I don’t know about anyone else, but I know not only am I still finding my voice in my writing, but also what topics/genres I like to cover. With movie watching, I’m a jack-of-all-trades. My reading is a little like that too. It should stand to reason that my ideas are all over the place. I seem to stick to action in my books so far, but there is a contemporary romance that is itching to go (even if I have no clue how to keep a book moving forward without action). It makes me wonder, am I an oddball writing different genres and categories?
My first completed novel is what I call YA low fantasy. There is a little paranormal activity (mind powers, not ghosts) so I guess it could also be low paranormal. Whichever you want to call it, there is a little romance and a lot more monkey bites, near death experiences, and a quest to find the friend. Second novel that is about 56k in at the moment has monsters, deaths, human hunting rednecks, and aliens. No clue what I’m labeling that one yet. Again, action with a hint of a romance.
But what of my other ideas? What of the other little gems I truly hope to someday write? A few of them have similar lines to the two above. A few of them don’t. The next one that really really wants to bug me as of late is a contemporary love story with a teeny tiny part alien. How many other writers veer all over the map with their writing choices? I see so many stay within a certain box for their stories. They write paranormal romance or fantasy and that is it. It’s what their fans know them for. It’s what fans look for in their writing. It scares me a little knowing I’m all over the place. Will this alienate potential readers? Am I shooting myself in the foot not sticking with one category or genre (did I mention monster, human hunters has a 19 year-old MC? Not exactly YA in content either)?
Maybe I’ll eventually stick to one thing and maybe I won’t. I know not every author has one given genre and that is all they write. Look at J. K. Rowling recently. Then again, she wasn’t sure how people would take to the mystery so she used a pen name. I do have a pen name at the ready, should I need it. Time will tell since I would need to get published first to even have this worry! One step at a time, but I like to think ahead. I’m a planner like that.
Overall, I know it will be the writing that does the talking for me, not the genre. I am aiming to make my writing its best and try to worry on the other stuff later. Still, I’m a worrier. It’s what I do. I ponder random crap at silly times. Goal 1: Finish editing Circus. Goal 2: Finish drafting Monsters, Rednecks, and Zombies, Oh My! (working title). Goal 3: Query Circus to agents. Goal 4: Um, write more stuff. Past this list, I’m trying not to think too far ahead.
What about you? Do you write in one strict genre? Two? More? I’m curious how many other writers out there dabble. Who knows, maybe there’s more of us than the traditionalists!
seeredwrite 
I tend to stick primarily to fantasy and sci fi. But I do ghostwriting projects on any and all genres. That’s based on what the client needs, though. My personal work will probably almost always have magic and stuff in it.
I always thought I’d only be a high fantasy writer, because the first two books I wrote were in that genre (castles, swords, empires, epic journeys, etc). But then I wrote a YA sci-fi/dystopian book and loved taking a break from the world of high fantasy. And now I’m starting a NA contemporary. I think you should write whatever you’re passionate about, because that’s what you’ll put your heart into.
You sound exactly like me! I started out with a crime/thriller/serial killer book (I have a master’s in forensic psych so this kind of made sense) and ended up doing a lower end MG book. Working on second to that series but I also want to do a historical mystery/thriller (?) and a non-fiction forensic psych thing – and have other tidbits stuck in my head too. A good friend told me to just keep writing and not think about where you will fit in – because eventually it will all click.
I agree to write whatever you feel like. Worrying about where it will fit is for later. I think writing the story that wants to be written equals a happier writer and a better story! Have fun with all of them!