Change is Good

By Darvell Hunt

Barak Obama ran his campaign on the theme of change. I think change can be good, though I don't feel like discussing politics here—it seems you can get that sort of talk on too many blogs already. What I would like to say about change is that it's nice to read a new type of story or try putting into words something you’ve never written before. That sort of change can be rewarding.

I’ve been writing for a number of years now, mostly targeted toward an LDS audience, but not all. I’ve written a Book of Mormon novel, a historical novel set in Utah in the early 1800’s, a young adult contemporary fantasy novel, an LDS thriller, and even my share of inspirational poetry. I’ve also started work on an LDS romance novel, a Dan-Brownish-type suspense novel, a children’s chapter book that plays on words and language, and now an LDS non-fiction book that I hope to finish this month or next.

Some might say I’m spreading my writing too thin, but I like to think of these as all experiments in personal discovery—to see what I really enjoy writing. I suppose when one of these gets accepted and published, I’ll concentrate my writing career in that genre and see how it goes, but I will probably never ignore my other interests.

Change can be scary, but it can also be helpful. If you’ve been writing the same ol' thing for years, perhaps it’s time to try something else. You just might find your true genre.