Anyway, this post is for the Insecure Writer's Support Group, where we support other writers. Learn more about the IWSG on their website and Facebook page.
Our hosts this month are Rebecca Douglass, Natalie Aguirre, Cathrina Constantine, and Louise Barbour.
Here's our question for July: Is there a genre you haven't tried writing in yet that you really want to try? If so, do you plan on trying it?
I've switched genres quite a bit for a writer: my work includes fantasy, science fiction, solarpunk (which should probably be considered a subgenre of science fiction), and paranormal cozy mystery. All of these genres have a speculative element, which is what most strongly appeals to me. However, the top genre for readers is romance. This genre doesn't resonate with me so much because I'm demisexual. (I don't experience primary sexual attraction; I like to think of it as falling in love with someone from the inside out. For me, many romances focus mostly on the hero's physical qualities but don't give him the intelligence and humor that personally appeal to me.) Of course I have characters who fall in love with each other, and their relationships are often part of a secondary plot. But I've never tried to write a pure romance story before....
Until this year.
One of my projects is a Good Omens alternate universe fanfic which imagines the characters as middle-aged women. One's a harper, the other's a singer, and they meet when they're asked to accompany each other at a wedding. It's coming along slowly because I'm switching among multiple projects, not all of which are writing. I have a book about how to write romance that outlines the story beats readers expect so I can figure out plot points. This story is only a few thousands words along so far, so I'm still getting to know the characters and figuring out what happens to them after the wedding. There's still a lot I have to consider for this story, and I may have someone else beta read it when I finally finish the draft. Please wish me luck, because I'm sure I'll need it!
Have you experimented with new genres before? If so, please feel free to share how it went in the comments.