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Episode #47:\xa0Don't Be Afraid to Evolve\nThe Evolution of Projects\nDon\u2019t be afraid of letting a writing piece\xa0sit until the idea grows and matures to the point where you feel you\u2019ve got a handle on it.\xa0It happens with lots of writing projects, as drafts 1 to 20 and beyond take a twist or turn, whether fiction or nonfiction, poetry or essays.\n\nBook proposals are an interesting example, especially nonfiction proposals. The author puts together an idea he feels great about and submits it. The agent or acquisitions editor shows interest, but contacts the author saying they like it, but would like to see some tweaks and changes.\xa0If the heart of the message or idea remains and the author has the time, energy, and grit, I\u2019d encourage him to go for it. Don\u2019t be afraid to let that project evolve to give that publisher what they think will sell in the market and best serve their readers.\n\nThe evolution of an individual project is an expected part of the writing process, but don\u2019t be afraid to evolve as a writer.\nThe Evolution of the Writer\nYou might launch your career thinking you\u2019re a poet. That\u2019s how I started. Over the years I've gone on to publish everything from feature stories in newspapers and magazine articles, to books and a podcast.\xa0From poet to podcaster, I evolved.\n\nWith each new venture, I wasn\u2019t always sure I wanted to take the risk of being a beginner in that area. It would have been easier not to evolve\u2014to stick with what I knew.\nThe Evolution of This Podcast\nIn fact, if you\u2019ve followed this podcast for long, you know that it, too, has evolved. When I launched, I called it The Writing Life with Ann Kroeker. But somewhere along the way, I realized a technological misunderstanding on my part meant I thought my podcast name was used for the feed in places like iTunes, but all that time it was actually grabbing the name of my website, which is Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach. I had to adjust in some way, to make some decisions, to evolve.\n\nWould I launch a new site devoted to the podcast using that original name, disentangling it from my main website and blog? Or would I simply change the name of the podcast midstream, renaming and rebranding it to what iTunes thought it was all along and leave everything else the same?\n\nI chose the latter. That\u2019s why you\u2019re listening to Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach. At risk of confusing listeners, I let the podcast evolve.\nStay Focused or Evolve?\nIf you\u2019re feeling safe and secure in the genre you know well, where you\u2019ve gained accolades and name recognition, that\u2019s great. It shows you are working toward mastery. You\u2019re focused.\n\nIf you are scared to evolve, however, and that\u2019s holding you back from something you\u2019d like to try, don\u2019t let fear keep you from evolving. You may find that the new type of writing you wanted to try ends up being your sweet spot, and you never would have known if you hadn\u2019t let yourself evolve.\n\nA\xa0lot of us feel we don\u2019t have a lot of extra time to mess around\u2014like we need to stay laser focused to accomplish our goals. And that very well may be. You may have the last laugh when you walk on stage to receive your Pulitzer Prize. There\u2019s wisdom in "niche-ing down," as they say, and being the best you can be at that one thing.\n\nBut I think back to that 20-year-old poet straight out of college, and I\u2019m glad I evolved. I love the writing I do and the coaching I\u2019m capable of because I was willing to evolve.\nExperiment\nIf someone offers you the opportunity to contribute to a project and you\u2019ve never written like that before...maybe you should try it. If you\u2019re an essayist feeling a little nudge to try your hand at fiction...experiment.\n\nAnd remember that even skilled poets may not excel at the first few attempts at creative nonfiction. A novelist may struggle to adjust to the format of a screenplay. An essayist may wonder how to operate\xa0within the constraints of poetry.\n\nEnjoy what you\u2019re good at. Keep doing that. And then, on the side,