I've been working on a rom com project lately, which is way out of my writer comfort zone.
Typically, I'm a sci-fi and fantasy writer. But there was a (non-fantastical) story I just had to tell.
It's been interesting getting out of my comfort zone and seeing how my writing skills have grown as a result.
Has this happened to you? How have you pushed yourself to grow as a writer?
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This is a daily and continuous process for me personally
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I do this all the time. I primarily do surreal stuff but I do have some stories that are dark, sexy, and ordinary (which are naturally the hardest ones for me to write).
Right now I’m working on a social satire.
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good luck. i tried stepping out from scifi into comedy and horror. i discovered humans like my horror best, and that i shouldnt write it because it makes me feel sick. i also discovered i'm not funny. im sure you'll do a much better job
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That’s so great. I also hope to find a good idea outside my comfort zone, but it never happens—my mind always brings me back to sci-fi worldbuilding.
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Bravo to you, Raven Riley! Stepping outside of your usual genre, especially going from sci-fi and fantasy into something grounded like a rom-com, really challenges different muscles. You’re still telling a story, but the tools shift. And I think there’s something really powerful about following a story that insists on being told, even if it doesn’t fit neatly into your usual lane. That instinct is usually worth listening to.
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Yes! Definitely happened to me! I think it's so very important to grow as a writer and I try to push myself outside the familiarity of the genres I like. I'm trying my hand at a children's (or family) animated feature right now which I've never done before. Excited to learn the ropes!
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Absolutely. I’ve had that experience many times.
As a ghostwriter and manuscript editor, I don’t always get to stay in one genre, so stepping outside my comfort zone is part of the job. At first, it felt challenging, but I realized each genre strengthens a different skill, romance sharpened my emotional storytelling, while more structured genres pushed my pacing and clarity.
One thing that’s helped me grow is saying yes to projects that feel slightly unfamiliar and then studying the tone, rhythm, and expectations of that genre before diving in. It’s uncomfortable at first, but it always expands my range as a writer.
Your rom-com project sounds like a great stretch, those kinds of risks usually lead to the most rewarding growth.
I relate to this a lot. When I stepped outside my usual lane, I realized how much my “comfort genre” was doing some of the heavy lifting for me creatively.
Switching genres exposed gaps I didn’t notice before, especially around dialogue rhythm and emotional timing. It was uncomfortable, but it forced real growth.What’s been the hardest adjustment for you so far?If you're able to write sci-fi, stay where you're comfortable.
I'm fantasy, (11+) dark fantasy (14+) and Sci-fi (18+) through and through. Until, at a Comicon a parent said, "Why don't you have anything for younger children?" And thus my journey into children's' fantasy picture books began. Its doing really well. With five out there already in two years and five more planned, they sell better than my eight novels and nine anthologies.