Taking Risks

I am leaving in a little over 12 hours from now to meet someone. Will spend the weekend with this special someone in Baltimore. This is a big risk. Flying out, alone, to meet someone for the first time and it has me thinking about other risks I take, or want to take, as a writer.

Writing itself, at least for other people to read, is a small risk. There is the risk of criticism, for example. The risk of someone taking the work an pretending it is their own (which is one I don't often worry too much about). And many others. While I tend to be relatively safe in my personal life, I seem to enjoy taking more risks in my writing. Why? Because what do I really have to lose? Not much.

My sister thinks I should write characters that are more mainstream (aka straight) in order to stand a better chance at publication. She sees it as too much a risk to have alternative characters. I see it as the exact reason why I should write gay characters, to help make them more common. If it's not the usual fare then maybe more should be attempting it. (That's one of a number of reason for my gay characters.)

Collaboration person wants to use humans as a balancer because that is what most fantasy novels of that type do and it works. How I read this: Using the smaller, non-human group as a balancer is a risk because it isn't proven in large amounts of publication. That is exactly why I think we should use a different group. If everyone does it, then why should we? Why can't we do something different?

Different can be a risk. Will it always pay off? Course not. Is it worth the risk? Most of the time, I have to say yes.

Since I have homework, flash fiction and packing to do I'll end this a little early. I could talk more about my risks but maybe if people comment we can carry on a conversation in the comments. I leave you with this:

What risks do you take? Are they worth it?