The Case For Genre Hopping
By: Edward Anderson
Tags: Genre, Writer, Writers On Writing, Writing, Writers Life

The Case For Genre Hopping

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

“Should I stick to one or two subjects?” That is probably the question new writers ask the most. The answer is not as simple as yes or no though. While some experts and seasoned writers do try to boil it down to those two answers.

Why is the question so loaded? The answer is because no two people are alike. There are some rules to writing that should always be followed; the prose should be interesting, every piece should be grammatically correct, sources should be credited. However, as for what a writer should write, no one should answer that for them.

Expertise Or Money

Most veteran writers or publishing insiders will argue that a writer should stick to one or two areas to show expertise. The thought is that by being an expert that will help with sales or pageviews. Many times this theory has been tested and the results have varied.

The issue with writing for one subject is there’s only so much that can be written on it. Even with breaking news or new information coming out, there would still be a lack of material for a writer to sink their teeth into. Would that be a good way to build a career? Perhaps, but it would also limit the amount of money that could be made.

Writers who work in multiple genres are generally more prolific because they have more to write about. Maybe the change for expertise isn’t worth it for some, but others are more interested in writing and learning new things. Also, the ability to make money would be enticing for those who like to genre hop.

Of Interest

Another benefit of genre hopping, especially for someone who had ADHD (like this author), allows them to work on things that might hold their interest. Sometimes they may feel like working on a true crime article and others they may want to work on a political piece. They are free to write what they want and are not bound by one thing.

Writing in one field may be of interest for some writers. Being interested in one genre and becoming an expert could be a goal of theirs. The question then becomes what happens when there’s cross pollination of genres? Celebrities behave badly all the time, hence the rise of gossip blogs. Sometimes they do bad things that are illegal, like murder, and thus true crime meets celebrity gossip. Would someone who writes in one genre be able to handle that story?

They probably could. However, it would lean towards their desired genre instead of blending the two together. Which could alienate some fans of the other genre and create a backlash.

Other Benefits of Genre Hopping

Should writers stick with just one genre? Not necessarily. Every person needs to determine for themselves how to proceed with their careers. Those say write in one or two areas are truly trying to help, they believe it is the best route.

Their advice though won’t work for everyone or for every situation. Using the murdering celebrity example, there are more ways to tell the story than just to tell it like a true crime story. The research involved in writing it would also include looking at more than police reports and court records. Learning to write a celebrity gossip post would help enhance the work of the writer.

There are many pros and cons to genre hopping but the most important thing is what the writer feels best doing. Every author must determine whether to genre hop or stick with one or two subjects.