Recently a friend asked me what I thought about the wisdom of sticking to writing in one genre. I told her I'd think about it. I think better when I'm typing...so here we are. Think along with me.

Today we'll explore the case for single-mindedness, or focus, if you will. Tomorrow we'll move on to the opposite point of view, that being write whatever you're passionate about at the time. Wednesday I'll let you know which side of the fence I fall on, and you can tell me where you've landed. Ready? Let's go...

The most compelling reason to write in one genre alone is so that readers know what to expect. What am I talking about? Here's the standard 'radio station' example.

Let's say you're a talk radio fan. Every time you get in the car, you switch on the ol' heated political talking-head as you're driving. You look forward to it because you like the fella's snarky comments and it brings you up-to-date on what's happening in the ruling class, which is important when you're a plebian. Always good to know what's barreling down the pike toward you.

So one day you toodle out to the car and flip on your station. A country western twanger belts you "You Done Stomped On My Heart and Knocked That Sucker Flat." You chalk it up to a program manager who's on drugs. Surely tomorrow will be better.

Nope. The following day they serve up opera, and the next they're on to Bieber's 'Baby'. Three strikes and they're out, baby. You'll no longer listen to that station because you don't know what to expect...and you don't always like what they're playing.

Same with writing. If you garner a tribe of historical fiction readers and then switch to horror, your original pack of natives are going to scatter. They expect historical fiction from you. It's what they want. You veer out of that track and they'll no longer buy any of your books. Recently on Novel Rocket, James Rubart wrote a succinct post making this point. You Can Only Write in One Genre. Period. End of Story.

So, in a nutshell, here are my
Top 3 Reasons to Write in One Genre

1. Readers know what to expect
2. Easier to market
3. Focuses and hones your writing, inching your way toward expertise in that particular genre


Pretty compelling, eh? Stay tuned. We'll argue the opposite tomorrow.