From Picture Books to Rom-Com Spy Thriller: Why Genre-Hopping Might Help Your Writing Career

How I’m Breaking Out of the Children’s Nonfiction Box (and Why You Might Want to Follow)

“Wait—Kirsten is writing an adult rom-com spy thriller?”

If you’ve been following my newsletter updates about my new writing project, you might be scratching your head. After years of establishing myself in children’s nonfiction, I have a confession: I am writing an adult novel. Why would someone known for picture books and graphic nonfiction suddenly leap into the world of adult fiction?

The answer lies in a mix of publishing realities, creative passion, and a dash of mid-life crisis (ahem, clarity). Let me take you behind the scenes of this career-diversifying decision.

The Publishing Reality Check

Here’s a hard truth I’ve learned: It’s nearly impossible to sustain a long-term writing career with illustrated nonfiction alone.

Look at the children’s authors who’ve built lasting careers:

• Kate Messner moves seamlessly between picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade novels
• Rajani LaRocca balances picture books with middle-grade fiction
• Christina Soontornvat creates everything from picture books to middle-grade fantasy and nonfiction
• Vicky Fang navigates both fiction and nonfiction for young readers

What do they all have in common? Diversification.

The Timeline Problem

Picture books and graphic novels operate on an increasingly glacial timeline because it takes a long time to produce all those gorgeous illustrations:

• 3+ years from manuscript sale to publication at a minimum (and growing longer; my most recent book took 5 years!)
• Editors often won’t consider sequels or new projects until the first book is well into production
• Literary agents typically sell only 1-2 picture books per author annually (and submission timelines grow longer every day, even for editors you already work with)

Meanwhile, as agent Jes Trudel’s analysis of children’s book deals shows, children’s nonfiction across the board is a tiny segment of the market.

Category	% of Total Book Market
Nonfiction Picture Books	10-15%
Middle Grade Nonfiction	5-10%
YA Nonfiction	<5%

Source: Publishing industry data compiled by literary agent Jes Trudel, 2023

Why Not Just Write Children’s Nonfiction for Older Ages?

I asked myself this question repeatedly. Logically, moving into middle-grade and YA nonfiction would leverage my existing research and writing skills.

But two realizations stopped me:

1. I’d be moving from a small market slice to an even smaller one (see above)
2. I don’t have the same burning passion for MG/YA nonfiction that I have for picture books and graphic novels.

My Secret History with Novels

What most people don’t know is that novels aren’t new territory for me. My fiction journey has been quietly developing alongside my published nonfiction work almost from the beginning. I’m just a slow learner, which is why nothing’s out on the market — yet!:

2015

• Took my first novel-writing class with Carolyn Wheat at UC San Diego
• Drafted (and eventually shelved) a YA novel
• Started but didn’t finish a political thriller set in D.C.

2020 (Pandemic Era)

• Borrowed Robin LaFevers’ approach of combining all kinds of things I love into one novel. (My MG novel combined Britain, Agatha Christie, and mysteries.)
• Purchased Maggie Stiefvater’s virtual Novel Writing course
• Wrote a middle-grade mystery inspired by Agatha Christie as a form of pandemic escapism when I was stuck at home.
• Formed my first critique group through a Writing Barn webinar with Rajani LaRocca
• The result: A fun manuscript with intellectual property issues that never went on submission. Back to the drawing board!

2022-2023

• Wrote a middle-grade historical fantasy
• Took Nina LaCour’s Slow Novel Lab
• Joined my current novel critique group
• Completed multiple revisions of the MG historical fantasy through June 2023
• The result: A manuscript that taught me valuable lessons but didn’t ignite my passion.

The Four Revelations That Changed Everything

By mid-2023, several realizations had crystallized:

1. I’d chosen the hardest possible novel path as a beginner.
   Creating authentic middle-grade historical fantasy meant juggling three challenging elements simultaneously: a fantasy world with its magic systems, historical accuracy requiring extensive research, and capturing a middle-grade voice decades removed from my own experience.
2. I wasn’t writing what I truly love reading.
   While I appreciate middle-grade and historical fantasy, my reading passions have always been elsewhere:
   • UK mystery series and spy novels (from James Bond to Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan to PD James’s Dalgliesh)
   • Romance and rom-coms (Jane Austen to Bridget Jones and lots of contemporary romance)
   • Adult fiction addressing the complex realities of being a woman at middle age
3. I wanted to speak directly to women my age.
   As a middle-aged woman, I have perspectives and experiences I want to share with readers in my demographic. Being able to pull from my personal experience means I can write believable characters with greater depth and nuance.
4. The market winds were shifting.
   While middle-grade has faced challenges, adult fiction—particularly romance and thriller categories—has remained relatively strong. According to Publishers Weekly, adult fiction was THE largest market category in 2024, the second year in a row it overtook adult nonfiction, which is typically the largest category. Additionally, I noticed more authors successfully moving between children’s and adult markets, and my own agency (Andrea Brown) was expanding into adult representation.

May 2024: The Turning Point

With the political climate growing increasingly intense ahead of the election, I craved a little escapism. I decided to follow Robin LaFevers’ advice once again and combine everything I love into one project:

• Spy stuff
• Romance and humor
• A movie production setting
• A woman reinventing herself in middle age

You can see some of my book inspiration above. These are the books I loved reading, so why not try writing one?

Going All In on Research

To understand my character’s world, I:

• Took a two-day PA Bootcamp course, literally putting myself in my protagonist’s shoes as I learned how to be a production assistant alongside mostly 20-somethings. It was a riot, and believe me, the walkie-talkie foibles will show up in the novel!
• Based my setting on my hometown to minimize the research required (a technique I learned from Janet Evanovich’s practical guide How I Write.)

Finding My Process Through Trial and Error

Through Jessica Brody’s Writing Mastery courses on fast-drafting and revision, I discovered something crucial about myself: I’m a discovery writer (aka a pantser)! (Want to learn your own type: Check out Ellen Brock’s videos.)

When I plot everything in advance, the story feels already told—the magic disappears. Instead, I’ve learned to:

• Know my ending point but discover the journey while writing
• Use Brody’s “invisible revisions” technique—noting necessary changes in comments and moving forward as if I’ve already made those changes versus going back and rewriting when something changes. This maintains forward momentum.
• Apply Jennie Nash’s “inside outline” (from Blueprint for a Book) to locate plot holes after completing the draft and to make sure every plot point adds to character growth
• Organize my revision with scene cards on a Trello board

The revelation that truly transformed my work and ability to get a draft done was understanding that revision isn’t a single pass but multiple focused passes addressing different aspects of the work.:

1. Plot-level revision (my current focus)
2. Character-by-character revision
3. Scene-by-scene polishing

The Unexpected Joy

The most surprising outcome of this shift? I’ve found genuine joy in the process. I look forward to spending time with my characters each day. Plus I have a perfect excuse to keep reading all the books I love.

What’s Next on This Journey

While I continue drafting my adult fiction, I’m not abandoning children’s nonfiction. Instead, I’m creating a more sustainable career by nurturing both paths simultaneously.

In the coming months, I’ll share:

• Updates on my adult manuscript progress
• Insights from my revision process
• Announcements about my next children’s nonfiction projects (I just signed a new contract on an unannounced nonfiction picture book in January!)
• Resources that have helped me navigate this transition

Your Turn

Are you considering diversifying your writing across age categories or genres? Have you made a similar pivot in your creative career?

Share your experiences in the comments below or join the conversation on Instagram (@kirstenwlarson) or Blue Sky (@kirstenwlarson.bsky.social).

For writers interested in exploring similar paths, here are the resources that have helped me:

• UC San Diego Creative Writing Program
• Nina LaCour’s Slow Novel Lab
• Jessica Brody’s Writing Mastery Academy
• Jennie Nash’s Blueprint for a Book
• Robin LaFevers’ Writing Advice
• Janet Evanovich’s How I Write