Is This Genre Right For Me?

Right road, wrong direction?

By Thio Isobel Moss

After finishing Blind Spot, something unexpected happened to my reading: I stopped craving urban fantasy. Instead, I wanted to binge mysteries.

The shift was so abrupt that I started questioning everything. Was it temporary? Did I want to keep writing urban fantasy—or fantasy at all? For a brief moment, I nearly convinced myself I wanted to be the next Deanna Raybourn, Anna Lee Huber, or Rhys Bowen…or some combination of all three.

I’ve had a lifelong love affair with Agatha Christie. I remember watching Murder Ahoy with Margaret Rutherford with my mother when I was eight. To this day, some British phrasings feel more “correct” to me—like “leapt” instead of “leaped.” It just sounds more urgent.

So really, it wasn’t surprising that when my attention wandered, it landed on mystery. What did surprise me was how deeply it shook my confidence. I don’t know if most authors experience this kind of shift or if I’m just an oddball, but for about a month, I genuinely wondered if I’d chosen the wrong genre.

I indulged it and tried not to worry. The feeling eventually passed. My reading diet is still broader than it’s been in years, and I’m more selective about the urban fantasy I pick up—but the doubt itself has mostly faded. Or, perhaps it just transformed.

From reading about the experiences of other authors, I knew that imposter syndrome was a big deal. I was prepared to feel like an imposter during Blind Spot’s launch week, but it never happened. When my proofs arrived, I carried them around just to remind myself I wasn’t dreaming. I had made a book! But I never felt like an imposter.

It’s only now—while Bump is in editing—that the imposter syndrome has really settled in. Lots of people write one book. Writing a second is a declaration of intent. It feels like I’ve planted a flag in the literary landscape and declared it TIMland — and at any moment, real authors are going to show up and question my right to be there.

And yet…that hasn’t happened either.

Blind Spot’s only been out for a few months, but I’ve exchanged emails with a surprising number of successful authors (mostly about scams, but it still counts). Every single one has been kind, generous, and encouraging. Not even a hint of sneering.

The sensation hasn’t been a constant, thank goodness. I have no idea how to get rid of it besides keeping at it. Fake it ‘til I make it! I just turn a corner, sometimes, and get ambushed. I’m suddenly overwhelmed and certain I’m messing everything up. When I think about how much I’ve learned, though, that seems ridiculous.

It has not slowed me down much.

Originally, I only had three stories I needed to get out of my head. The plan was simple: write those three, then reassess. My brain, however, had other ideas. One story is finished, another is close behind, and the third is well underway — but there are at least five more waiting impatiently in the wings.

Actually, “waiting” might be generous. I’ve already done some combination of worldbuilding, outlining, character creation, or drafting for all of them. And every single one falls somewhere within sci-fi or fantasy.

So yes—I’ve found my genre.

I want to explore it, stretch it, experiment within it, and occasionally wander outside its borders—but fantasy is where my mind naturally lives.

For readers: if one of your favorite authors suddenly writes something unexpected, there’s a good chance they didn’t expect it either. It’s perfectly fine if it’s not your thing — but if you give it a chance, you might discover an entirely new corner of storytelling to love. More books is rarely a bad outcome.

For writers — new or experienced — if you go through something like this, take heart. There’s a good chance you’re not having a stroke—but it never hurts to rule that out. More importantly, understand that writing will take you into new territory, whether you intend it to or not.

Your tastes may change. Your voice may shift. The stories that demand to be told might surprise you.

It might be temporary, or it might be permanent — but either way, it’s an adventure.

That shift might be telling you exactly where you’re meant to go next.

Happy reading and writing!