Are You a Writing Chameleon?

Chameleons are often used as a metaphor for people who are two faced, can't make up their minds, or seem to change their personality depending on who they are with. None of these are very flattering comparisons. In writing terms, we could go further and say that a 'chameleon' writer doesn't know his or her audience or can't make up their mind about genre. To this I say, poppycock! Instead, let's look at the positive aspects of being a writer with 'chameleon' tendencies.

As you know, a chameleon is a wonderful little creature that can change its color depending on its surroundings. I call that adaptable. Writers who can change and grow are writers that are going to be around for awhile. Times are changing, right from the type of material that readers want, to the way books are published and marketed these days. As a great example, just look at the explosion of ebooks n the last few years - and it appears this market has nowhere to go but up.

As for knowing your audience, that's all well and good, but you wouldn't want to get totally pigeonholed. I've faced this dilemma with my three novels. My first book AND THE BEAT GOES ON has been classed as everything from mystery to thriller to suspense and even romance. It was written to appeal to a wide ranging audience - a general audience, which in marketing terms means MEN TOO. (Most fiction is oriented toward women... I guess we just read more.) However, MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER and PLAY IT AGAIN probably lean more heavily on the 'womens' side of the scale. Does this mean I've switched audiences? I don't feel as though I have. I just write what I think will make a good story. My fourth book, WIND OVER MARSHDALE, currently in the hands of my agent, is being pitched as womens' fiction, but I think it has a strong appeal for males as well. This is also the case with the NaNo project I just finished.

This subtle shift in target audience is nothing compared to some of my other writing activities, however. As you may know, I write, produce and direct stage plays. I currently have one play in print ('Ebenezer's Christmas Carol') and I just signed a contract for another play called 'A Midterm Eve's Phantasm'. Both of these plays are comedies, and neither are for the Christian market, per se. Add to that the children's picture book that I'm working on, and the chameleon is truly multi-colored!

In the end I'm not too worried. Many other authors, artists, and creative people have gone before me with a list of credits just as varied and they have managed to be successful. For me, the creative process is paramount, and I can't stop one activity in loo of another. In the end, I measure my success in personal fulfillment, and at this stage I'm quite content. So, let the colors change as they may ... I'm happy to be a chameleon writer after all.