Screenwriting : "Screenwriting: Is Sticking to One Genre the Best Approach? by Jacob N. Stuart

Cannon wrote a great blog, Jacob N. Stuart! I think writers can write one genre or different genres. One genre if they wanna be known as the Action writer, Comedy writer, etc. I was the Horrow writer (and Horror is one of the main genres I write now), but I wrote other genres and wanted to pitch those scripts, so I changed "Horror screenwriter" to "screenwriter" on my profiles.

Someone told me, or I read it somewhere, before you start the process of hawking your wares have three solid scripts in the same genre first... To me it kind of makes sense to have some diversity in your portfolio though? I do feel like all of my current stuff is categorically different although it only spans three genres.

Mike Childress Dan Guardino i agree with both of you , as of someone like dan , he's obvi more experienced where he most likely can write anything .... i myself cannot lol , i can only do what im good at ! and i punt everything else , i don't waste sleep on the thought i cant write a notebook lol

Chase Cysco Yeah, people like Dan can be generalists, and I am definitely more in the specialist realm, but if any entity...Tubi for example...calls me up and is like, 'We need you to write a romantic comedy involving...extra-terrestrials that look like...polar bears...' Opens Final Draft immediately

Mike Childress hahaha no i hear you lol !!!! your like so what color are these bears ahaha

There's no such thing as sticking to one genre in Sci-fi. Sci-fi is always a mix of technology and the human story, whether its drama (Matrix), horror (Alien), comedy (Galaxy Quest), or other. Being a Sci-fi writer is being a generalist because without the other genres, all you have is a bunch of special effects and no story.

Chase Cysco Haaaaaa

Anthony Moore Absolutely. I would like to see more competitions, streaming platforms, etc. give sci-fi and fantasy their own separate sub-platforms though. I think with most stuff there is some genre Venn Diagram intersection, e.g. all my feature scripts thus far are either sci-fi or fantasy, but definitely action-based as well. That sub-genre designation.

Master three genres, learn to use them effectively in storytelling, and cash in, in Hollywood.

Generally, top ppl in their professions do one thing great and that one thing crushes their peers. Stephen Curry is known as a 3pt specialist, Lewis Hamilton only drives F1 racing. But there are super rare talent like Ohtani who can pitch and hit a baseball above average, or Beyonce who released a Country music album.

I dont know many screenwriters who do mult-genres. Maybe it's the Hollywood corporate thing- bosses & reps want talent to stick to one thing. Or just last longer than bosses, make enough income to hang around and then do your passion projects. Craig Mazin said he it took him like 25-years for bosses to believe he can write drama, Chernobyl. Same thing for The Hangover Director. He needed a $1B in box office receipts before he made The Joker.

Good question. I wrote two coming-of-age screenplays because I had first hand knowledge of the material. My next project is a WWII drama regarding the Danish resistance that I took on after receiving the 127 page memoir of my friend's grandfather. Her mother/his daughter is still alive so I've been interviewing her with any questions I have. What is unfolding is a moment in history based on an intriguing, well documented story. WTS I don't think sticking to the same genre matters. A well-written screenplay with a strong universal message should be strong enough on its own to generate interest.

Having a "brand" always can help. If you're known for one genre, it helps show you can consistently execute that genre. Like a great burger joint, you go back over and over again because you can trust the product you're getting will be exactly what you want. This helps when folks are looking to dine know what you're cooking up is going to satisfy their appetites. But like all writers, we do enjoy mixing it up and trying out new things, so it can be hard to stay in one place because there's so much inside us to express