs of three separate acquisitions editors who don’t usually work together. But the trade folks I spoke with thought the book too dense and scholarly to be widely accessible: I should take it to a university press. Neither fish, nor fowl. Much has been written about outsider hybridity in the context of ethnicity and culture, and I began to recognize my book as a different manifestation of the same interstitial phenomenon.

So I set about scanning the scene for recently released social science books that did something new or different, noting the publishers of each. In this way, I quickly alighted on a promising match: a boutique trade press with a thematic specialization in the social sciences, a director with a passion for sharp thinking and beautiful books, and a distribution arrangement with a top-tier university press. And not a word about genre. I would like to think that in resisting easy classification, Gaia Wakes demands that its readers—and its author—learn to accept the indeterminacy that is required in all moments of great change, and to struggle with conceptual synthesis. That, more than another marginal addition to a formal genre, is what I think these times require.

The thing is, of course, that all this nonsense about genre isn’t really nonsense. Bookstores, from the local haunt to Amazon’s vast online catalog, adopt categorization principles, usually based on genre.  (One bookstore I used to visit in Massachusetts famously organized its books by publisher rather than genre, subject, or author—probably easy for staff to stock, but delectably maddening for would-be buyers. It went out of business.) And this categorization may affect its visibility, ultimately determining whether one’s book is discovered or not. Gaia Wakes has been categorized by Amazon under “Environmental Science” → “Environmental Policy”. We’ll see.

In the event, I responded to my colleague’s question on stage that evening quite literally. On my bookshelf, thanks to a happy and completely idiosyncratic organizational scheme, Gaia Wakes can sit squarely between environmental studies, and technology and future studies. On the left: billions of years of slow evolution on Earth, from theoretical physicist Sarah Imari Walker’s treatise Life as No One Knows It on the origins of life, to veterinarian and legal scholar Charles A. Foster’s Being a Human about the neolithic self-domestication of our species through agriculture. On the right, a rapidly accelerating technological future: Benjamin Bratton’s The Stack about emergent global information architecture, Stewart Russell’s The Problem of Control about AI alignment, James Lovelock’s Novacene…

There’s a beauty in the fact that once books come home, we can re-wild them, incorporating their motley waywardness into whatever quixotic quest we are undertaking. Or vice versa: Walter Benjamin described a personal library as “a disorder to which habit has accommodated itself to such an extent that it can appear as order.” So when circumstances—horrible circumstances—compelled Benjamin to pack up and then again unpack his library, he saw these old friends re-individuated. And he recognized himself in them; they were long ago transformed by some alchemy:

“Not that they come alive in him; it is he who lives in them.”

Check out Topher McDougal’s Gaia Wakes here:

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As a journalist and the author of two young adult novels, I’m always curious about how writers start in a new genre. The journalist in me follows my curiosities because there’s often a good story to uncover. When two books came across my desk to review, I thought the authors would be perfect to ask about switching genres. First, I spoke with Emiko Jean, whose debut adult thriller The Return of Ellie Black garnered a rave review from the master himself, Stephen King, but who started out in the YA space. I also chatted with TV writer and screenwriter Yulin Kuang, who penned her debut romance novel How to End a Love Story, to understand how a writer can make jumping genres seem seamless. 

For Jean, the idea for The Return of Ellie Black initially began as a young adult novel intended to be a follow-up to her debut YA psychological thriller novel, We’ll Never Be Apart. “It got passed on by my editor at the time, which was devastating. I thought I had written this really wonderful book, and she said it was not for the young adult market.” That stinging rejection turned into inspiration when Jean’s literary agent suggested she write the story as an adult thriller instead. Jean put aside the original manuscript for a few years to work on other projects, but when she returned to tackle a big revision on Ellie Black, she added a female detective point of view, which she says, “cracked open the whole story for me.” Adding Detective Chelsey Calhoun into the story took about a year and a half of work, and then Jean added Ellie Black’s parents’ points of view as well. 

After spending so much time adapting romance author Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation for the screen, Yulin Kuang wondered if she had any original ideas left in her. That’s when she decided to write How to End a Love Story. During the Q&A discussion for her book launch at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, Calif., Kuang talked about how she wrote the draft for How to End a Love Story every day from 5 am to 10 am, then switched to 10 am to 5 pm to work on the screenplay, then spent 5 pm to midnight back on her book. 

A few months later, we met for coffee at Tepito Coffee attached to Vroman’s Bookstore and the first thing I asked was about that hyperdrive writing process. “I was on deadline for the screenplay. I was writing the book in secret, so nobody knew about it. The deadline for the novel, in my mind, was November. … my secret goal became finishing this draft, however sparse, by the end of November,” says Kuang. The screenwriter-turned-author admits that for book two, she has not kept up the same feverish pace. “I don’t think it was a sustainable writing schedule. It’s not something I would recommend.” 

Even though Kuang had never written a book before, she cites writing fan fiction as a tween as a place that satisfied her love of books and adaptations. It allowed her to play with her visions for characters she had grown to love. “I remember being a fan fiction writer and looking at announcements for book adaptations. I was obsessed with movie adaptations and hoped that the creators didn’t ruin my childhood with their take.” Her childhood love of adaptations became a full-blown career. As a screenwriter, Kuang is also tapped to write and direct Beach Read, another Emily Henry book that is currently in development. 

When I asked Kuang about the pressure of adapting two of Emily Henry’s books, which are adored by many readers, Kuang nods. “I am very aware of how beloved they are. At the same time, I have to set all of that aside because you can’t please everyone. You have to trust yourself and your own taste. And also surround yourself with people who are smart and good partners.” 

Television writing and screenplays are certainly different mediums than fiction, and Kuang likens script writing to a team sport and novels to an individual competition. With her extensive experience in script writing, Kuang found herself gravitating toward the dialogue in fiction as something that came easier for her. Kuang says, “I accessed the part of me that would write fan fiction and the part of me that writes screenplays and just made them hold hands.” What feels familiar for Kuang is that book editors and movie producers have similar perspectives as “advocates for the audience or reader.” 

Both Kuang and Jean had their books selected for the coveted Reese’s Book Club and have seen the enormous impact of that experience. When Jean’s editor emailed her the good news, her publisher decided to move up the publication date for Tokyo Ever After, Jean’s young adult novel about a Japanese American teen who discovers her father is the Crown Prince of Japan, and unexpectedly, she becomes a princess overnight, to match the May 2021 book club pick announcement. Jean, who mentions she was a midlist author before the announcement, said she was unprepared for the level of publicity that came with the news.  

Having her debut novel chosen for Reese’s Book Club was a huge dream come true for Kuang, who shared that she loved Legally Blonde so much she transcribed the movie into her diary so she could read it back after returning the rental from Blockbuster Video. “I remember the night before they were going to announce it, they sent me an email to ask if I was ready. I downloaded a bunch of images from various Reese Witherspoon movies and TV shows and made little memes to post. I said, ‘OK, now I’m ready.’” 

If you’re considering trying out a new medium or storytelling style, Kuang and Jean have some great suggestions to consider before drafting and during the creative process. Based on Jean and Kuang’s experiences, here are nine tips they suggest for succeeding in a new-to-you genre.

Figure out where your interests lie.

What began as a fascination for Jean turned into the inspiration for The Return of Ellie Black. “I’m very interested in true crime. I think a lot of women are interested in it because, most often, we’re the victims in these stories and can empathize with them. … I have been specifically interested in stories about kidnapped victims who have returned, like Elizabeth Smart. What draws me to those stories is that they are about survival and endurance of the human spirit.” 

Read widely in that genre.

Before Kuang attempted to write romance novel, she started reading as many as she could back in 2016. She first read Private Arrangements, a historical romance by Sherry Thomas, which led her down a wormhole. “I read widely and eventually found my way to contemporaries. Reading widely in the genre helps you get a lay of the landscape. It will help you find your own little plot of land and tell the story you want to tell within that space.” 

Interview experts and anonymous sources.

The Return of Ellie Black is a novel about a detective trying to solve how and why a missing girl has returned. For Jean, research is essential for every book she writes. For this adult thriller, Jean interviewed several detectives, a medical examiner, and a DNA analyst for a blood-specific question. She spoke with a few kidnapping survivors who asked to remain anonymous. “I asked one survivor if some of the parts with Ellie were too graphic. She said, ‘There’s an urge as a survivor to make the truth gentle for people.’” This information gave Jean permission to write Ellie’s scenes with authenticity. “The readers see Ellie as very raw, but also she’s very much in control of her own voice, which I thought was important.” 

Use your experience as research.

With a hard deadline for a screenplay nipping at her heels, Kuang knew she had little time to conduct research for her novel, so instead, she pulled in her experiences she had from over a decade of working in film and television to create her main characters—who both end up in the writer’s room for the same TV show. 

Study the genre.

After Jean signed with her literary agent, she went through many revisions before it was ready for submission to editors. “I had written that novel by the seat of my pants. After that, I decided to be more intentional by creating outlines, and studying how to tell a story.” Her undergraduate degrees were in science and her graduate degree involved teaching, so Jean didn’t have a background in writing. “I started to outline every book. I come up with all the scene beats beforehand. I take copious amounts of notes. Once I have all my chapters outlined, I start plugging in those notes—anything from dialogue to sentences to words I like the sound of. From there, I can usually draft a book in three months.” 

Work with beta readers.

“If you look at the acknowledgments section of How to End a Love Story, every paragraph correlates to how many drafts I did,” says Kuang. She gave her first draft to her husband, a cinematographer, who she says has great storytelling instincts but also a light touch for feedback, which was ideal for her initial manuscript. Then, she sent it a high school friend, since the main characters had known each other in high school. From there, Kuang sent the manuscript to several friends. When she signed with an agent, she got her agent’s feedback. Lastly, she won a manuscript critique in an auction from Sarah MacLean, one of her all-time favorite romance novelists, who gave her incredible feedback. 

Write as fast as you can.

After Jean got her first advance payment, she went to a writing conference in Los Angeles. She went to a panel and heard an editor say, “You can’t fix a blank page.” That one mantra has helped Jean commit to writing as much as she can, often up to 2,000 words a day. “I’m not a big believer in writer’s block. You have to write through it. I’ve carried that motto with me, and it helps galvanize me when I’m writing.” 

Listen to interviews with respected authors in that genre.

Jean recommends two writing podcasts that helped her in her journey as a published author. She enjoys “The Publishing Rodeo” podcast, which features two hosts who had books published in the same year in the same genre, but had two different experiences. She also listens to “Deadline City” for her young adult novels. For penning her adult thriller, she read a lot of Lisa Jewell’s novels and studied how Jewell utilizes short chapters. “It’s important to study the techniques that are used, how authors are using sentences, and also the places where you’re holding your breath because the action is getting bigger.” 

Prove yourself in one genre.

Before Jean attempted to sell her thriller, she focused on developing a fan base in the young adult space. “I purposely waited to write adult books until I had a couple young adult books under my belt. If you get an audience, maybe they’ll follow you. … When we pitched The Return of Ellie Black to editors, I was very clear about the origins of the book, and I had written in the thriller space before. I wanted to assure editors that my writing in these different genres wasn’t scattershot.” 

*****

While it may appear like some writers are multi-hyphenates, they are building upon the skills they already have to pivot when an idea is better suited for a different genre. Jean and Kuang show that by staying curious, studying the craft, and being open are the basics for starting something new.

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(7 Things I Learned While Writing Across Genres.)

“I thought you were the comic book guy…?” one coworker mumbled after the announcement. “Are you not doing any drawings anymore?”

She had a point: The jump from drawing 20-page junior educational comics to drafting a novel manuscript was like going from driver’s ed to jet fighting. Everything I knew about writing had to change if I didn’t want to crash and burn.

But that’s the boon of working at a library: There are endless ways to tell a story in our archives. A story that works in one medium might flop entirely in another. My second story idea is a queer romance about zombies, chronic disability, and empty towns, and I wanted to use the best medium possible for it—but how to narrow one down from a building full of them?

To start, I had to make a list of the pros and cons of our three major categories of fiction: Novels, Short Fiction, and Graphic Novels.

GRAPHIC NOVELS

PROS

The benefits of a comic are obvious: They’re BEAUTIFUL. 

Unlike a novel or a short story, which can take a while to build up interest or “get good,” a comic can catch a reader’s attention with a single panel. That isn’t to say they’re simpler than books—far from it. A good comic is a crafted miracle, balancing the impact and stunning color work of an artist with the gut-wrenching dialogue and unique settings of a writer. 

As a storytelling medium, they’re full of potential and criminally underrated.

CONS

The bad news is: Art takes an extremely long time. When I started my comic, I was baffled by all the things I’d never drawn before. Like a train. Or a shrimp. Or historical figure Chief Seattle. It isn’t the beautiful cover art that kills your wrist—it’s figuring out what shrimp look like. Which carries over to scripting as well; if it takes three days to draw a shrimp, it’s not practical to have a long story with complex scenes and a huge cast. Most comics have short, action-packed stories that can fit in a weekly magazine issue, with a single, distinct main character (like Batman or Monkey D. Luffy).

This was my first clue that my story idea wouldn’t work with the comic format I’d used last time. My comic was only 20 pages, with two main characters and simple backgrounds, but I’d still ended up cutting a lot of ideas to save the wrist pain. An older, bigger cast of characters in a grittier setting sounded exhausting—and, with The Walking Dead already in our comic collection, hard to sell.

Check out Natalie Leif’s Take All of Us here:

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SHORT STORIES

PROS

A short story is a great way to experiment with a new idea. It has many of the benefits of comics—readable in an afternoon, fast-paced, can even be shared online—without needing me to draw any shrimp. 

It’s easy to get into for a new writer; art supplies are expensive and querying a novel is infamously hard; both options face a high risk of burn out part way through, leaving stories half-finished. Not to mention, our library already hosted several open mic nights and short story critique groups—if I wanted readers, they were never more than a meeting room away.

CONS

The biggest downside to a short story is obvious: It’s short. Like comics, short story formats struggle with complex world-building or large casts. Unlike a novel, which holds a reader for hours in the universe it’s created, a short story is a sample platter of ideas, prompting only a taste before making room for the next one in the collection. 

And if an author is unlucky enough to find their story printed next to a wildly different story or article, the whole collection can taste like a ham and strawberry and cigarette sandwich. Short stories have to be curated and paired with their neighbor stories for best impact.

While I loved the ease of a short story, my story idea didn’t seem like a good fit for it, either. A post-apocalyptic romance would need time to slow burn, and I wanted extra word count to really linger on the desolate setting. And as a mixed-genre story, I worried it might be too horror for our romance collections and too romantic for our horror collections, making it difficult to curate.

NOVELS

PROS

If I asked a patron what they consider to be a “real book,” most would point me to our novels. They’re classic, well-regarded story tools. They can be anywhere from a couple dozen pages to several hundred, they come in a variety of genres, and the number of guides our library has on how to craft one is staggering. 

And it’s easier than ever to make one, too—I could have a novel finished, post it on Amazon, and have 100 copies ordered without ever leaving my desk chair. By far, they’re the most varied and adaptable category. The only limit is writing one!

CONS

Writing one.

Writing an entire novel is harder than comics and short stories combined. It’s the most common category, with thousands added to the archive every year, which means it takes a lot for one novel to stand out on its own. But a novel has none of the artistic beauty or open mic nights of the other two to help it along. It takes hours of painstaking labor, and unlike drawing a shrimp or picking a short story anthology to apply to, there’s no reference images or past issues to check for if you’re doing it right. It’s a leap of faith in all ways.

And that’s the dark truth I realized: A novel wasn’t a good fit for my story, either. I didn’t have a celebrity background or connections to help market my novel. I wasn’t sure if I could pull off apocalyptic romance without comic panels, and I wasn’t sure if I could keep someone’s attention for more than a short story without burning myself out. I didn’t even have money to put up an advertisement about it.

The truth is, there’s no such thing as the “right” medium for a story. Every medium has its standard story types, and also has ones that go directly against the norm. Every one has benefits and drawbacks.

In the end, I went with a novel solely because I wanted to try something new, and it sounded fun. And that’s all we can do with the mediums we have available: Try something new, and have fun. 

The post Fitting Into a Fiction Medium appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Ellie Raine, Writer’s Digest award-winning fantasy author of the NecroSeam Chronicles, has been diagnosed with OCD, ADHD, and autism. “With autism,” she says, “I’ve learned it’s both perfect and horrible for a career involving communication … such as writing. On one hand, I have a perspective on language that is often remarked as ‘new’ or ‘fascinating’ by readers—on the other hand, my editors have, on more than one occasion, been completely confused with what I’m trying to say. Luckily, once I know where the confusion occurs, it’s easy to rework and clear up, but it really makes me self-conscious when I can’t seem to relay what’s in my head.”

Likewise, my first published novel, Double-Crossing the Bridge, is the direct result of the way my brain is wired. An offbeat comedic fantasy caper, it merges elements of the fantasy genre with crime and humor, creating connections between seemingly disparate ideas that would not have occurred to me if my brain wasn’t constantly hopping from one topic to another on an endless quest for dopamine. My neurodivergence, ADHD and generalized anxiety disorder, makes the book special, but it’s a double-sided coin that also makes the writing process uniquely challenging.

When your wiring is different, your approach to writing needs to be too. Neurodivergence frequently presents with comorbid conditions. Anxiety and depression particularly love to tack onto our already unconventional view of the world, casting a haze over motivation or affixing an anchor to productivity.

Much of the writing advice espoused by successful authors and internet memes simply doesn’t work for neurodivergent writers. And because of the various ways we process information, blanket advice can be downright harmful. Telling someone battling with executive dysfunction that they need to sit in front of a computer for hours every day or cut the parts of their story that provide the joy and motivation required to push onward can feed the imposter monster stalking their thoughts. The best advice inspires and gives writers the tools to succeed, but when those tools are framed as the only right way and they’re stored out of reach, the logical conclusion is that success is unattainable.

Let’s break free of it all. Here are some tips for getting to “the end” when advice that may work for neurotypical writers falls short.

Purchase a copy of Sarah J. Sover’s Double-Crossing the Bridge today. 

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Discover Your Own Process

Genre writers constantly find new ways to operate within defined parameters, working with and circumventing established conventions. That same adaptability can be applied to discovering your writing process. When common advice clashes with your neurodivergence, be willing to put your own spin on things.

For both myself and Ellie, setting easily attainable goals is beneficial—the dopamine release from achieving a goal sparks the motivation to keep going. My unconventional writing process is constantly evolving. I find that one approach works for a few weeks until I lose focus and need to adopt something else. When my pantsing ways cause me to forget names and events, I retrace my steps to build glossaries and lists, letting the organization soothe my anxiety back to manageable levels. ADHD keeps me in flux, working in short bursts of high productivity. Other writers may be able to sit for longer, write more words, and produce more content, but that’s not the only way to reach “the end.” Just ask any of the multitudes of neurodivergent speculative fiction authors working in the industry today.

Some of us need to work from detailed outlines while others find that knowing the path zaps all motivation to walk it. Lists and character profiles may help some writers and stifle others. The right way is whatever way works for you.

Find Your Window

Pacing is a crucial consideration for our plots. Each genre has its own timing considerations, and that’s true for our brains too! We all have times of the day, days of the week, or even seasons of the year when we are most productive, but when you struggle to push through mundane tasks, making use of those windows is key. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have the freedom to dictate our day. The spell between breakfast and lunch is when my brain is most cooperative, but when I held a traditional job, I had to find other, smaller windows. Paying attention to your natural rhythms can help you better harness your brainpower. While you don’t need to write every day to be a success, you do need to make use of whatever productive times you’ve got whenever you can. And if you miss your window one day or week or month, shrug it off and try again on the next turning of the wheel. 

Make Connections

The plethora of neurodivergent authors writing genre fiction means that community is never too far away. At a recent science fiction and fantasy convention, I met a writer on the autism spectrum who told me he struggled to connect with critique partners. I pointed him in the direction of a few social media groups. Once he realized that many speculative fiction authors are also neurodivergent, he seemed genuinely more excited about his future in writing. 

The power of being understood is underrated, but it is frequently easier to help others than it is to help yourself. Sometimes, community is even closer to home than the keyboard. Misty Massey, one of my editors and SFF author in her own right, described how debilitating anxiety kept her from opening her manuscript for years, even as she worked on editing the work of others. When her son’s depression caused him to become creatively stunted, she suggested that they do writing sprints together, and it was in helping him that she found the ability to move forward with her own story. The swashbuckling novel Kestrel’s Dance released in June 2022.

Working with Misty on Fairy Godmurder was easy for me, partly because of her skill as an editor and partly because we understood each other on multiple fronts. I’ve also found community support in working with a neurodivergent publisher who answers my itemized lists of questions with itemized responses and from attending conventions alongside other neurodiverse writers. Many conventions, some of which are run by neurodivergent organizers, have taken strides to accommodate neurodivergence by offering low stimulation rooms, easy to navigate schedules, and events designed to take the edge off social anxiety. 

Get your copy of Fairy Godmurder today. 

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Community doesn’t have to be limited to other neurodivergent writers, even if acceptance and understanding help you feel less like an alien on a hostile planet. The more diversity in your support system, the better. I’ve benefited from filtering communications I’m unsure of through my critique partners and from commiserating and celebrating the publishing journey with my Debut 2019 friends. Both groups include varied individuals with vastly different perspectives.

Finding community can be difficult for neurodivergent writers who may be prone to social challenges and anxiety. Thankfully, there are a number of options available. There are are tons of writing groups, many genre-specific, online you can join to interact with other writers through posts, boards, or zoom meetings. You can also join professional organizations or organized discussion boards. If digital isn’t your style, you can go to conventions, readings, writer workshops, or local writing club meetings. 

Utilize Your Coping Mechanisms

If you are neurodivergent, I want you to think about how you got into genre fiction in the first place. Chances are, it fulfilled a need in your brain and became, in itself, a rewarding coping mechanism. Neurodiverse people tend to create and utilize coping strategies to get by in a world that isn’t structured for us, even when we don’t realize we are. Listening to music, making lists, using earplugs, and a million other specific actions help neurodiverse people operate at optimal levels in the world, and we shouldn’t leave these things behind when we write or market our books, especially since our work is likely rooted in one of these mechanisms.

I sketch when I need to process auditory data—mostly monsters and magic, of course. I have fidgets on my desk that help keep my butt in the seat, and I show up to conventions with stacks of notes for my panels. Each of these tools serves a specific purpose—aiding in focus and reducing the anxiety that spikes when my brain takes off in 12 different directions at once.

If your approach to writing adds unnecessary stress, you’re working against yourself. Be aware of your unique needs and boundaries. Once I embraced mine, I got more words on the page and discovered a knack for moderating panels because I consider questions in advance but am able to switch gears on a dime.

When asked about her coping mechanisms, award-winning author of Queen of None Natania Barron (ADHD, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder) says, “The best coping mechanism I’ve figured out since my diagnosis is to honor my neurodivergence. Writing is my coping mechanism, so it’s a perilous journey from brain to page—writing is as much of a compulsion as it is a talent or a habit. What I stopped doing, though, is beating myself up when things don’t go to plan or when I am incapable of functioning at a level other folks might. That has given me immense breathing room to unclench my jaw, my shoulders, my fists, and let it happen in my own time.” 

Allow (and Expect) Deviation

As Natania observed, the tendency for neurodivergent people to be hard on ourselves when we don’t meet our own expectations can be destructive. You might begin writing with a plan, but if your brain goes off the rails, that’s OK. Instead of stressing about a broken plot point or missing piece of world-building, mark the section and keep going. You can’t force your brain to operate like anyone else’s, so embrace the detours, forgive the missed turns, and press onward. You may find that you create something wonderfully unexpected. Once you’ve found your dopamine or satisfied your compulsion, you can return to the conventions of your genre, the expected beats and tropes, to weave it all together.

The way you’re wired is an intrinsic part of who you are, and fighting it can have the adverse effect of decreasing your productivity. The key is to find balance, but that balance can be difficult to achieve with comorbid neurodivergence. R. E. Carr, creator of the award-winning Rules Undying series, says, “Writing with both ADHD and OCD is like having the world’s strictest teacher berating you on one shoulder while a flotilla of raging otters has a rave on the other. One side demands absolute perfection while the other races for you to get done so you can move on to new shiny things.” She takes a three-prong approach to writing—clearly documenting goals, building in flexibility, and working in hyperfocus/break cycles. 

Break Free

We hear about the amount of discipline required to write a book, but for neurodivergent writers, that has a different meaning. Discipline doesn’t mean fighting ourselves to get the words out. For us, it means addressing the specific needs of our brains to help us reach our goals. There is so much pressure on neurodivergent authors, both internally and externally, to operate the way the rest of the world does, it can make you second guess yourself. Breaking free of those expectations is the first step to embracing our artistry and walking our own paths.

Genre fiction can help us do that, offering us the opportunity to follow our tangents to their natural conclusions. It gives space to explore where that big, beautiful brain of yours is trying to go, and it offers the parameters of your genre to light your way.

Tell your story the way only you can, one word at a time.

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The post Off the Path appeared first on Writer's Digest.

When writing my second book, The Hurricane Blonde, I could not get myself to get words on the page in the way I was used to. Second books are notoriously hard (well—writing is just notoriously hard), and writing one during the midst of a global pandemic does not make it any easier. But one way I found to get enough (terrible) words down on the page was to play against genre tropes.

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I write crime fiction, with a particular noir bent, and the use of the tropes of those genres have been very generative for me. Having something to write towards—or against—when I’m stuck always helps me get words down on the page, regardless of whether or not those scenes actually wind up in the book itself. I know I can fall into the trap of wanting to be the most efficient writer I can be–only writing scenes that I’ll use—but that’s not really possible. Sometimes it’s enough to get your fingers moving on the keyboard to loosen things up.

Here are my best tips for using genre tropes to break out of a rut and generate new writing. While I used specifically tropes falling into noir and crime fiction, I believe these tips can work for any genre (even literary fiction, which, yes, is a genre unto itself) as long as you’re well versed in the tropes that define it (and you better be, if you’re working in that genre!).

What’s your genre’s thesis?

What’s the central question or statement on life that defines your genre? For science fiction, it might be exploring the unknown. In noir, I think of two definitions from writers I like: “Dreamers become schemers” (paraphrased from Laura Lippman) and “Finding the truth is the most painful outcome” (paraphrased from Steph Cha).

I use these two thesis statements as tentpoles for outlining where I start and where I end my stories: Who is my dreamer and why must they resort to schemes? And what truths are they going to unearth by the end of the book that will hurt worse than not knowing? Even if I realize I want to take the book in a different direction than I started out, these offer me a starting point, and an endpoint to work towards in a first draft.

Flip the expected story beats.

Every genre has expected story beats. Think of a romance novel: the meet-cute (or the hate-cute, as the case may be); the first kiss; the declaration of love; the obstacle that keeps the lovers apart just before the third act; the resolution and happy ever after. These story beats are what readers will expect to see from your book, and you can use these beats as additional tent poles for scenes you need to write.

However, when you’re stuck, one of the most useful tricks I’ve learned is to write a scene that goes the opposite direction of the story beat. Using the example of the romance genre above, instead of writing a scene where my love interests finally kiss for the first time, I might instead write a scene they decide to rob a bank together. Or my main character kisses someone else. Or they discover a hidden library with magical books that link them to new worlds. It doesn’t matter; the point is that you’re trying to free yourself from your own expectations to get something on the page that feels real and alive.

Even if the scene can’t exist in your book’s final form, I’ve never done this exercise and regretted it. I always wind up with some nugget I can use elsewhere, some revealed truth about who my protagonist really is, or some new way of looking at a plot point that makes it easier to get back to my story. Sometimes you need to give yourself permission to break the rules to get some creative juice flowing.

Breathe life into stock characters or settings.

Your genre will have stock characters and settings that you can use to people your stories until you know them better. A question I like to ask myself when drafting is, What will my readers expect to see in this book? If I was picking it up from the shelf in a bookstore, what scenes or premises would I hope to have fulfilled?

For example, using noir, readers expect a private detective who is disillusioned at first blush, but believes in justice deep down; a femme fatale who is up to no good; and a bevy of side characters that might include crooked cops, the girl next door, and shadowy figures from my protagonist’s past, usually who skew to the wrong side of the law. You can use these characters as stereotypes while you figure out your story, learning intricacies that make them unique—or you can create a new character by adding something totally anathema to their character. What about a femme fatale who is also a policewoman? Or a private investigator who also teaches kindergarten? Putting these pieces together will help you form a unique character that makes your work feel more alive and original immediately.

In addition, your genre will have stereotypical settings that you may or may not want to use. Noir is frequently set in San Francisco, Los Angeles, or New York—deciding to set it elsewhere will immediately create new tensions and a tilt on the genre, and give you fresh takes on old scenes.

Plant some easter eggs.

Keeping yourself engaged long term in a project like writing a novel is like running a marathon, not a sprint. You need to find ways to keep yourself connected to the project. I play a game when I’m stuck, or uninvested in a scene, where I try to weave in as many noir genre allusions to other works I love as subtly as possible. You can turn this into an exercise to bust a writing slump by setting a challenge for yourself: Can you write five genre allusions into a 1,000-word scene?

Or how about creating a mashup for your protagonist? For example, if I were writing a science fiction novel, I might challenge myself to write a scene with my protagonist on the Nostromo spaceship from Alien, without ever once using the words Alien, Nostromo, Ripley, or face hugger.

Again, these might not be scenes that wind up in your novel—although you never know!—but the point is to free yourself to tap into new areas of creativity, while still staying engaged and open to your project.

Put your main character in a new genre.

When I’m truly stuck, I take my protagonist from my work-in-progress and drop them into a world completely opposite the one I want her to live in. Taking my private investigator into a gothic romantic suspense novel or a classic Western for a scene or two will of necessity unlock something new.

This practice also helps me understand my main character more effectively. Sometimes, when you get wrapped into genre tropes, it’s easy to write reactions or scenes that feel static because it’s hard to tell what is your character’s choice or drive versus the expectation of your genre. Moving your main character into a new place will help you better understand why she makes the decisions she does, and who she is at her core.

[Click to continue.]

The post 5 Tips for Using Genre Tropes to Generate New Work appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Her partner said, “…by subjects?”

(The Importance of Grief and Loss in Fiction)

“No,” she said, “We already do that. I’m talking about our fiction.” As she spoke, she was staring at their science shelf and the spine of Charles Darwin’s Origin of the Species. “We could arrange them by different genuses?”

It was a short journey from there to the birth of genres.

Creative experiments by writers, ever-greater literacy, the creation of the paperback, and the explosion in the number of published books gave birth to publishers—or at least imprints—specializing in mysteries or literary fiction or science fiction or YA or romance, and so forth.

The publishing world said, “It is good,” and it was, until marketing departments decided much more could be squeezed from the stone.

Saying a book was a mystery, for example, was no longer sufficient. The sub-genre was born.

And with the rise of algorithm-driven, online sales, the deal was done. If we can’t pigeonhole a book, publishers seemed to say to authors, readers, and bookstore managers alike, it won’t exist. If an author can’t rhyme off several comps—that is the comparative titles you see on book jackets, online stores, and book pitches—they aren’t going to get far in this town.

Those last few words would be from a noir detective story. Not a British-style police procedural. Not a cozy. Not a psychological thriller. Not a … you get my drift, right?

That’s what has confronted me with my Jen Lu near-future mystery series with strong social themes set in the charged political environment of Washington, D.C. You’re starting to guess where this is heading, right? Although it’s set in 2034 and the climate crisis is exploding, it isn’t another grim dystopian novel. You know, one of those that might as well come packaged with a cyanide capsule glued onto the last page. There’s a strong sense of realistic hope, born out of the human capacity to change.

Moreover, it’s clearly a feminist, anti-racist, LGBTQ+ work—although it’s an entertaining story and certainly not a textbook. And it’s science fiction-y in that half of The Last Resort is narrated by Chandler, the bio-computer implanted into D.C. cop Jen Lu’s brain. But still, it’s more often found in the mystery section of bookstores.

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This series crosses a lot of genres.

But here’s the thing I know: Readers aren’t computer-driven algorithms. Readers are on the lookout for something new. The books we cherish most are not the 10th rewrite by the 10th different author of the same story. It’s the mint story. The first off the press. The one that sees both the world and the word in a slightly different way.

Here’s the other thing I know: The world is an awfully complex place. Our tendency to slice it up into neat parcels of experience has a hard time capturing either reality or our dreams. Crossing genres can be a way to do that. Why shouldn’t a mystery, for example, speak to the consuming issues of the day? Can’t it still be page-turning fun (if that is your goal) while dealing with serious questions?

And yet another thing I know: Cross-genre writing has the inbuilt ability to baffle and delight. Because it doesn’t fit neatly into a genre formula, the story can be like a dazzling reflection off water. Things you expect are there, but never quite the way you’ve seen it before.

You might notice a couple of provisos in the above paragraphs. Crossing genres can be … such books have the ability to. In other words, we’re talking about a possibility and not an iron-law of writing success.

Crossing genres for the sake of crossing genres is a recipe for gimmickry and, ultimately, a lousy book.

Here’s the thing my agent said to me when we first discussed my Jen Lu series. “You’re a good writer,” she said, “and can tell a good story. I can’t wait to read it.”

And that is the thought I share with my fellow writers who are fretting about how their book might fit into the computer-driven world of book sales. You might have to work twice as hard to get it just right. You might get rejections from editors who say they loved it, but when they pitched it to their marketing kingmakers, they were told it didn’t quite fit into their list.

But if you know how to write, if you can tell a good story, and if you don’t mind persevering, then go for it.

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The post Writing Cross-Genre Fiction and Battling the Book Marketing Comp Title appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Children’s, MG, YA

Lee and Low Books Open Book Blog
Blog.leeandlow.com

An independent publisher specializing in diversity, race, and education in children’s books, their goal is to publish stories that children of color can identify with and that all children can enjoy, as well as work with authors and illustrators of color.

Go Teen Writers
GoTeenWriters.com

Created by author Stephanie Morrill in 2010, Go Teen Writers is a resource and community-building website for young writers to work on their writing, ask craft-related questions, and share their work in a safe and encouraging environment.

KidLit 411
KidLit411.com

Founded by picture book and middle-grade author Elaine Kiely Kearns, this site includes articles and resources grouped by topic (like diversity in children’s literature), author and illustrator spotlights, and the Weekly 411, a weekly update that compiles all new links and sources.

Reading With a Chance of Tacos
ReadingWithAChanceOfTacos.com

This is a resource about all things kid lit—both for building readers and for writers. From book reviews to podcast episodes with author interviews, articles on craft, giveaways, and more, Reading With a Chance of Tacos is a celebration of children’s literature.

Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators
SCBWI.org

The SCBWI is filled to the brim with resources for writers and illustrators working on children’s books, middle-grade, and young adult literature. From local chapters where you can attend meetings and events to grants and scholarships to a podcast, you’ll find the resources you need. While some opportunities are only for members, you don’t have to have any publications to join.

Creative Nonfiction

Brevity
BrevityMag.com

For more than two decades, this literary journal has published micro nonfiction from emerging and established writers, as well as focusing on craft articles and book reviews. You can read current and archived issues for free on the site, as well as visit their blog.

Hippocampus Magazine
HippocampusMagazine.com

We rarely recommend a market that has a submission fee, but this creative nonfiction magazine is the exception. The fee is minimal ($3), it’s volunteer-run, and they offer a waiver for those who need it. The online magazine also includes articles specifically about the craft of writing nonfiction and the writing life.

Nonfiction Authors Association
NonfictionAuthorsAssociation.com

The NFAA provides equational resources and a supportive community for authors of nonfiction books, including podcast interviews, writing courses, and more.

Freelance

The Editorial Freelancers Association
The-efa.org

The EFA is a not-for-profit organization whose members are editors, writers, indexers, translators, desktop publishers, and more. Their site has free information about editorial rates, hiring basics, and a job board. A one-year membership is $145 with a $35 signup fee; a two-year membership is $260 with a $35 signup fee.

Freelancer FAQs
FreelancerFAQs.com

By freelancers for freelancers, Freelancer FAQs offers advice about every part of the freelance lifestyle—from preparing for tax season to setting up a portfolio of your work and enhancing your communication with clients.

Freelancers Union
FreelancersUnion.org

Since 1995, this organization is focused on the health and safety of all freelancers, contractors, and entrepreneurs. Membership is free and gives you access to insurance benefits, community (including in-person meetups in over 25 cities), advocacy for policy changes, and resources for legal and financial tools.

All Freelance Writing
AllFreelanceWriting.com

For more than a decade, this site has helped writers build successful freelance writing careers through resources, advice, and tips. Owned by freelance business writer and author Jennifer Mattern, All Freelance Writing examines the business of freelance writing for writers who are ready to get to work.

Historical

Historical Novel Society
HistoricalNovelSociety.org

This literary organization provides writers resources like a quarterly magazine, online articles (broken down by time, location, author), and book reviews. They also host a conference featuring sessions with some of the best historical novelists alongside publishing industry professionals.

Horror

Horror Tree
HorrorTree.com

Created in 2011, Horror Tree is a resource for genre fiction authors to discover the latest horror publishing opportunities, including anthologies, novels, magazines, and more. They also offer articles on craft and include guest posts.

Horror Writers Association
Horror.org

This nonprofit’s goal is to support authors of horror and dark fantasy across the globe. Their free blog focuses on all subjects from health insurance information for writers in various countries to interrogating classic literature. Membership tiers vary from $59/year to $135/year.

Journalism

Asian American Journalists Association
AAJA.org

With more than 20 chapters in the U.S. and Asia, AAJA has been at the forefront of advocating for diversity in journalism, as well as ensuring accurate reporting of Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and other communities of color for 40 years. Membership dues range from $25/year for an individual to $1,500/year for corporations.

Nieman Storyboard
NiemanStoryboard.org

The Nieman Storyboard is a great place for journalists and other nonfiction writers to pitch ideas and read compelling journalism. With 11 categories, the articles will help you improve your craft by breaking down and analyzing the techniques and research that make a story successful.

Quill
QuillMag.com

For nearly a century, Quill has been a regularly used resource for journalists, industry leaders, and students—offering a published issue once a quarter, online articles, and more.

Mystery/Thriller/Crime

Crime Writers of Color
CrimeWritersOfColor.com

An informal organization aiming to support and showcase writers who “self-identify as crime/mystery writers from traditionally underrepresented racial, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds,” this organization features a searchable database of books, authors who are available for speaking engagements, and the fantastic “Crime Writers of Color Podcast.”

Mystery Writers of America
MysteryWriters.org

MWA is an organization for mystery writers, aspiring crime writers, and others devoted to the genre. They also provide writing scholarships, sponsorships, and more. Writers can apply online or print an application out, and there is no initiation fee.

The Kill Zone
KillZoneBlog.com

This blog features craft- and business-related posts by 11 top suspense writers and publishing professionals. They feature critiques for writers looking for feedback on the first page of their manuscript—each critique is done anonymously, meaning the name of the writer won’t be published publicly.

Playwriting

New Play Exchange®
NewPlayExchange.org

The NPX is a digital library housing over 40,000 scripts by more than 10,000 living writers—an opportunity to share and read work and connect with theaters and other organizations. Fees are two-tiered: the Writer Pro subscription stands at $18/year and the Reader Pro at $12/year.

Poetry

Poetry Foundation
PoetryFoundation.org

Established in 2003 (but also home of the Poetry magazine which began in 1912) this hub of resources and events supports poets of all ages and raises the stature of poets and poetry in the culture at large. The Foundation hosts numerous podcasts, newsletters, and collections of poetry that are free to anyone.

Power Poetry
PowerPoetry.org

This is the world’s first and largest mobile poetry community for young people—featuring guides for writing better poetry, opportunities to feature your poetry, digital poetry, resources for finding local poetry groups, and more, all free of charge.

Rattle
Rattle.com

With a record of publishing 4,500 poets, this nonprofit promotes writing poetry above all else. Beyond the journal’s quarterly publication, they also run the “Rattlecast” podcast and the Rattle Young Poets Anthology project, which is dedicated to showcasing work from poets aged 15 or younger.

Romance

Romance Junkies
RomanceJunkies.com

While mostly a romance book review website, Romance Junkies also offers resources for writers. Browse the reviews to see what works and what doesn’t in your particular romance subgenre or submit your book to be reviewed by the site for publicity purposes.

Romance Rehab
RomanceRehab.com

Romance Rehab is great for writers and readers because it breaks down what works in romance novels, what readers aren’t into, and has a section for authors with tips for marketing, getting customer reviews, and working with book bloggers.

Science Fiction/Fantasy

Richie Billing
RichieBilling.com/welcome/the-writers-toolshed

Richie Billing, a writer of fantasy and historical fiction, offers The Writers Toolshed. This one-stop-shop is where writers can find short story publishers and e-zines, publishers of novels, book reviewers, and writing groups. You can also find his podcast and writing blog.

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
SFWA.org

This nonprofit is home to nearly 2,000 authors, artists, and allied professionals. Membership is between $90–$150 annually, though they have plenty of free features for nonmembers, like their bi-monthly New Release Newsletter and the Writer Beware Blog, which is dedicated to discussing potential scams for writers and freelancers alike.

Tor
Tor.com

An online magazine and community, Tor regularly publishes original short fiction by emerging and established writers of sci-fi and fantasy, as well as daily commentary on the craft, media, and genre-related subjects.

Liminal Fiction
LimFic.com

Run by J. Scott Coatsworth and his husband Mark Guzman, Liminal Fiction maintains a directory of science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, and horror titles, including publishers, distributors, and the authors themselves. Joining is free of charge and includes four free e-books upon sign-up.

Screenwriting

Bang2Write
Bang2Write.com

B2W is a resource haven for screenwriters, novelists, and freelance writers, run by author Lucy V. Hay. With a focus on genre, submissions, characterizations, social media, and common writing mistakes, B2W offers courses, workshops, e-books, PDF downloads, and more, ranging in prices, including some which are permanently free.

Go Into the Story
GoIntoTheStory.blcklst.com

Run by writer Scott Myers, Go Into the Story has over 20,000 blog posts that cover every aspect of the screenwriting experience. They have more than 100 subjects to browse and the opportunity to reach out directly to Myers for additional script-related questions.

International Screenwriters’ Association
NetworkISA.org

The ISA aims “to help proactive screenwriters improve their craft, make connections, and forge a career doing what they love most—writing.” With plenty of free resources available in the Basic membership (like writing opportunities and the podcast), upgrade to a paid membership to receive free contest entries, access to online events and webinars, and much more.

Save the Cat
SaveTheCat.com

Resources for novel and screenwriters based on the work of Blake Snyder, this site’s focus is to explain easy ways to structure your work. The site provides free templates and tips, as well as the “Save the Cat! Podcast.”

Spiritual

American Jewish Press Association
AJPA.org

Founded in 1944, this not-for-profit’s membership consists of newspapers, magazines, websites, and Jewish media organizations, as well as individual journalists throughout the U.S. and Canada. Their Freelancer Directory is free and available to members and non-members. Individual membership costs $105/year.

Blue Ridge Conference Writers Blog
BlueRidgeConference.com/blog

This annual conference and writing resource is for faith-based writers. Their blog offers tips and insight for every genre, writer, and level of writer, as well as inspiration from writers to keep on the course.

The Write Conversation
TheWriteConversation.blogspot.com

This blog, written by Edie Melson and numerous guest bloggers, includes both practical publishing advice and craft-based writing advice, but from a distinctly Christian point of view. While the writers’ lifestyle pieces can help writers feel less alone in what they do, participation in the comments section of the posts is particularly encouraging and kind.

Word Wise at Nonprofit Copywriter
NonprofitCopywriter.com

Run by freelance Christian writer Kathy Widenhouse, Word Wise Tips offers shortcuts to simplify and ease the writing process of blog posts, newsletters, web pages, and more. You’ll also learn how to write grant applications, résumés, and cover letters, making this a resource for those whose goals outside of publishing are to harness their writing skills all-around.

Travel

Pitch Travel Write
PitchTravelWrite.com

Travel writer Roy Stevenson has cultivated a site for experienced and fledgling writers. There’s a free weekly e-zine that features tips on craft, marketing, press trips, and more. Sign up for the e-zine includes a free e-book download. 

View our best general resources websites roundup here.

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The post Writer’s Digest’s Best Genre/Niche Websites 2022 appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(Grammar rules for writers.)

Rather, we’re looking at bigger picture mistakes and mishaps, including the error of using too much exposition, neglecting research, or researching too much. This week’s writing mistake writers make is dismissing other genres.

Writing Mistakes Writers Make: Dismissing Other Genres

When I was a kid, I was kind of obsessed with Edgar Allan Poe. I was particularly fascinated by how he was able to write poetry and fiction, and both were equally as captivating.

So, when I first started with my own creative work, I wrote a lot of poetry. Most of it was terrible. But I had so much fun with it, and it was a nice break between writing longer works.

It wasn’t until I was getting my B.A. that I had the opportunity to really study the mechanics of poetry. In class, we learned a lot of standard poetic forms, wrote in those forms, and then were encouraged to take those poems and tweak them. I learned so much about word choice, dramatic tension, and especially how to engage someone’s senses from writing poetry. All of those skills strengthened my fiction writing.

I also did a fair bit of acting in high school and dabbled with acting in college. There was something about writing and performing monologues that I adored, and I was even able to take a literature class that focused on stage plays. I’d always loved writing dialogue, but when you’re reading script after script and discussing with others how they interpret a character based solely on dialogue and a few stage directions, it can be very eye-opening. For me, it allowed me to be more subtle with my fiction characters’ voices and helped me to include more than just speech to flesh out a character. Even small details like a character calmly setting down their beer bottle before getting up to join in on a bar fight can tell the reader so much about who that character is.

All this to say that I wouldn’t be the fiction writer I am today if I had only focused on reading and studying fiction. Even if you don’t have the opportunity to take classes or go to conferences to learn about different genres, there are plenty of ways you can branch out on your reading and open your mind to what you could be missing.

Mistake Fix: Branch Out!

When you’re looking to branch out from your comfort zone, it can be hard to find material at first. Then, when you do find the material, how can you translate it into something that will help you with your projects?

Here are some tips and tricks to get you started.

1. Poetry

If you’re not used to reading poetry, it can be intimidating to figure out where to start. A site like Goodreads might be a good option for you! You’ll be able to browse user-generated book lists, see upcoming publications, and even read community reviews to figure out what books will be the most interesting for you.

Once you start reading poetry, I recommend keeping notes as you read. What images are particularly striking to you? What words or phrases make them stand out? How does the poem engage your senses? How does it make you feel?

If you want to get further into your study, writer and editor Matthew Daddona has an excellent article about creating tension, our Senior Editor and resident poetry expert Robert Lee Brewer takes a look at what makes a good poem, and Robert’s e-guide The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets is for sale in our WD shop.

2. Nonfiction

Again, sites like Goodreads are a good way for you to see what others are reading and what they’re saying about what they’ve read.

When you read a nonfiction book, think about how the author makes a connection between the subject and the reader. Do they ask the reader to put themselves in a situation? What kind of language do they use when discussing difficult subject matter? Do they use humor at all? What do you like about how the author has approached the subject? Was there anything that alienated you?

And to further your study, here are just a few articles here on the site you can check out:

• “Memoir as Detective Novel” by Lilly Dancyger
• “A Few Tips for Writing Personal Essays” by Robert Lee Brewer
• “25 Ways Reflective Writing Can Help You Grow as a Writer (And as a Person)” by Jeanne Baker Guy

3. Scripts

Finally, scripts are another genre that I always encourage people to explore. As an actor, I got used to relying on Dramatists Play Service (DPS) to get scripts that I was most interested in. Actor copies are pretty cheap and unless you’re producing and performing the play, you don’t need to pay for performance rights. It’s also where I got one of my favorite plays of all time, The Curious Savage. While a comedy, it taught me a lot about balancing humor and pain in the same scene. But you can find plays of all lengths, genres, and cast sizes.

As you read scripts, try and visualize the scene as much as possible. Analyze the dialogue and stage directions; what do they tell you about the characters? How is setting used to further the plot? How are props used to flesh out the scene? Is there something specific about the way the characters interact that give you insight into their relationships? And how does the scene remain balanced if there are a lot of characters speaking in the same scene?

And, of course, if you want to view things through the lens of a script writer, don’t forget to check out ScriptMag.com! You’ll see interviews from a lot of screenwriters and directors, as well as articles about craft.

The post Writing Mistakes Writers Make: Dismissing Other Genres appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Maybe because I began as a die-hard romance reader. I will never forget when my father dragged a giant box of books from the library sale into our kitchen. It was sweeter than chocolate and more valuable to me than gold. Of course, my mother saw all those romance novels and immediately tried to stop me from reading them, but the moment I saw those covers, I knew I was hooked.

I read every one of them and knew, one day, I’d write romance novels.

(Jennifer Probst: Making the Genre Leap)

I started at twelve-years-old writing young adult romance. At twenty-two, I switched to adult romance and never looked back. As a lover of the written word and all fiction, I tried my hand at poetry, essays, novellas, and full-length novels. I created short stories with twisty endings. I read every craft book and every Writer’s Digest magazine imaginable.

But when everyone asked when I’d write a “real” novel, I reverted to a fire breathing dragon.

I’d look them dead in the eye and give the old John Wayne squint and gritty remark: “I do write real novels. I write romance.”

Some backed away. Others rolled their eyes. Some tried to argue but never won. Not with me.

I am passionate about my writing choice and believe in happy ever after endings. Now, with forty-five books behind me, mostly romance, I find myself in an interesting pivot—one I created all by myself.

I am publishing my first women’s fiction book.

Many will ask, “What’s the difference? Aren’t they both romantic books for women?”

Not … really. Women’s fiction can definitely contain romance. And yes, they are targeted mostly to women. I’d say the biggest difference in changing to this genre is the focus of the book.

In romance novels, the core focus is the developing relationship with the hero and heroine. There can be secondary characters, a thrilling, suspenseful plot, loads of conflict, world-building, and all the rest, but the main focus will always be the romance. My contemporary romance novels are filled with family drama that contains many women’s fiction elements.

But romance must also contain a happy ever after, or at least, a happy for now. There can be no sad or trick endings or it would not be considered a romance novel.

Those are the two main rules for the genre, and romance authors take it seriously for our readers. It is a safe place for readers to experience things with the knowledge things will turn out okay.

Today, especially, it seems these books offering hope are more important than ever.

(For the Love of Love: 8 Benefits of Reading & Writing Romance Novels)

Women’s fiction books focus more on relationship dynamics outside of a romance. Think siblings, cousins, family members, best friends, etc. It is a deep dive into the various relationships women are involved with on a daily basis. It explores conflicts and challenging dynamics. If there is a romance, it’s secondary, and there is no promise of a happy ever after.

For me, there was never a time where I consciously decided to stop writing romance and go solely into women’s fiction. I made this choice for one simple reason.

I follow the story.

Years ago, I was lucky to embark on a two-week tour through Italy with my mother, my fifteen-year-old goddaughter, and my godmother. It was a multi-generational adventure where we not only experienced the sights and sounds and delights of Italy, from Rome to Tuscany, we also celebrated my mother’s 70^th birthday. We learned about ourselves and each other on that trip. We bonded with the other tourists and became friends.

It was a time in my life I knew I’d never forget, and during the tour, I sketched out an outline of a book I wanted to write. I held tight to the seeds of the story for five years before I realized it was time to write it. Maybe it needed to simmer more for my Muse, or maybe I needed to feel like I was a stronger writer to handle such a big book.

Either way, I listened to my gut and Our Italian Summer was born.

There were a few shifts I needed to make along the way.

The first was the passive versus active voice. In romance, I am always careful to write in an action-oriented way to help ground a reader immediately into the scene. Lazy, inactive words are turned into strong verbs. Show, not tell is a common theme I’m always aware of.

But with a women’s fiction book, the narration can be much more passive. It can be slower-paced, sometimes more lyrical, with fewer scenes requiring hands-on action. It took me a while to understand that telling a story this way worked for the book because I’d been trained to be careful in the romance genre.

Second, I did much more world-building and created vivid descriptions. The setting of Italy and a tour required more intense handling of the world around my characters, so I slowed my pace to allow the full five senses of the reader to be enveloped.

Finally, I dug deep into the roots of the mother/daughter relationship and explored how each age is different as a woman, and how we see the other female roles in our life. Romance became a secondary focus to the changes the women made with each other, and within themselves.

The ending did not have a love proclamation or a wedding. But I believe it will be entirely satisfying to the reader.

(Agent Scott Eagan On: Romance vs. Women’s Fiction)

I still write romance. I always will. But I think it’s important we grow as writers and explore subjects that interest and challenge us. Growth is sometimes hard, and there were many times during this book I questioned if I was writing a good enough story.

I realized at one point, when I received advice from a writing friend, that I was trying to make my first women’s fiction book fit my idea of the genre. I kept thinking it had to be different from my other books. My friend advised me to write the story being authentic to myself. There was no need to change my voice, my perspective, or try to write it in a different way.

The moment I realized I was trying to change myself to fit into an expectation of this new genre, the story began to blossom.

There is always doubt, fear, and excitement when trying something new. But as with any story, we must follow the characters; dig deep into ourselves, and put the rawness on the page. We must be brave enough to fail and be ourselves. It’s the only true way to succeed and create the best story possible.

Our Italian Summer is a dream of mine for many reasons.

But I’ve always been writing real books.

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