Over the years, I’ve written in more genres than I can count. Everything from crime drama, true crime, children’s stories, adventure novels, self-help, and even religious guides. My curiosity has always been my greatest strength as a writer. I’ve never wanted to stay inside one box. I’ve written about murderers and mystery, about love and loss, about faith, about the seas, skies, and nature. I’ve also written about truth and deception detection, which also talked about playing poker, which I do not do. Each book has taught me something new, not only about writing, but also about myself.
At first, I thought versatility was the ultimate goal. I thought that being able to write in any genre meant success, and I have a lot of life experience to write about. Exploring multiple genres definitely helps sharpen your skills. And knowledge. It allows you to learn tone and pacing from thrillers, empathy and rhythm from children’s books, structure and even heart from nonfiction. The process shapes you into a well-rounded storyteller. But there’s another side to that coin, one that every writer eventually confronts: readers crave consistency.
When readers pick up a book, they expect a certain kind of experience. If someone enjoys a suspense novel I’ve written, they want more of that tension and thrill in the next novel If a parent loves one of my children’s books, they expect the next story to bring the same warmth and lessons. Jumping between genres can make it hard for readers to know what to expect, and that can make it harder to build a loyal audience.
That’s why I’ve learned the importance of focusing on one primary genre. At least for a while. Consistency allows readers to trust you. It builds your name around a certain theme, style, or emotion. Once your foundation is strong, you can branch out again, and when you do, your readers will follow because they already believe in your voice.
Sticking with one genre doesn’t mean limiting creativity. It means channeling it with purpose. Think of it as refining your craft rather than restricting it. Every genre has its own universe of possibilities, and once you settle into one, you start to see how deep the storytelling can go. You begin to uncover nuances you might have missed while jumping from project to project.
I still believe in exploration. It is what keeps writing alive. But now I understand that true mastery and lasting readership often come from focus. Write what you love, find the audience who loves it too, and stay there long enough to grow roots. Because once those roots take hold, your stories will reach farther and last longer than you ever imagined.