"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island." - Walt Disney

Sunday, May 8, 2011

What is Your Genre?



I remember when the only genres I knew about were fiction, nonfiction and biography. Elementary school was such a simple time.
Then, middle school came and with it the discovery of periodicals, art and a larger breakdown of genres. Mystery (Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys are timeless), science fiction (I loved A Wrinkle In Time), western (anyone else a Zane Grey fan?) and of course, romance (sigh, I’ve discovered boys!)
High school brought more options…literary fiction, gothic and horror. Now, we have sub-genres…anyone here write or read steam punk? How about Historical fiction, (post) Apocalylptic or Wuxia? (I only discovered there was a name for this one last year).
So, what genre is your current WIP? Do you write in multiple genres (I do). Do you read multiple genres (again, I do). If you’re not a writer, what genre was the last thing you read? On the right is a poll and I hope you’ll take a moment to vote. I know many of us read/write in cross genres, but please just pick one. Go with your first instinct or the section of the bookstore where you want to find your book.
Please feel free to discuss your thoughts on genres (or your WIP) in the comments below. Feel free to add links to your own pages as well. Happy writing!

21 comments:

Lindz Pagel said...

I strictly lived and breathed for the Fantasy genre forever, but I've broken out of my shell and started to explore.

I write mostly Fantasy, but I have two YA alternate history/ paranormal romance books in the plotting stage.

mooderino said...

I write mainstream adult fiction, which is a bit of a vague description. I tend to concentrate on satire and comedy so the actual genre elements aren't that important. This could be the reason I'm not published.

regards
mood
Chapter One Analysis: The Hunger Games

Laura said...

I read and write chick lit mainly, though have headed off on a foray into performance poetry briefly.

I also love to read anything non-fiction about 1920-1940 Paris. But could never ever write it!
Lx

Lisa Ricard Claro said...

Romance is my fave, but I write across all genres. :)

Unknown said...

I write in multiple genres. I think this helps me as a writer because I feel like I have options when I hit a road block or stopping point with one project I can work on another one.

Paula Martin said...

Contemporary romance - always have, always will.

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

My finished book is fantasy-adventure for middle graders. My next book is historical fiction (not for children). I just write what calls to me when it calls...

Denise Covey said...

Hi Sylvia. Like you and many writers, I write in multiple genres, but I favour romance (but then it can be suspense, mystery, paranormal...). A great idea.

I'm glad to make it back to your blog. I've read up on what you've been doing. Love the piece on Dickens. Since finishing the A-Z, I've been working on a Romantic Friday Writers group - a group for those who'd like to practise their writing skills regularly by posting flash fiction, romantic excerpts from WIPs, poetry, whatever. I'm giving you a personal invitation. Details are on L'Aussie Writing and on the link I'll leave.

Denise<3

Romantic Friday Writers - first challenge - theme Dire Moment. Join up here

Unknown said...

I write both YA and MG. I read mulitiple genres, but my favorites to read are YA, MG, Romance, and Mystery/Suspense.

Anonymous said...

I spent years mainly reading science fiction and fantasy, but strangely enough when I started writing it was in the horror genre. Now I am back to my roots for the most part, but my reading has branched out to a little of all the genres.

Halli Gomez said...

Funny that you post now because I have just come to the realization that every thing I have written and all the ideas I have are MG with a focus on the underdog and paranormal stories.

It was almost like a writing breakthrough!

Sarah McCabe said...

I read mostly fantasy with some scifi and some historical fiction thrown in on the side. Actually, despite my passion for fantasy, my favorite book in the world comes from scifi, Dune.

At this point, I can't imagine writing anything other than fantasy. That's just the way my mind works. But I'm open to other possibilities. :)

Unknown said...

My current WIP is literary fiction bordering on mainstream fiction. But I read across so many genres! However the only other genre that I've ever written is fantasy. I'll admit I've often wondered if there's any place for authors who vary between genres.

Kellie Kamryn said...

Well, I believe my current WIP's can be classified as either erotic romance or contemporary romance. When i first writing, it was interesting to figure out exactly what genre I wrote in.

anthony stemke said...

Haven't written yet, love readind escapist literature, particularly Vince Flynn character Mitch Rapp.

Kyra Lennon said...

I am all about the chick-lit! It's my favourite thing to read and write. :)

Sarah Allen said...

My typical genre is mainstream/adult contemporary. Except lately I've been getting a little bit into magical realism, which is kind of exciting and fun :)

Sarah Allen
(my creative writing blog)

KM Nalle said...

I've written an adult urban fantasy and am planning a YA paranormal. All my stuff has an element of romance though. I read widely in fiction, but a few non-fiction memoirs have recently been added to the pile.

Southpaw said...

I read a variety of genres. Currently I'm writing in one of those sub-genres-- urban fantasy.

Al Penwasser said...

I like Science Fiction okay and enjoyed A Wrinkle In Time, but it really wasn't my kind of Sci-Fi. I read science fiction which is more like Star Trek (even though I'm not a trekkie) or that which is something along the lines of Michael Crichton. My favorite fiction, though, is historical fiction. As far as my favorite reading material, I'll go with non-fiction any day. Surprisingly, I don't like to read comedy (except The Onion's Our Dumb World-that was hysterical!!).

Anonymous said...

My WIP is a women's/realistic fiction, but I like action, YA, children's and fantasy. I watch more sci fi than I read, as I don't like certain styles of writing. :O)