Time for our monthly meeting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group! Hosted as ever by Alex J. Cavanaugh, the aim of the group is to offer a safe space where writers can share doubts and insecurities without fear of being judged. This month's co-hosts are Rebecca Douglass, Natalie Aguirre, Cathrina Constantine, and Louise Barbour.
This month's optional IWSG question is: Is there a genre you haven't tried writing in yet that you really want to try? If so, do you plan on trying it?
This is a great question. I'm always interested in trying all sorts of genres, or at least elements of them - I'm a big believer in mashing up genres as it makes things more interesting, although I don't think it should be premeditated. You have to write the story first, and then whatever genres it might fall into will hopefully become clear. I like to think I write speculative fiction, but that can be a pretty broad church to start with. The novel I'm querying, Mirror Me, has a pretty strong sci-fi hook but with a nefarious criminal gang to be defeated, it has the beats of a thriller that give it some propulsion. I think that's something I've always tried to do since my first couple of books, which were more like straight-up thrillers, although not particularly successful.
My answer to this question would probably have been fantasy, a long-term love of mine but a genre that I've not yet dived into in my own work. There's some serious worldbuilding involved if it's to be done effectively. However, I can see that my latest WIP does incorporate some fantasy aspects with an age-old good-vs-evil battle going on behind the scenes - we have angels and demons manifesting as humans on Earth (or multiple Earths) and pulling strings - mixed with a multiverse construct and an exploration of the roads we could have travelled in a different life and circumstances. I'm excited to see how this all plays out. It'll be biblical with a firmly small "b." Overall, I think it's really important to stay open to taking in different genres.
Apart from that, what I have been up to? We had a ten-day break in Florida (including two days of travelling each end). Been home for a week and just about recovered! Disneyworld, Universal, waterpark, Cheesecake Factory - a lot was packed in. Great times with the family and it was the first time our son-in-law joined us.
Have you been on holiday recently? Any new genre you're exploring? As ever, the whole list of IWSG entrants can be found here. See you next month.
4 comments:
I love Universal Studios and Island of Adventure! We're going next year so I can ride the new Minion attraction.
Oh hey! You were in my backyard! Aw. I hope the heat didn't break you. ;) Those of us who are local go indoors this time of the year and come out when it cools down.
I grew up on Fantasy and started with writing it -- love the themes that normally appear. I struggle though when the elements of good and evil are too strongly defined. I think it's important for people to come to understand one another through writing, meaning you can still see someone is evil, but you begin to see they have a valid motive for their views.
I love stories that mash different genres together or that add a little magic to a contemporary story. I'm glad you have a fun vacation. My daughter and I are going away in July.
Fantasy would be the one I would want to tackle.
Sounds like a great time in Florida! Yeah, surprised you didn't die from the heat.
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