Departure Novels

have you written your first novel? if not, why not worry about that before worrying about your "departure novel"? and you don't have to restrict yourself to one genre...

Write what you want to write. If you feel like doing fantasy, don't look over your shoulder as if the devil were gaining on you.

Think too far ahead and you can lose track of what matters now.

finish your first novel and worry about the second novel. Don't worry about your departure novel until you are ready to depart. If you aren't departing from somewhere then it's not a departure novel.

If you do not limit yourself to a particular genre, you do not write departure novels. It is all moot until you are 'established'.

Ask again when your thrillers have sold "for a while".

I think a departure novel would only become a problem after you have had enough success with the public to be pigeon-holed as a [insert the genre] novelist. A nice situation to be in, actually. Or is it?

Just for fun, let's speculate. John Grisham has had some success writing humorous nonthrillers, so obviously his fans were willing to follow him there, and probably he attracted some new readers. But what if he decided to write a high fantasy? There's a much bigger departure. I'd expect his base of legal thriller readers to be dubious. I'd expect fantasy readers to be dubious. I'd expect the critics to be sharpening their knives and licking their chops in hopes of a spectacular failure.

But because he's John Grisham, the dubious and the hungry would likely give his high fantasy a glance. If it's good fantasy, the fantasy readers would read on. A significant number of the thriller readers might drop off -- this isn't their kind of thing, and author-loyalty could only go so far with them. They would be the bigger problem, I'd guess. But would they boycott Grisham forever? Nah, I'd guess most would be in line for his next thriller.

Grisham could use another name for his fantasy. But then he'd probably end up like Stephen King when he used Richard Bachman and found out how important the name Stephen King was. That is, a first fantasy novel by Grisham would generate a lot more interest off the block than a first fantasy novel by Johanna Grizwold. Are the publishers going to print a small run of Grizwold, or risk a Grisham-sized one? What about plans for a strategic leaking of the truth?

Heh, this is starting to sound like a good industry-insider novel. Grisham is struck by the truth on his way to Damascus (Virginia) -- legal thrillers suck; he must write only the sacred fantasy from now on! He does, but badly, but he can't see it, and turmoil ensues!

Anyhow, if thrillers are your real love, start with them. If you're lucky enough to score a hit, it's another thriller the publisher and fans are going to want.

So what's wrong with writing under a pseudonym? Surely that's already occurred to you.

Is your hesitation more of a self-image concern, maybe WbW? If your fantasy novel were successful and your thrillers not, would that bother you?

If so, have a comparable problem. I like listening to blues music, but when I play slide guitar, my fingers want to pick out country licks. I have no idea why, but they do. I don't really like much country music and I don't listen to much country either. On the other hand, it sounds fairly good when I play. My blues sounds okay, but I think my country sounds better.

My lesson? Don't argue with your muse, and don't try and set conditions on your success.

First, write what you want to write. That's important.

Then, if you're ever lucky enough to have gained such a level of success that it matters whether you write a departure or not, worry about it then. I don't think a departure novel is going to seriously hurt you, but it may not help you, from a business point of view.

Extreme example. An author is known for light hearted romance, and decides, after several books, to write a hardcore splatterpunk horror novel. Those are two completely different audiences. The established romance readership isn't going to help with the new project because it's not their thing. And the new horror readership aren't likely to go back and read the romances. This author isn't HURT by the departure, but rather has two isolated readerships, neither of which will diminish or build the other.

And if you're really worried about it, go with a pseudonym, though I don't think that's necessary. Unless, perhaps, you're writing a non-fiction book about politics or religion. That might offend people enough that a pseudonym might be useful so no one connects your fiction and non-fiction. Even that may not be necessary, but it would be more of a concern. But since I don't think that's you, it matters little.

You can always do like Scottish author Iain Banks.

He writes mainstream novels under the name "Iain Banks", and writes science fiction disguised as "Iain M. Banks".

Look at Ken Follet. Widely respected writing espionage thrillers and the like, then he knocks out something like Pillars of the Earth and World Without End.

If what you write is good, nobody will care if it's a departure from your previous work. Personally I would hate to be pigenholed like that.

cletus said:

You can always do like Scottish author Iain Banks.

He writes mainstream novels under the name "Iain Banks", and writes science fiction disguised as "Iain M. Banks".

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It's a clever disguise, that one. Right up there with big glasses and a fake nose.

The difference between Iain Banks and Iain M Banks has nothing to do with readership or disguise. I don't know the story, but it could simply be so readers can tell which type of novel they're picking up. Or it could be a legal matter. If a publisher has exclusive publication rights to Iain Banks novels for a period of time, that doesn't necessarily mean they have rights to Iain M Banks novels.

Big glasses and a fake nose fool the courts, every time.

Charlie Horse said:

Look at Ken Follet. Widely respected writing espionage thrillers and the like, then he knocks out something like Pillars of the Earth and World Without End.

If what you write is good, nobody will care if it's a departure from your previous work. Personally I would hate to be pigenholed like that.

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Actually, Follet has written about all the trouble he had getting out of the pigeonhole. Pillars of the Earth was a hard sell.

Re the thinking ahead - I find I can't do it. I was frozen trying to outline more abortive novels than you have hot dinners. I outlined the plot drilling down to synopsis level. All the tension and characters were planned and ready to go.

Inevitably, I get to 10,000 words - max 20 - and then stop.

This time, I've got a minimal outline and am never more than four scenes ahead of where I stopped writing, if that. I'm up to 40K and still going strong, though quality is NOT quantity and I have some serious doubts about how it will all hang together but anyway - F it, just keep going.

You have to write from the heart, not from a ten-point action plan. It won't work - it won't work - it won't work!!

My first novel was intense drama/trauma/tragedy and I needed a break from that for my second one so it is a lot more humorous - quite a departure for me but immensly satisfying. It is very gratifying for people to read your work and remark that you have a "excellent range of ability". I love to read authors who have switched genres - they always bring something fresh.