Expand Your Talents with a Genre-Specific
Online Writing Course

Ever considered taking an online writing course that's in a different genre than you normally write?

I have. Both because I'd like to write in more genres and, more importantly, because when you understand how different genres work, you can add elements and tricks from those genres to the one you like to write in
the most.

Think that's silly? Think again. Readers of horror get bored if all the horror writers out there write similar stories. I'm not just talking major plot ideas. I talking about settings, characters and twists that may seem like they came out of a romance, not a horror story. (Some romances read like horror stories, to me.)

The fun in that is you've broken the mold and found a new way to write in your "old" genre. One that'll seem fresh to readers and publishers alike.

And that means more sales!


How Far From the Tree?

So, now that you're intrigued by the idea of borrowing from other genres, how "far away" should the online writing course you take be from the genre you currently write?

Only you can judge that. But my personal take is, the more unrelated, the better. Learning to write crime fiction when you write mysteries isn't going to give you much unique fodder for your next novels.

Learning to write historical fiction might.

The added benefit you'll find (which can also seem a roadblock to publishing, I"ll warn you) is that you can cross genre lines. Write a historical crime fiction book! What fun. It's been done, but not as often as crime fiction or historical fiction done separately.

Granted, your publisher likes to box your novels neatly into a firm category, and you've just crossed lines. Do you display the book at bookstores in the crime and mystery fiction section, or in the historical fiction section?

Don't let those concerns stop you. I find most modern readers enjoy a jaunt down a new lane. Go for it!


What Kinds of Classes Are There?

I did a brief search for online writing classes and found multiple places that offered them, and multiple subjects they were about.

For instance, Gotham Writers' Workshop, though based in New York City, offers an array of online classes as well. Their genre subjects include children's writing, mysteries, romance, science fiction and humor.

Writer's Digest also offers online courses in various genres, as well as in the basics of writing fiction and writing a winning cover letter to sell that fiction.

Plenty of other places offer online courses, too. If you don't live near a university or organization that offers such courses, online classes are a great alternative. Just look for the elements I described on my online creative writing course page before you sign up for one.

Then experiment with different genres and see how much more fun writing in your favorite genre can be!


One More Method to Try

If an online writing course isn't in your budget right now (though there are a few free ones), the other way to learn more about different genres is to read those genres.

Find lists of respected authors in the genre you want to explore and read a book or two from each. Study what they do that's different from the genre you write in and make notes. Let your mind simmer those notes until it boils over with ideas about how you can use them in your next novel!

Then have fun incorporating those unusual ideas in your work.

It can't hurt to try new things, and it certainly can boost your sales by creating a more unique genre novel.

So go on. Explore!