Thursday, October 29, 2015
Short answer: Yes.
I am a writer. I am an author. I think a good (not great, but good) writer can create compelling prose in any genre that interests him or her. But interest is paramount. For example, if you consider yourself a fiction writer, but Romance fiction, Fantasy fiction, and mysteries make you gag, you just won’t write those genres. Storytelling is storytelling. If you write suspense, but colonial American history long has held you spellbound, do you answer the call to tell the nonfiction stories that hold such appeal?
Other items to consider: your platform and the market. You will want a platform or background that connects you to your topic, be it academic, work-related, personal experience, proximity, and the like. Is there a market for your topic? Will someone publish it? Will someone read it? The answer to the latter is yes. You probably are not the only one that finds this colonial gem worth a book.
Nonfiction has the added skill of dogged research. Can you write both? If you are willing to do the work, yes.
Next: “Black Panthers” vs. “Blood Stripe,” the untold story.