Site Meter Vamps and Scamps: Follow me?

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Follow me?

Do you follow your favorite authors? I don't just mean if they go from category romance to romantic suspense or historical to paranormal romance.... I mean, if they leave the genre altogether?

This topics seems to be popping up a lot lately. I remember reading a letter in the RT mag from a reader who seemed pretty miffed because her favorite historical author had gone on to suspense.

I know I hate when my favorite author can't/don't/won't write any more in one particular genre. I've been waiting forever, it seems, to read another book like Nightseer, written by LKH. She originally planned on it being a series, but the first one didn't sell enough for the publisher to pick it up. A couple of other authors had to let series die out because sales didn't justify the publisher picking up another book.

If an author wants to keep getting contracts, she might have to change to fit into the current market. It sucks sometimes, but hey...if the books don't sell, we don't get paid. Plus, I know that I get bored writing a certain genre for too long. It's one of the reasons I bounce around.

I've written...

elves
light bondage
vampires
psychics
doctors who fell in love with the man believed to have killed her brother
half breed vampires
shapeshifters
witches
reincarnated witches
mutants
gypsies
swordsman
incubi
cops
mobsters
vigilantes
werewolves
ghosts
bored, arrogant businessmen
dragons
satyrs
fallen angels
redeemed demons

I think I got most of them. But you see what I mean? I can't just write one thing. Although I do like writing vampires, if I just write vampires, my brain gets bored. I can't focus. I can't get into the story. I can't love my characters. If I can't love my characters, how can I expect readers to love them?

Plain and simple fact. A writer has to love what she's writing. I can't necessarily say that she has to think her story is the most amazing thing ever written (that's arrogant and I think most of my stories aren't that great) but I do love the genres I write in. I get into them. That's how to get a reader to get into them. Because that is the kind of story that will suck them into it, one that's written from the heart.

I can't speak for other writers, but I do have to wonder if one of the reasons some authors leave a certain genre is because of this. They get bored. They have to try something new. It's good for them. And in the long run, I think it's good for readers too. Even if they don't like the new road the author chose to go down. It might save them from a buying a book that the author didn't put her heart and soul into. That's when the author lets the reader down, when she forces herself to write a book she doesn't really care to write.

But back to my original question... do you follow your authors? There are a few I'll follow even if they decide to start writing westerns. Westerns bore the hell out of me... unless its written by Lora Leigh, Nan Ryan or Cheyenne McCray.

What about you?

14 comments:

felinewyvern said...

I have read authors who changed genre just because I liked their writing. I like to give the new genre a chance to grab my attention but if it doesn't the author loses me as a reader.
I think a good author can write stories that keep the readers attention even if it isn't in a genre they would normally read.
Proof for me is that I have read one or two horror stories by authors I knew from other genres,even though I personally cannot stand horror books at all.

Cathy M said...

Another author that mixes up her genres and seems to do it all so well, Sarah McCarty. I am hooked on her storytelling and buy anything she writes. She also writes westerns.

Wolfy said...

I will follow an Author I really like to another genre if they move on, but if I don't care for what they have written or it doesn't grab my attention right away, I will consider twice, before buying another book. Although sometimes it works out great for me the reader and expands what I would read as well.....

Stacy~ said...

Oh definitely, I will follow. Suzanne Brockmann could write a non-romance about WW2 and I'd read it. Lisa Kleypas could write a contemp (which she has, yet to be released) and it's mine. Some authors will own me with their writing and I don't care what they write about, I will want to read it.

May said...

I'd follow, to a certain extent. If it were Westerns, I don't think so. Other kinds of historicals get consideration, but Westerns...No, I probably wouldn't.

But I would pick up an author's work again if she/he moves back to a genre I read.

Unknown said...

Yes, I do. In the last couple of years, I have read many different genres. If a one of my favorite authors changed their genre, I would still read it.

sybil said...

Can't say for sure... depends on the author.

Well to a point. I have followed you ;). As well as Lucy Monroe and a hand full of others.

BUT if you wrote an inspirational tomorrow - ten to one I wouldn't read it. Be happy for you that you wrote the book you wanted to - yes.

Whine about it - yes ;)

reviewer said...

I'm very loyal to my favourite authors. If they started writing instruction manuals I would follow them over. I'd not enjoy the read, but I'd continue to buy just to support them.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I'll follow an author. As long as the story is good, I don't really care about the genre (though I'm definitely drawn to some genres more than others).

Sometimes, an author creates such compelling characters, I know that I'll fall in love with them regardless of who or where they are - in space, in a castle, spying on the Russians, or sipping mint juleps by the pool.

Anonymous said...

Gee, Shi, not a virgin on the list. ;-)

For the most part, yeah, I'll follow authors to whatever genre they move to.

Anonymous said...

It depends on how big a change it is, I guess. I didn't follow Julie Garwood when she stopped writing historicals and went to contemporary suspense. I missed her ditzy heroines and befuddled Alpha heroes. As for me personally, I've genre-hopped since I started writing--except everything has to have lots of gratuituous sex!

Delilah Devlin

Shiloh Walker said...

I'm very loyal to my favourite authors. If they started writing instruction manuals I would follow them over. I'd not enjoy the read, but I'd continue to buy just to support them.

now that's loyalty... lol


Whine about it - yes ;) That's understandable. you get attached to an author and then they write something you just cant get into, i understand people being disappointed. As a side note, I've read some insprirationals that blew me away.

I didn't follow Julie Garwood when she stopped writing historicals and went to contemporary suspense. Now i liked her contemporaries better than her historicals. ;p

sybil said...

Oh I am sure there are tons of good insprirationals out there and that all authors aren't like that brenda chick.

But my hang up on it is more personal I think and more... eh that would be a long ass post. Maybe I will talk about it after I get some reviews up and the Age post I have been playing with for years *hee I am so punny*.

Shiloh Walker said...

you're just hilarity in human form, sybil. ;)