Evolution of a Writer

As a reader/fangirl of many newish authors, I have really enjoyed watching the way each author evolves in his or her work. It's customary to see variances in tone and genre in the same author's work, but sometimes it truly is a brand evolution.

For instance, Mandy Hubbard started out with Prada and Prejudice, a time-traveling romantic comedy, but now frequently writes as Amanda Grace with concepts a bit darker, like But I Love Him, a story of an abusive relationship and "love gone horribly wrong."

The evolution of a writer can even happen within the same series, like the transformative and epic Harry Potter series, which began with the magic and delight of Diagon Alley and ended with a war.

One of my very favorite YA authors, Kiersten White, started out with the Paranormalcy trilogy, a fun, riotous romp through the land of the paranormal with a girl obsessed with pink and teen sit coms.

But her work took on a more mature darkness, as well:

Then there are those whose evolution brings them back from adult writing to children's books, like Stephen King and Weird Al Yankovic.

As for my own writing, I find I'm still evolving, too. My tastes are evolving, my style is evolving, and by the time I get published who knows what that first book will be. I've already written NA science fiction, YA paranormal, YA romance, and YA spy mystery. 

Advice I've received from published writers is often to enjoy the process of writing for no one in particular, not having deadlines and industry expectations that are imposed rather than chosen. I gotta say, I am enjoying the process. It's great being able to write whatever I want, whether it's poetry or paranormal fiction. 

How have you changed over the course of your writer journey?