Do you always write the same genre? Are you stuck in the need to compose the next best-selling romance novel? Or perhaps your preferred genre is nonfiction? Have you ever thought of writing something different for a change? About expanding your repertoire of writing experience to something completely out of your norm? Out of your comfort zone? Did you ever consider a change of genre might complement and even benefit your genre of choice? Perhaps it’s time to challenge yourself to write in a different genre. To write fiction instead of nonfiction or vice versa. To write fantasy instead of historical fiction. And the list of possibilities goes on.

I began my writing career writing food stories, centered around a little personal memoir, or creative nonfiction story that related to the food being discussed. The food stories changed over the years, as the market for these dried up with the influx of the internet. My food stories transformed into pure creative nonfiction, stories about real people. I still write these stories, but I’ve branched out into mystery, historical fiction, fantasy, and science fiction (including a couple of time travel novels Queen Mary’s Daughter and King Henry’s Choice). My latest exercise was a long short story (4000 plus words, which is rather long for a short story) doing a re-make on the theme of fairy godmothers. That was a big jump from my creative nonfiction beginnings. But, oh! What fun. I’ve always loved fairy tales, so this was a creative exercise like no other.

So, how did it help me? How is it helping my preferred genre of creative nonfiction? Well, first of all, both are blending together with ease. My fiction includes stories used in my creative nonfiction. There’s always a grandmother figure in my stories which is modeled after my very special grandmother, whose story I published years ago (Personal Notes) and whose stories I continue to share in various online and print publications.

I do believe we writers tend to focus on the here and now. What is working for us in the present, may or may not be the genre for us in the future. The key to writing success is continual writing and versatility. One genre can influence another in ways we don’t expect. And, it does strengthen our writing skills: our ability to formulate a compelling plot, to keep readers hooked from beginning to end, to create characters that match their roles in the story, to write a fascinating action scene, and to describe a setting or a person with ease. All important elements of a good story.

As for my food writing? Well, it still exists. I recently published a story in the Old Schoolhouse Magazine about chocolate. As the saying goes, what goes around comes around. If I continue writing only creative nonfiction, I limit my audience to those who enjoy reading creative nonfiction. If, as I’ve done, I branch out, I find new readers to add to my list of supporters. It’s a win-win situation. Besides, sometimes it’s fun to do something different, don’t you think? Even if you never publish in these different genres, it’s worth a try. Especially in these unsettling times, it’s important to keep our minds open to alternative means of mental distraction. I’ve found mine in fantasy, fairy tales, and mystery. What’s your alternate genre? Here’s a thought: why not write about writing?