How to try a new genre

A love note to experimentation.

Feb 05, 2024

Header illustration by Ludi Leiva.

Late last year, I published my first humor writing piece. It came from two very different focuses in 2023: My newfound obsession with “Love is Blind” and my time working for the social media team at the New Yorker.

Let me explain!

In the early months of 2023, I went down a deep rabbit hole, watching not only the American “Love is Blind” seasons, but also the Brazil and Japan seasons. A note before we go further: I fully realize these shows are problematic, and I’m also aware of the lawsuits in motion (!) This was a time when the show offered an escape; and I was fascinated by the sociological aspects of the show. The prevalence of beauty standards, for example, were the same across all the locations.

In October, I started a contract gig at the New Yorker on their social media team. This required a lot of reading (best part of the job, TBH) and I got familiar with the magazine’s sections. Reading the “Shouts” section got me more interested in humor writing and, from there, I connected the dots and decided to write a silly piece about a “Love is Blind” type of show, but for writers.

If you’re curious about trying a new genre — no matter your discipline — here are some suggestions from my recent writing adventures:

Take a class: Try getting your feet wet by finding a one-time class and seeing how you do with creating in this new genre. Sign up for ceramics, romance writing or graphic novel memoir writing to start at least exploring a new avenue of creativity. I often prefer one-time classes because the commitment is lower, but you should follow your own preferences. Research classes at your local art studio, community college, recreation center or library. If you want to do virtual, check artist or writer communities for virtual workshops, or try a website like Domestika (yours truly has a class there!)
Make an effort to absorb work from the genre. Again, I spent a lot of my contract gig at the New Yorker reading the “Shouts” section. I went into the archive on my spare time, too. And I started reading more McSweeney’s and Reductress pieces. Surround yourself with the genre you want to try creating in. Schedule time for a museum visit, check out books in the genre, browse your craft supply store and talk to friends to get their recommendations, too.
Turn the pressure down. I wanted to try humor writing in a way that didn’t require me to feel like: This should be the best humor piece it can possibly be. To that end, it was important to me to share the piece with a couple of friends but not set a specific date for submission. I left the piece alone, tinkered some more, walked away again. Then I cold pitched, and kept my expectations low. Once I got a couple rejections, I left it alone again. And then I came back. Give yourself the space to not only try something new, but also take a break when you need it. It’s not your main genre, so there’s space to keep it light and fun when possible. I also was more relaxed about my grammar and word choice because, well, this was about the humor, not the LITERARY WRITING.