My Book Out and the Question: Should I Write Different Genres?

My book American Moon: A Chinese Immigrant Story is now for sale on AMAZON!!!

Writers say that the more books they have, the more they sell.  Their fans are often hungry and will even go back and buy previous books they've written. 

Then there's the writer like me who write in different genres.  It's not as easy... someone like me has to build different fan bases.  Those who like American Moon won't necessarily enjoy Mu Shu Mac-N-Cheese and vice versa.  Then there's my literary cookbook that will be more for foodies and people who love folktales from around the world.  Sure, food runs through all of them (guess that might be considered my brand) but different genres have different fans.  And I won't even discuss my screenwriting. So my enjoyment of writing different types of books is fun for me but a self-sabotage in a way.  I'm not down because of it, just aware of it.

Funny,  I even started a screenplay that takes place on a cruise ship that has the same characters on board but goes piece by piece (about 10-15 pages each) in a variety of genres,  a section that's a romance,  another that is horror etc.  It's super fun for me, but it may be a turn off to others because those who like the horror section may not like the romance part.  So again, no clear fan base.  I'm not sure anybody else has gone this route with any success without an already established fan base and, even those, without using pseudonyms.  I did make use of it for a long time in my paid BTS Book Reviews column entitled Karen’s Writing Detours. 

Silly me... but writing in different genres was my instinct/natural inclination.  For now, until something takes off so big I can't resist continuing with it, I'll let it be what it is.

AmericanMoon: A Chinese Immigrant Story

I'd love it if you'd give my novel a try.  It was inspired by my husband's family's experience escaping Chinese Communism, his father's time on death row, a life of poverty in Taiwan until the family makes its way to America where they find the moon isn't always brighter as they thought. I'd love to have you as one of my readers! And to hear your honest thoughts about the book!

From the Inkpot 

Karen Albright Lin

Chew on Writing Goals

As we get closer to 2011, I taste and spice and chew earnestly on my writing goals. Signing with a new agent within a couple of months is one goal, as well as working on my new novel with the urgency it deserves. I'll continue to market screenplays, poetry and short stories when opportunities arise, teach workshops when invited, consult and edit for other writers. I will enjoy time with my writing friends, especially my sisters of the quill. Resolutions from the Inkpot

Obstacles

November and December have thrown up obstacles to my writing. I blew all my words on composing the annual Christmas letter, all my physical energy on cleaning up and cooking for my holiday bash, my psychological energy on comparing Christmas today to Christmas past, my Mommy energy on reuniting my impulsive college son with my deliberate and serious high school son. I also used and abused my creative thrust knocking my head against the wall trying to figure out what to give to several very-difficult-to-buy-for types.

I can only hope that the delay in getting back to my novel full-steam is giving me a chance to subconsciously chew away at the plot and resolve some of my character issues. If it turns out the time was productive in that regard, I'll have yet another thing to be grateful for going into 2010. Love to all and especially my Sisters, Inkpot