Whew, it’s been a minute. Holidays, work, getting the accounting stuff in order for tax season (yuck!), dealing with a loss, Zoom meetings, a milestone birthday…time flies when you’re inundated. However! That’s not the focus of what I want to share today.
Here’s what is.
A recent author group post led to a friendly exchange of comments about reading outside your preferred genre(s). Some choose not to unless it’s education specific to their craft and author business. I’m the opposite. Here are two reasons why.
Reading outside your genre(s) – author edition
“I’ll read anything if it interests me enough.”
That’s a comment I’ve made many times in my years. It means that despite having favorite genres, I’ll step outside them if a story catches my attention. Maybe you’ve said and done that too. Or perhaps you’re the opposite and want to know…
Why would I—or anyone else—do that?
The primary answers are straightforward.
One, a story’s title/cover/blurb engaged my attention and offered something I wanted at that time.
Said another way, my inner reader squealed, “Ooh, shiny! I want!” You probably know the next part of the drill… Bam! new story waiting in my Kindle or other reading apps.
Two, it’s exposure to other writing styles.
Each story you read, particularly in genres you’re less familiar with, offers an opportunity to study pacing, technique, descriptions, dialogue, story arc, and all the other craft details that make up a (hopefully) well-told tale. It’s another way to find takeaways that work for you and your stories. You’ll also learn what doesn’t resonate with your style (aka avoiding potentially costly writing mistakes).
Okay, I get that, but why wouldn’t you immerse yourself only in the genres you’re writing?
Good question. There’s nothing that says you can’t. Immersion is generally the best way to internalize everything you need to incorporate in your writing—tropes, character development, world-building, story and series arcs, plot drivers, and all the other nuts and bolts that form a well-crafted tale. Many authors spend a large percentage of their reading time in-genre for that reason.
The flip side of immersion is that it can potentially result in your focus becoming too narrow, and possibly stifling your creative ideas. Conversely, broadening your reading scope can help you think of fresh twists in your work.
Where do you land on the “only my preferred genre(s)” and “I’ll read anything” scale, and why?
Your answers might surprise you.
TL;DR: Reading outside your preferred genre(s), even infrequently, is an opportunity to A) satisfy your need as a reader, B) help you improve your craft by viewing the various story elements through a fresh set of eyes, and C) generate ideas for new twists in your tales. However, don’t count out immersion as a strong way to learn. Both ways offer value.
