A story can be told in many different ways. Which format is right for your story?
As a writer, how do you decide what shape your story should take? Is it meant for children? If so, what age group? Should it be a picture book or a chapter book? If it’s a drama, is it intended for teens or adults? Will it be a graphic novel, a novel, or even a feature film?
These are questions I often ask myself when starting a new writing project. In the end, I find that it’s usually the story itself that tells me how it wants to be told.
For most writers, it may not happen immediately, but with time and listening to your own intuition, how to tell a story, and in which (potentially new) genre, becomes clear.
Tackling a new genre can be daunting at first, but it gets easier with experience. When I wrote my award-winning picture book, Help Me Be Me, a few years ago, I had never written one before.
But I had a child so I already owned and read many picture books. I studied them carefully. I also read “how-to” books, browsed blogs and writing websites, and eventually found a picture book coach who helped me tremendously.
When I wrote my second picture book, Let Me Be Me, to be published in 2026, I understood the steps and found the process much smoother.
The same applied to my first animated TV show, Ollie and Friends, which is currently in development. Although I had voiced cartoon characters as an actor, I had never written an animation pilot myself.
So again I began researching. I watched many animated shows geared toward my show’s target age group on YouTube and streaming platforms. I read every script I could find online (I had recycled all my old ones), and I studied industry standards—page count, character count, and market trends.
Some writers believe that you should stick to one genre until you’re “established,” but I believe it’s more important to listen to yourself and write what excites you. Trying to fit others’ expectations often leads to frustration and uninspired work. Writing is already a challenging process; don’t make it harder by trying to please everyone else.
While writing in an unfamiliar genre can be intimidating, another way of looking at it is the real reward from writing in a new genre is that it’s exciting. It stretches your creativity. It shows you new ways of exploring stories.
Be patient with yourself. Take the time to research, talk to other writers, and absorb everything you can. It will be worth it.
And remember: there are always editors in every genre who can provide constructive feedback. I’ve found their insights to be one of the best ways to grow as a writer.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out—and feel free to join my free bi-weekly newsletter for more tips and strategies. ↓
Many thanks for reading!
Sam
Samantha is an award-winning author, film and TV writer, and voice actor. Check out her full exciting bio HERE.
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