I undertand your point and some genres cannot be taught just by reading books of the genre, some books like dark horizons (on dystopia) give you powerful hints. I have read Ursula le guin's book, and without that book I would be clueless even having understood all about social dystopia.
Yes, it's fine to read nonfiction about a genre, but it is really not a substitute for reading fiction.
I once tried a cross genre story and it did not work out since I did not study the genre well enough. Plus I read once that such works are ambitious in undertaking, which should help to understand how this relates to the opening post.
Sorry, it doesn't. ALL books are ambitious in the undertaking. And I'm still not sure how dystopia/science fiction relates to the OP's contemporary P&P retelling.
I have tried cross genre and I know each genre has it's own rules and conventions, it is just that when you try something like dystopia you probably won't get a story that is plotted well enough as far as I can tell (or character centered enough to be considered a good plot) .
I dunno. I don't have much of a problem with the plots in my dystopian books, and people seem to think they're character-centered enough. I know a lot of other writers who write dystopians who don't have trouble with those elements either. And again, plotting and character are not issues that only affect dystopian novels. They're important in every work of fiction.
Dark Horizons is an excellent book, and I've subsequently tried less cross genre after a experimental work. Instead I specialize in science ficton. I don't second guess unless I look look up a little if I want to try something ambitious. Sure what I said works for me, I just want to use my strategies. There are good reference books out there and i have a collection of them at home including another on listing all the types of dystopias.
Dark Horizons does seem to be an excellent book (I have never read it). But I urge you not to rely solely on it, or on any reference book, when it comes to writing fiction. You must
read fiction. Read fiction in the genre in which you're writing. Read fiction outside the genre in which you're writing. Reading only reference books about the genre, without any fiction, and then trying to write in the genre is like trying to make yourself understood in a foreign language which you've never heard spoken.
I know a little bit about fantasy and dont dabble into it. Plus some writers supposedly dont write science fiction since it does not work for them or it is not their strong suit.
And some do. And some don't write literary fiction, or romance, or humor, or mystery, or horror, because it doesn't work for them or isn't their strong suit. We write what we're best at.
In my opinion you need to be a good writer in a genre.
I think we can all agree on that. Good writing is essential. Good writing includes being clear and concise and making oneself understood by readers.
I agree on your second point. Plus I know you have your own explanations and can make good points. I can agree with you.
But my second point was a few questions, which I was hoping you would answer. (Unless you're taking the part about the only "credentials" you need being good writing?) What are my own explanations?
I'm honestly not trying to argue with you or make you feel attacked. I really hope you don't feel that way. I am genuinely trying to understand you.
Not many people did what I did when I thought I knew how to write in that genre but then I resorted to reading the books in the market.
But that's exactly my point. Reading books in the genre is not something you
resort to. It's the first thing you do. It's the most important thing you do. Without reading fiction in the genre you cannot possibly know how to write it well.
I think cross genre is tricky at least, as if any genre that is unclassfiable but I know that genres need to at least be read on (criticism). I know I accidently confused people but this is my point's support.
And I disagree.
I do not think it's necessary or even very important to read non-fiction about a genre or criticism of the genre. It can be helpful, sure, but it's not at all
necessary.
Some background is that my friend reads story theory and I know there are a lot of myths concerning that but it works for me.
Your friend reads story theory and that helps your writing?
Some of my background is I read a lot on theory and criticism, and use reference books in my library (the ones I consider good enough to use).
I'm sure you read lots of theory and criticism, and if that works for you that's wonderful, but I still cannot agree at all that that's enough to write good fiction, or that it's more important than reading fiction. Literary criticism by its nature is an
adjunct to reading fiction; it may help one parse and understand the fiction one has read, but it is not a substitute any more than having read a review of a movie without ever having seen one is enough research to write your own movie.