A Good Writer Is Versatile   

A good writer shouldn't be limited to one genre or one form of writing. I have always believed good writers can write anything they're interested in writing. The basic skill set and the process is the same. That's why most authors got top grades on papers in school. However, readers often want to lock an author into one niche and no other. Because of this, some authors assume pen names when they write in another genre. I recently met an author who writes both historical and contemporary Christian fiction. She has an entirely different name for her contemporary novels.

The first five books I published were historical fiction, and they were followed by four with contemporary settings. The historicals have sold much better. There's really no comparison, and this has held true throughout the thirty books I've now published -- twenty of which have been historical, eight contemporary, and two non-fiction. I didn't use a pen name, and I'm now wondering if I should have, but I keep hoping the fans that love my historical novels will give the others a chance or that I will gain fans who prefer contemporary ones. It is frustrating to be pushed into a narrow slot, but I find myself wondering if I should revamp contemporary plots

into a historical setting. So far, I've written what I feel called to write, and I don't see that changing. Although I want my books to be loved, sell, and be successful, I don't write just for the market. I write what something deep inside me tells me to write. 

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