You’ve been writing in one genre…maybe for several books. Maybe for your entire career. But lately, you’re antsy. Unable to decide on your next project. You have ideas, but nothing that grabs you hard enough to put in the effort that creating takes.

Then, out of the ether, comes another idea. One that grabs you by the lapels and shakes you. But it’s a new genre, so you ignore it.

But it won’t go away.

What do you do?

I can tell you – if you ask your agent, or publisher or publicist (if you have them,) they’ll tell you to stick with your brand. You’ve got a following. You’re on readers’ ‘auto-buy’ list. Changing genres is an uphill battle because in a way, you’re starting over.

They’re not wrong.

You ask indie authors. Friends. Family. They tell you to go for it. Your writing is a creative outlet – you’re never happier when you’re knee-deep a new project you’re excited about.

They’re not wrong either.

So what do you do?

As with most writer career questions, it depends (I know, I hate that answer too.) I was faced with this dilemma. I’d written TEN romances. I had a NY Publisher. They wanted to see my next project, ostensibly to draft another contract. I tried. I wrote half a book and I knew who would star in the next two in the series. But I couldn’t make myself write farther. It was drudgery. All the fun went out of creating.

I knew I was at a crossroads. Staying in my lane felt like a job. A crappy one. But that shiny new genre idea yelling in my ear? It terrified me.

Here’s how I finally decided, and maybe it will help you:

Write a list. What is your main goal with writing? What’s your second? Your third? Be brutally honest with yourself when you put them in order.  Here were mine:

• Create, and be proud of what I produced
• Be ‘sucessful’ as an author-meaning more readers with every book
• $ is nice, but mainly as a way of keeping score

Once I did that, can you see the obvious choice? I needed to veer out of my usual lane, take the risk and write in that new genre.

I did. It meant putting NY in the rearview and going indie. I published 4 Women’s Fiction (2 with a small press.) Then another genre grabbed me. This time it snuck up on me – I wrote half of what I thought was WF before realizing it was really Thriller/Suspense.

I was terrified – but more like roller coaster terrified than car crash terrified. Writing was fun again. I haven’t looked back.

But what about YOUR list? If you’re writing for money, helping to support your family, your answer will be different. If you’re writing for a NY publisher, and are happy there, your answer will be different too. And that’s great.

But if you can’t decide, write your list of your top three goals. Even if they’re evenly balanced on the ‘stay or go’ scale, look at the list again.

The answer in your heart will be the right one for you.

WRITE ON!