Ch-ch-ch-changes

What a time of year! Not only did Fire Me come out this month, but two of my kids "came out" of college. That's right, two kids graduated at the same time. They're not twins. One entered college a year early and the other took five years to finish a challenging major (electrical engineering coupled with Air Force ROTC training).

It's been a big month of changes in this household as these two chicks of mine launch themselves into the world (or try to -- my daughter is looking for a job in this bleak economy!).

So it's only natural that my thoughts focus on changes and transitions, and the curves in the road that make it difficult to see what's up ahead.

All writers have to grapple with unpredictability, though. This business is filled with tales of authors whose multiple-book careers trickle to a stop when the market shifts or publishers shutter their doors. I know several authors who are in the process of rethinking their writing direction because changes in the industry have left them without contracts--temporarily, we all hope.

As for me, when I first started writing fiction, I thought I'd be writing serious stuff. You know -- Lit.Rah.Chure. But something inside me couldn't resist a chuckle and here I am in romantic comedy/humorous women's fiction. In fact, I have only one "serious" published book to my name--a historical YA (written as Libby Sternberg) that was a joy to write, even if the subject matter was more shadow than light.

I've dabbled in more serious fare and do yearn to see it published. And I'll keep trying. Scratch any comic and you'll probably find an actor longing to play the Brooding Prince. Hey, I can brood with the best of them! :-)

So the question I'm curious about is: if you could change something about your writing/reading life, what would it be -- do you long to write in a different genre, yearn to read other kinds of books but never find the time....or interest? What holds you back from making the changes you'd like to make?