Diversification: Expanding Your Writing Repertoire
Diversification is a good thing. In a business it allows for different people to come together and provide views and ideas that might not normally be considered. In nature an animal that has a diverse diet may survive if one source of food becomes limited. In a portfolio, being diversified makes it more difficult to lose everything with one big crash. In writing, it may create new opportunities and directions for your career to go.
In a time when the publishing industry will be going through changes, it may be a good idea for writers to try and expand their repertoire. There are ways to do this within your chosen genre and also by moving into new fields of writing.
1. Expand your writing skills in your field:
#cross the sub-genre borders
Ever notice how many genres there are? Ever notice how some are quite similar, while others differ based on tone or subject matter. If you normally write high fantasy, learn how to write dark fantasy. If you normally write sword and sorcery, learn how to write magic realism.
In writing it is important for a writer to tell stories they beleive in. I'm not saying write horror stories if you hate them. Or write fantasy if you only like SF.
What I am saying, is that in the genre you write, there are subgenres that may differ slightly in scope or to a much greater extent than what you normally write. Learn to cross the sub-genre borders.
#write different lengths of stories
Within any given genre you have multiple lengths of stories. Flash, short stories, novellettes, novellas, novels.
Learn to write in all of them. The goal here is to be able to produce saleable content at any length.
2. Write in Other Genres
A lot of people like more than one genre. If that's the case with you, consider writing in every genre you have an interest in.
If you are familiar with common tropes and cliches in a particular genre, then you are better equipped to know what works and doesn't. If you write in more than one genre you can also mix elements from other genres that may be able to make your work better or more unique.
3. Write Non-Fiction
If you're reading this and you blog, you're most likely interested in writing. A blog post can be similar to articles you read in magazines or online everyday. Why not consider trying your hand at non-fiction articles.
The non-fiction market is different from the fiction market, but it is also more likely to earn consistent sales. If you can get a job with a regional or national magazine/publisher you may have more opportunities to send them articles and therefore more of a chance of making a sale.
3. Go Outside the Market
People write all sorts of stories in many different formats. Ever consider writing a screenplay? How about poetry? What about the writing of song lyrics? Or even television episodes? How about writing comics?
Some might consider it highly improbable to break into some of these industries. And they most likely are right. It can be very difficult to break into an industry when you first start working in it.
But think about writing. Don't people make the same remarks about getting published.
If fiction writing is what you want to do, go for it. Use whatever means you have to improve. Maybe some of these other formats of writing have no interest for you. Maybe it is impossible.
Yet, everyday someone is watching a movie, reading an article, listening to music. Someone had to produce these products, why not you?
I am not trying to make light of the difficulty in breaking into one or all of these fields, but sometimes by venturing away from the known and into the unknown you gain skills and information that may be applicable to what came before.
What are ways that you believe a writer can expand their ability to earn a living by writing?