Changing Genres, Changing Style
My current work-in-progress is a story set during the Great Depression. This is the first time I’ve delved into a historical, and I’ve discovered my technique is very different in this genre. Usually I have a plan. It’s not fully formed but there is a basic skeleton to follow. I write each day, and I write fast. Editing is held off until the entire store is written.
But with the historical, I write slowly. I’m tied to the internet and a variety of books so I can appease my constant need to verify facts. Even the editing process is different. I find I must perfect a scene before moving on to the next. I’m sure the rewrites will take only a fraction of the time I’ve spent in the past, so maybe timewise, it will be a wash.
I’m not sure this is all a consequence of a new genre. Maybe it’s me who’s changed. I’m a different person than the one who wrote the last manuscript. In almost every way I’ve been pinched, squeezed and molded. Today, I have a deeper understanding for others and their struggles, which allows me to extend mercy and grace and receive it for myself. I hope that comes out in Anne’s story.
Thanks for reading as I ramble on again! 🙂
Writers, does your style change when you switch genres?
Has your style changed over time?
Christina
Christina Suzann Nelson is an inspirational speaker and award-winning author of six books, including More Than We Remember, What Happens Next, and the Christy Award-winning The Way It Should Be. She is the mother of six children and is passionate about helping others find hope after trauma.