Which one to write?

[seun]

I've been thinking about what to write for my next book while editing another. Most of my stuff is fantasy based; for the next, I was thinking about a sequel to an earlier book which wouldn't be fantasy. What puts me off (other than not having much of a plot at the moment) is that it wouldn't be fantasy. Writing about strange events/characters in different worlds is comfortable and fun for me but I don't want to end up writing the same book repeatedly. I'd also like to stretch my writing muscles by writing a story which differs to the majority of the rest of my work.

Anyone been in a similar situation?

[Siddow]

I explore genres in short form. My first love is dark suspense, so those are the types of novels I write, but I also write short romance and non-fiction and fantasy and horror and all kinds of stuff. I just keep them short.

[badducky]

from the post it sounds like you've already made up your mind. so don't ask us. we don't know what you need, and you already do.

so quit hanging around here and get to work!

[Will Lavender]

If I were going to move outside of the thriller genre (which I have thought about, fleetingly), I'd write under a pseudonym.

[seun]

from the post it sounds like you've already made up your mind. so don't ask us. we don't know what you need, and you already do.

so quit hanging around here and get to work!

Funnily enough, I haven't made up my mind. I asked if anyone had been in a similar situation, not for someone to tell me what I 'need'.

[Novelust]

I don't usually get the urge to stretch my muscles - I get the urge to do some 'serious' work, instead of just writing what I'm interested in. The fourth time you tell someone you're writing a fantasy book, you start feeling like you're some kind of petty criminal (but I work in an insurance office in the southern USA, where there isn't so much open-mindedness).

Thing is - I'm not very good at 'serious' work. I get bored, I lose confidence, and it isn't my strength.

I find that sci-fi and fantasy offers writers a lot of room to tell different stories, albeit in a fantastical-type area. If you do switch out of the genre, just make sure you're doing it because you personally feel compelled to do so, and not because you feel you should for other reasons. Make sure your next story is the one you really want to tell, regardless of genre.

[seun]

Make sure your next story is the one you really want to tell, regardless of genre.

I think that one line sums up a lot. Cheers. :)

[Layla Nahar]

No - I've never been in your situation. I'm just getting started, BUT - I would like to offer something. maybe it will jog your thinking, maybe not.

but, you said you don't want to keep writing the same book repeatedly. What if you identified the book you have been writing at it's essence - eg what kind of story would it be if you removed all the fantasy elements - 1) it might be that if you wrote a non-fantasy, you'd still be writing the same book. 2) If you can identify that essence, you could go on to do what you like, create new worlds, but you could set out to write a completely new book for you.

[ChaosTitan]

I struggled with this back in late December. I had just finished two projects, one co-written and one on my own. I took a few weeks off to figure out what I wanted to do next. Three projects were fighting for attention.

In order to decide, I played with all three ideas. Jotting down notes, trying out characters and plot points in my head. Waiting to get excited about one particular story. Around the beginning of January, I knew which one I wanted. A plot just fell into my head, and I knew it was what I wanted to spend time writing.

I wrote the rough draft in 9.5 weeks, and started writing a sequel just a few days later (the current WIP).

My advice is wait until you're excited about an idea, and then go for it. To borrow a line from KTC, "Write like your face is on fire." :)

[Oddsocks]

You could always expand within fantasy, if fantasy is what you love - write fantasy, but make sure the characters and plot are very different from what you've written previously.

Then again, if there's this other story you feel like you need to write at the moment, then I would suggest doing so and just forgetting about genre for now.

[seun]

Writing like my face is on fire sounds like good advice if a little painful. ;)

I've got a few weeks worth of editing to do on a seperate book so I've got time to think about it.

[thepainpasses]

I don't write to fit into a particular genre. Whatever idea I get really passionate about, I write it. I don't worry what genre I'm in until someone asks me. I just write. The idea should dictate the genre, not the other way around.

[WildScribe]

Good luck with whatever you choose. I know that I like a variety of things to write about, myself.

[Diviner]

I tried stretching myself, and all I got was sore. First times and new things tend to be awkward. If you can live with this, I don't see how it could harm your over all writing career, but it might be good to think in terms of pen names at publication time, just because readers might not be looking for a different kind of book from you.

I also agree that shorter works might be a good way to find out if you are ready for a change.

Good luck.