Transcending Genres
Day 29 of 31: 200 Words-A-Day Challenge
We’re nearing the end of this 31-day challenge. Please write with me today. My micro-essay is followed by a prompt if you need one. If not, still write 200+ words about whatever … JUST WRITE. Then share what you’ve written in the comments or via Notes. Previous prompts can be found in the Prompt Directory.
Transcending Genres
Last February, I was fortunate to see author Colson Whitehead speak on the campus of Florida State University. Whitehead has shattered an unwritten rule of traditional publishing: don’t cross genres. In addition to crime fiction, he’s written speculative fiction, alternate history-historical fiction, as well as a zombie book. He’s won the National Book Award, the Pulitzer Prize … twice (!), among many other awards. Clearly, it’s working for him.
While Whitehead has successfully pushed against the precept, genre-crossing and genre-bending are still widely believed to make a book too challenging (impossible?) to market. Even though we aren’t constricted by the Big Five’s doctrines, most independent authors hold tightly to the belief, as well.
In a recent interview, Whitehead said, “I'm not a crime novelist; I'm a writer, and I'm writing these crime novels, and I'm trying to figure out what I like from this genre and want to keep, or what I dislike and want to throw out.” (Esquire, July 18, 2023)
As I take baby steps toward sharing my fiction, I wonder how I fit in to all this. I’ll begin with historical fiction, my favorite genre. But if I decided to explore mystery, would readers who’ve come to expect historical fiction from me feel abandoned? Perhaps I’ll blend the two.
But I cannot know yet. I want the freedom to explore and discover what’s waiting to be written. I want to stretch my skills, to grow as a writer, as the best way I see to do that is to write what I want without regard for the edicts of others.
Your Prompt / Day 29 of 31
Have you ever experimented with a writing genre outside your comfort zone? If so, what was your experience and the outcomes? If not, is there a genre you’d like to explore and why?