Switching Lanes

With the last book in my YA series finished, (important announcement about FALLING STAR coming soon, by the way) I’m left staring into a yawning expanse of the unknown, swirling with possibilities. 

What will my next project be? Another YA series? Maybe a contemporary novel for adults or a twisty thriller guaranteed to push my writing ability to the brink?

I think this overwhelming question was partly the reason I took so long to finish the final book in the Dani Truehart series. Let’s face it, for almost ten years, I’ve been working on the same YA series, polishing a familiar stable of beloved characters while throwing in a new character or two with each book to keep things fresh. It could have gone on for ever if I wanted it to, no shortage of problems and drama for a famous teen with a troubled family. It was safe and easy.

But safe isn’t sexy and easy isn’t exciting or memorable. Safe is a pair of pleated khaki pants, or a lightly salted chicken breast for dinner, hold the spice for fear of heartburn. No one wins an Olympic Gold Medal for taking the easy way out.

Too much comfort after a while can be boring, predictable and exhausting.

So what new project should I choose?

I have a million ideas in my head, bouncing off each other at any one time. I gather ideas, situations, observe personality quirks throughout my day, stockpiling them like a squirrel preparing for winter. I find my best work happens when I spend time percolating on an idea – whether it’s a personality trait that sparks the invention of a whole new character or a scenario that keeps tugging at my mind, begging for more “what if” exploration.

I have two different ideas that I can’t seem to put aside. They’re vying for space in my mind, demanding my attention which is unusual for me because up until now I have only worked on one manuscript at a time. Both are projects I started years ago, before I was an author or a mother. They need updating and a lot of work, but I think I’m ready to finally do something with them. As of now, neither project seems to be dominating for my attention so I’m going to continue to explore both simultaneously until one steps up.

The wild thing is that neither story is a young adult concept which is as exhilarating as it is intimidating! One is a fully fleshed out television series I created years ago that was almost made into a telenovela. (If I had a dime for every time I almost sold a script or tv series…well I’d have about thirty cents, but that’s more than most people) The other one is a middle grade book that I want to finish before my son gets too old to enjoy the story.

Is it OK to change lanes after just one series? Am I going to have to start from scratch and build a whole new readership? Or will my readers like my writing enough and be open to reading something new? Would it be better to try and create another YA series, and ignore these ideas that are sparking my creative flow? Should I stay in my lane because it’s where I started? Would that be the safer decision?

There’s that word again. Safe.

The answer is – I don’t know. I could be ruining my chance at growing a strong following by changing genres and that scares the crap out of me. I love my readers who have followed Dani on her adventure to fame and seem to be as invested in her as I am. I’m very grateful for their time and support. I’d hate to let anyone down.

But, the lure of unexplored characters and plots is beyond tempting. And I look terrible in khaki.

Happy Tuesday 🚫🩳