When I started writing seriously back in 1989 I was automatically drawn to writing about Elizabethan history. Now I'm drawn to Victorian history.
What about you?
Barbara
What about you?
Barbara
Did you chose your Genre or did it chose you?
- Thread starter Bo Sullivan
- Start date
- Status
I've always been drawn to Fantasy. I read it and make an attempt to write it too. 
I'm good at the reading. The writing bit remains to be seen. 
I'm good at the reading. The writing bit remains to be seen. 
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2006
- Messages
- 9,709
- Reaction score
- 2,054
- Age
- 48
- Location
- uk
- Website
- www.lukewalkerwriter.com
Good question. I'll read more or less anything while I generally write 'real' fantasy. I've always said the story is in charge so I think the genre chose me.
It's the only thing I'm sufficiently interested in to write (except for maybe scifi, and I haven't written off the idea of writing that either).
I grew up surrounded by SF, fantasy and horror on TV and in movies. My dad was a horror fan, and many of the shows we watched were SF or F related.
Oddly enough, most of the books I read before the age of fourteen were general middle grade and YA. Series like Babysitter's Club, Sweet Vally Whatever, Sleepover Friends, Judy Blume, et al. No genre books in there.
Somehow I ended up writing urban fantasy.
Oddly enough, most of the books I read before the age of fourteen were general middle grade and YA. Series like Babysitter's Club, Sweet Vally Whatever, Sleepover Friends, Judy Blume, et al. No genre books in there.
Somehow I ended up writing urban fantasy.
Good question. I've tried my hand at poetry, fantasy, and article writing, but none of them 'stuck'. As a kid, I liked reading some fantasy, but it never sustained my interest long enought to work out a whole story of my own. What I kept getting drawn to were stories of everyday people (living in this world). One day, I realized that everyone has a story, and I had this incredible desire to write every one of them.
It seems as much as I've avoided it, novel writing keeps finding me.
It seems as much as I've avoided it, novel writing keeps finding me.
Last edited:
- Joined
- May 17, 2006
- Messages
- 2,037
- Reaction score
- 593
Ditto. Don't know how that happened. I used to write thrillers...
But I'm a happy writer of UF, and I'm sure I will write other genres when I get through with these eight or nine novel ideas...
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2006
- Messages
- 8,745
- Reaction score
- 3,097
- Location
- Toronto, Canada
- Website
- www.adriennekress.com
I had always toyed with many genres (historical fantasy, detective stories, coming of age YA). When it suddenly occurred to me that what I should be writing was middle grade, everything though made sense. In my last year of high school for my big english paper I chose to write on Alice in Wonderland vs Peter Pan. I always re-read my books from childhood, and am a huge Harry Potterphile. The fact that it occurred to me quite by accident that I should try and write a children's novel seems now so strange, as it is quite obvious everything in my life had been making that suggestion for a long time. I guess I just didn't pay attention. But I do now. Do I ever now!
When I was in first grade, I found my mom's copy of The Hobbit, and read it. I have been firmly chained to the fantasy world ever since. (And I include urban fantasy in that)
That's almost exactly my story. My dad liked some horror and a lot of true crime and I was reading Stoker and Bronte by the age of 7.
Through my early teens I read SVH, a lot of American YA because at that time it wasn't really a big genre in Britain, everything Danielle Steel churned out and some Sidney Sheldon. By my middle teens I'd progressed to Jackie Collins and the like and now I mostly read chicklit, British YA, history, biographies and true crime.
And now I write chicklit for adults and urban fantasy for YA.
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2007
- Messages
- 2,918
- Reaction score
- 604
A mixture of both, really -- among the things I thought I could maybe write/was most interested in writing, I chose to try in the two genres that I suspected would be most likely to sell. YA supernatural romantic suspense is doing well so far; we'll see about thrillers later this year.
I dabbled with espionage fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, mainstream college life stories, historical military fiction, you name it. Then one day, out of nowhere, I wrote a Western. Never read them before, and only watched a few of the movies. And I mean literally out of nowhere. Just sat down at the computer and it came to me. I haven't been able to shake them since. Maybe it's a function of where I grew up and the history I absorbed while I was there. I don't know.
I still dabble with some other genres (especially historical military stuff and I get an occasional longing to write about one of my espionage characters), but Westerns have their hooks in me and won't let go.
I still dabble with some other genres (especially historical military stuff and I get an occasional longing to write about one of my espionage characters), but Westerns have their hooks in me and won't let go.
- Joined
- May 10, 2005
- Messages
- 5,329
- Reaction score
- 794
- Location
- Boca Raton - Mouth of the Rat
- Website
- beyondtourism.wordpress.com
As much as I like science fiction. I grew up with it my dad and mom both being big science fiction readers. I was named after a princess from outer space, not Leia. I've always tried to write science fiction. The genre dominates my shelves.
I've come to realize that I love history far more than science and so now attempting to write historicals or at least have a historical feel to them. Hopefully it won't be generic (place time period here).
here's to new genres.
I've come to realize that I love history far more than science and so now attempting to write historicals or at least have a historical feel to them. Hopefully it won't be generic (place time period here).
here's to new genres.
It chose me...I just started writing and didn't even realize my WIP was fantasy till I was almost done. I'm not so observant sometimes
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2007
- Messages
- 22,289
- Reaction score
- 1,491
Hmm. My mother reads mostly historical ficiton of the holocaust, my father reads exclusively nonfiction, my brother mostly sci-fi, when he does get to reading at all...
I wrote some psych fiction and then got stuck to comedic fantasy, usually of the urban variety. Silly me.
I wrote some psych fiction and then got stuck to comedic fantasy, usually of the urban variety. Silly me.
My dad reads... anything exciting or suspenseful. He set the precedent for ALWAYS READING. But my mom was the one who read TO me, and we started out with stories about animals. James Herriot, EB White, Jack London, etc. Once I started choosing my own books, I gravitated towards the weird. First it was ghost stories and then it was supernatural stuff... books about telepaths and people with special powers. Then, in sixth grade, I was walking past the television as my dad was watching Return of the Jedi. It was the scene where Han kisses Leia. I was instantly IN LOVE for the first time in my life. With Harrison Ford or science fiction, I am not sure, but sci fi dominated my life from that point until I hit college. Then I expanded my horizons by studying British and American literature.
Now? I read anything that's good. I write some sci fi. And other vaguely weird stuff that defies genre-ing. Annnnd non-genre romance. Sort of.
::Sigh:: I wish I could find a genre!
Now? I read anything that's good. I write some sci fi. And other vaguely weird stuff that defies genre-ing. Annnnd non-genre romance. Sort of.
::Sigh:: I wish I could find a genre!
I chose my genre. This is partially due to people forbidding me from writing the stuff I wanted to write when I was a child. I decided all the more I would what I wanted to regardless of what other people wanted. This got me in a lot of trouble with my parents and my church, but the fact remains, I decided for myself what I would write ... even if it was mainly out of spite at the time.
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2006
- Messages
- 372
- Reaction score
- 26
- Location
- The pacific NW
- Website
- ingemarwrites.wordpress.com
It chose me. Or I chose it. I dunno, but somehow I ended up writing stuff in the speculative fiction genre, mostly urban fantasy.
I guess you could say that I just like to believe there is still magic around us....
I guess you could say that I just like to believe there is still magic around us....
Neat thread.
I'd say I chose my genre.
I cut my teeth on horror literature, and the progression to thrillers seems natural. I love violence in fiction, strangeness, things that don't make sense at first and then are revealed at the end. I'd like to think I've found a way to combine all those things in my writing.
In my twenties, I took up teaching college writing. What I learned there has heavily informed my writing. Both my novels are set on college campuses.
My writing is sort of horror/mystery/suspense/academic fiction. Each of those things is a byproduct of a life choice (I didn't have to pick up that Stephen King novel when I was 15, after all), a decision I made and then incorporated later into my novels.
I'd say I chose my genre.
I cut my teeth on horror literature, and the progression to thrillers seems natural. I love violence in fiction, strangeness, things that don't make sense at first and then are revealed at the end. I'd like to think I've found a way to combine all those things in my writing.
In my twenties, I took up teaching college writing. What I learned there has heavily informed my writing. Both my novels are set on college campuses.
My writing is sort of horror/mystery/suspense/academic fiction. Each of those things is a byproduct of a life choice (I didn't have to pick up that Stephen King novel when I was 15, after all), a decision I made and then incorporated later into my novels.
I abandoned my first genre love. So as not to make her jealous, I've invented a new sub-genre that she's never heard of before. I am now the master and commander of paranormal/horror! It's mine, mine, mine I tell ya! I'm making huge inroads, crossroads, and dirt roads into this fabulous catagory that, I, yes I have created. It's ALIVE, I tell ya.
....wait a minute. Doesn't King do something like this?
I've got to check my records....
Tri
....wait a minute. Doesn't King do something like this?
I've got to check my records....
Tri
I sat down to pen paranormal romance.
I had a decadent immortal highlander, and a modern day damsel in distress.
Uh hem.
The damsel in distress kicks ass.
The immortal highlander is actually a Forest Lord (or Pict if you listen to the Greeks/Romans)
And...
This Elvish prince showed up explaining he was sent to protect Ms. Damsel--and brought along a small entourage of MORE characters.
As if not headache enough, I then had the son of Hades inform me this would be his story as well, and said damsel? She was to become HIS woman. As for that Highlander? Turns out, the damsel was the reason for his village being massacred 3 millennia earlier, so he's still a bit pissed at her. Disregard she doesn't know a thing in this lifetime.
Um. Ooookay.
And then Hades' son informed me that he would require his own language: Elves spoke too pretty, and he certainly wasn't going to have something so belittling as what mortals spoke.
They created a campfire, invited me for a chat by way of tying me to the stake, and proceeded to inform me this was now fantasy romance.
Arguing seemed moot.
Oh, crap! Gotta run. Elves have NO sense of humor...warning: do NOT throw snowballs at Elves!!!
I had a decadent immortal highlander, and a modern day damsel in distress.
Uh hem.
The damsel in distress kicks ass.
The immortal highlander is actually a Forest Lord (or Pict if you listen to the Greeks/Romans)
And...
This Elvish prince showed up explaining he was sent to protect Ms. Damsel--and brought along a small entourage of MORE characters.
As if not headache enough, I then had the son of Hades inform me this would be his story as well, and said damsel? She was to become HIS woman. As for that Highlander? Turns out, the damsel was the reason for his village being massacred 3 millennia earlier, so he's still a bit pissed at her. Disregard she doesn't know a thing in this lifetime.
Um. Ooookay.
And then Hades' son informed me that he would require his own language: Elves spoke too pretty, and he certainly wasn't going to have something so belittling as what mortals spoke.
They created a campfire, invited me for a chat by way of tying me to the stake, and proceeded to inform me this was now fantasy romance.
Arguing seemed moot.
Oh, crap! Gotta run. Elves have NO sense of humor...warning: do NOT throw snowballs at Elves!!!
It's great to hear what you are all writing and I am reading all these comments with great interest.
Barbara
Barbara
I want to write romance, mainstream fiction, historical fiction, and maybe horror. Yet I'm writing nothing but fantasy. Fantasy certainly chose me, I haven't even read much of it. Right now I'm trying to strike a compromise and write fantasy romance. In the end I don't seem to have much say in what stories come to me.
- Status