Stubbornly Swerving Out of My Lane

On picking more than one writing niche

A notification pops up and I read a familiar headline about how to “make it” as a writer in one way or another. As I voraciously read article after article, advice naturally conflicts. There are a few constants, like writing and publishing often as practice, but everyone has a different method to make a respectable living.

Among the oft repeated bullet points is focusing one’s writing to only a few topics. I started thinking about my niche. Having only joined a few months ago, I was not even sure I would survive long enough to be known for anything at all. I was still trying to capture the words as they fell and learn to let some go.

I always wonder where the inclination for a certain genre comes from. Writing, at its core, must involve some degree of passion, but to make a living, one must get good at something. I do believe there must be discipline and routine, but finding where you belong is a process of trial and error.

My first medium of expression was in poetry. Try as I might to be concise, my nature is to stretch wondrously into the distance. It’s nice when there don’t have to be many rules, but words are sometimes best served with definition. Technical writing and policy composition demand clarity, so I have gotten a lot of practice removing chaff. When I started writing again after a long hiatus, it helped me acquire a skill: setting the scene.

I gravitate toward planting the reader in a setting, to focus on color, action, or even glints of light. I prefer an immersive experience and try creating one. Even the smallest details can enrich the story and be a fulcrum to pivot action or a narrative. Scene creation has naturally drifted into my toolbox over the course of writing prompts . Once a reader is inside the scene, my next task is to hold their interest. The makings are there, but I am still working on the how. Plot can advance the story forward, but people are what hold our attention.

I picked up Stephen King’s On Writing A Memoir of the Craft for tips and so far, have learned to value being direct. All the flowery language in my poems of yesteryear, and even today, can still reside there, but if I want to tell a great story, I must get to heart of the matter.

One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you’re maybe a little ashamed of your short ones.

I have been guilty of this for sure. The fun thing about exploring different genres, setting a scene, adding characters and action is that you’re forced to create some path to the ending. Your reader must know there is a direction or a conflict at hand. It’s also helpful (though not required) to write what you know. I say, however, expand what you know. That gives greater latitude for what the work can become.

So where are my niches so far?

Horror Shorts

The twinge of fear as hairs stand upright is an utterly irresistible image. I have always been a fan of horror films and stories. In that genre, many things are possible: romance, death, gore, and triumph. The most universal human experience, even more so than love, I believe, is fear. Whether implanted deep in our youth or as our steps echo loudly in an empty parking deck, fear reaches to the heart and plays a creepy tune. I am eager for an audience to hear it.

Romance

Lost, forlorn, unrequited, dismissed… love is a transcendent experience all its own twists and tangles. Romance is where the poetry comes out. So far, they are snippets that feel like small treats. In short stories, I find ways to sprinkle it in without explicitly saying the words, but showing the reader. It’s quite a task to write about all the ways in which we love.

“Gone”

To be without you is like tearing at unbroken stretches of night…

Science Fiction

My career in healthcare actually started because of an unlikely pair investigating paranormal phenomena. No kidding. It is still the genre that intrigues me the most, but also fully represents who I am.

I used to believe I was a contradiction, that I could not be a logician and a dreamer. The dichotomy formed long ago and it’s in the realm of science fiction where I mend the parts of myself. All my long form writing is within this genre. It is complex and heavy. There is always much to plan and execute in these worlds and the story shapeshifts perpetually. I feel the breath of my talent can be applied here.

“Find a niche and stick with it.”

Eh. I’m still exploring and not ready to pick a lane. Not yet. More than any one genre, I want to tell stories with weight. I want to vividly set a scene rich enough for the reader to smell it. I want the light from a character’s eyes to capture empathy. So, there is in fact a theme that runs throughout my work. I am not sure what form that will take yet. All I know is, I want to move, disturb, and grip an audience.

Where do you think I should start?

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