Writers--Try Something New

I learned yesterday that a friend of mine who is a fine poet has written a book for children. The story includes children of all ages, ethnicities, and abilities. I haven't read it yet, only the blurb at the website where it is being sold. 

The author of the book, Ronda Miller, has spent her writing journey in the wonderful world of poetry and has done a fine job, being published in many places and publishing her own books of poetry, as well. Stepping out of the writing world she knows so well and moving into a new kind of writing is what interested me. I applaud her for doing so.

Many writers find their niche, their strength, in the writing world and stay with it forevermore. Stepping into a new kind of writing brings a lot of things to the writer--excitement, a bit of fear, growth as a writer, and learning something new. Perhaps that 'bit of fear' keeps many writers from venturing into a whole different type of writing. 

Don't let that 'bit of fear' keep you from trying a new kind of writing. if you've only written fiction, there is no reason why you can't try creative non-fiction. It's merely a true story that is told using fiction techniques. That's not straying too far from what you already know. 

If you've always written prose, why not try writing a little poetry? Free verse is a good place to begin. No worries about meter and rhythm, and a correct number of syllables. It involves your thoughts from the heart put into words. You can choose to cap each line or not, to punctuate or not, to divide into verses or not. I call that Freedom!

In reverse, if you've always written poetry, there is no rule that says you cannot write prose. Just look at the choices you have. You can write fiction, non-fiction, creative non-fiction, memoir, inspirational and more. 

There are writers who have tried several genres, found the one in which they have achieved some success, and stay with it. That's alright. It's safe and comfortable. If you have a spirit of adventure, branch out and try something new. Nothing says you have to stay with it if you don't enjoy the kind of writing you try. You can always move right back into your comfort zone.

As for me, I enjoy trying different kinds of writing. In my bio, you'll see that I write short stories (fiction), personal essays, travel essays, fiction stories for children, poetry and articles on writing. To be honest, I would get bored writing in the same slot day after day. That's me and my personality. Yours may be entirely different. 

I do urge you to experiment with some new-to-you type of writing. After all, it's a new month, a new year, and a new decade. How about a new you?