How Reading Across Genres Has Made Me a Better Writer

As writers, we are instructed to read widely within our genres. The advice is solid. We need to understand what kind of stories are out there already, what does well, what our readers want. And by “our readers”, I mean the readers who read the genre we write in. I know we all want EVERYONE to love what we write, but the truth is that most readers like very specific kind of stories and we need to be super clear in our heads who these readers are.

However, I’ve found that although each genre has its own rules, and its own type of reader, reading widely across genres has helped me improve as a writer in general because each genre has a special gift.

What are these special gifts?

Mysteries have logic and foreshadowing

This is a no brainer, right? The rules of a perfect mystery are that the solution must be shown to the reader within the first few chapters, certainly within the first act. In a mystery, more than in any other type of story, the plot must be rock solid in its logic. Nothing can come out of left field or be revealed in the last act, or the penalty will be a very unhappy reader.

What I learned from reading great mysteries:

Outline, outline, outline. If I write my draft and the outline goes out the window, that’s okay, but it’s imperative to re-outline after the draft is complete to make sure the clues are present where and when they should be and that any inconsistency is banished.

What I discovered from reading mystery reader reviews:

• The characters can be flawed, but they must act more or less the way most humans would act. There is nothing that makes readers more annoyed than having a character do something simply because if they do the normal thing everyone else would do, the plot can’t proceed forward.
• The protagonists can be flawed, but they can’t be mean to children or, god forbid, pets. More importantly, they can’t be INDIFFERENT to children or pets.
• Mystery readers don’t love too much sexy times… Which is kinda sad, because I think many mystery novels would benefit from some sexy times.
• Unless you’re writing historical mysteries, go easy on descriptions. Readers get bored easily when you move them away from the action.
• A plot inconsistency, or a solution presented too late without proper foreshadowing will earn you 1-star reviews and vitriol ☹️

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Romance excels at interiority

Yes, romance is all about sexy times, but what I learned from reading romance is how to get truly into a character’s head as a writer. Romance, more than almost any other genre, excels at placing the reader deep into the experience, exposing not just what a character sees, hears, tastes, etc., but also their immediate thoughts and responses to the other character. Aside from the guaranteed HEA, it’s this total immersion that makes romance the best selling genre out there.

What I learned from reading great romance:

Interiority is everything. Whenever I find a scene I’m writing is flabby, I immediately go into my character’s head and get as specific as I possibly can about their experience. This is more than just saying that someone’s heart beat faster, this is going deep and visceral and describing thoughts and reactions as if you are a method actor getting into character.

What I discovered from reading romance reader reviews:

• Despite wanting tropes, readers also want realistic (relatable) characters. This means that more than ever, readers respond to main characters who are not physically beautiful, who have problems with family or work.
• Characters can be powerless, but they can’t be passive. As with any other genre, readers want their characters to WANT some THING. Usually more than them wanting some ONE.

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Fantasy uses wish fulfillment (and poetry)

Obviously, there are many sub-genres of fantasy, but what they all have in common is the existence of the supernatural. Whether it’s fairies, witches, dragons, or seemingly normal people with extra-normal abilities, fantasy plugs into a certain level of wish fulfillment.

What I learned from reading great fantasy:

Fantasy, as well as SciFi, plays with language more than almost any other genre. Whereas the language in mysteries and thrillers can be clean and to the point, fantasy allows for a great deal of poetry. Made-up words to go with made-up worlds, gorgeous descriptions, a certain allowance to write extravagantly. Often what I love almost more than the story, is the language.

What I discovered from reading fantasy reader reviews:

• Character leads the plot. Readers get annoyed when too much time is spent on plot development instead of character development. As an example, I had to stop reading a fantasy novel that focused too much on the politics of the world (and its taxes!) while the characters I cared about sat passively and listened to political debates. I was not an outlier in my reaction…

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Horror allows us to see nightmares (and do bad things to characters we love)

As I get older, I can tolerate horror stories less and less, simply because real life is scary enough, thank you very much. However, I’ve read a great deal of horror in my life, and have learned from it. Although, I’ll be honest, I’m often loath to use what I’ve learned.

What I learned from reading great horror:

Nothing will make a reader keep reading like knowing that a character they’ve come to like can be killed off (or worse) at any moment. Unlike romance, where you can be comfortable with the knowledge that no matter how bad the odds, the main character and their love interest will make it through, in horror, there are no guarantees. Perfectly wonderful characters are killed, kidnapped, tortured, and there is nothing you can do about it other than keep reading and hope that the next wonderful character will prevail. Sigh… this is why I can’t read horror anymore. But I’ve learned from it.

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Literary, though not considered a genre, is all about the human experience

In some ways, books that are considered literary combine much of the above. The best ones use gorgeous language. They go deep into their characters’ heads and root around. They don’t shy away from tormenting or hurting their characters, though they might just as well use humor to illuminate the human condition. If sex advances the thesis of the novel, then there will be sex, and it will be realistic.

What I learned from reading great literary novels:

How to put together a spare sentence. How not to shy away from the darkness in my character’s (and, by extension, my own) heart.

What I discovered from reading literary reader reviews:

• You can’t please everyone.
• You can’t expect everyone to understand what you write or what you want to say or… anything
• Write the truest, best novel you can, because ultimately, that’s the only thing you can do