What Do You Write?

[queenoftheskies]

What genre?

Why did you pick that genre, and do you read the same?

Do you write your chosen genre in the "traditional" style of that genre?

Do you write in any variations of that genre?

What do you feel your writing (stories, style, unique method of storytelling) brings to that genre (if anything) that is new and fresh?

Is your genre difficult to break into? Do you feel yourself in competition with other writers? Do you feel that you hold your work up to (and that agents/publishers will hold your work up to) the standards set by masters/published writers in that genre?

Inquiring minds want to know. :)

Comments

[aberrant1.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I try not to think of it in terms of genre. I think of the story first, then decide what genre it fits in. In some cases, like the novel I'm working on now, it doesn't really fit into any genre but "speculative fiction". In fact, if it does fit perfectly into any genre I start to worry that I'm not bringing anything new and fresh to it.

Sometimes I do catch myself worrying that a short story isn't literary enough for the magazines I want to send it to, or that my mostly-SF novel has elements that probably can't be explained by science. But those are "once I finish this thing, will it be possible to sell it?" worries rather than worries about the story itself.

I only feel in competition with other writers if I find something that is very, very close to what I'm writing. Then it's more of a "Hey, this is MY territory!" reaction, which I know is silly and so I try to keep it to myself.

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

What genre?

historical literary fiction (throw in a wee bit of magical realism as well)

Why did you pick that genre, and do you read the same?

it picked me.

: D

and i do read in it, but i tend to be very picky.

Do you write your chosen genre in the "traditional" style of that genre?

no.

Do you write in any variations of that genre?

no. but maybe i don't understand the question.

What do you feel your writing (stories, style, unique method of storytelling) brings to that genre (if anything) that is new and fresh?

this is the question that caught my attention since i absolutely positively cannot answer it definitively. i tend to write the stories i want to read in the style i enjoy reading them. i don't know that i'm doing anything "different", but i wouldn't write what i'm writing if i felt there was something out there that fills the void for me. (paradoxical, innit?)

Is your genre difficult to break into? Do you feel yourself in competition with other writers? Do you feel that you hold your work up to (and that agents/publishers will hold your work up to) the standards set by masters/published writers in that genre?

difficult because it's limited. i don't compete with others in the historical genre because i don't think i'm writing (stylistically) on par with them. apples, oranges, maybe even a cucumber.

as to the standard set by masters? i guess if i include people like styron and kantor and some other peeps, then i certainly hope to compete on that level ~ but no one would ever call either of them "genre" writers.

which is why i'd rather say i just write literary fiction and it happens to be historical in nature.

: D

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I write fantasy, SF, and mysteries for children, YA, and adults. I write in these genres because this is the kind of story that occurs to me so far; if some other kind of story occurs to me, I'll write that, too. For me it's not either-or. I write a lot. I have room to wander over and play with a different set of blocks for awhile if they look shiny.

I think I write square in the middle of the fantasy genre, for example, but other people don't always think so. This is where "what I bring" gets confusing, because apparently it's not what I think.

Every genre is difficult to break into if you don't write good books. Some genres might be easy to break into if you write great books. I don't know yet. I feel my books are in more competition with not-reading than with reading-other-stuff. I don't see what other standard agents/publishers should hold my work up to than "good books they want to read and think other people will want to read, too"; my genres happily have several examples of those.

[frigg.livejournal.com]

I started out with Fantasy. I was a huge fan of Raymond E. Feist when I was in my early-mid twenties, and I tried to write like him. Of course, I'm not Feist and I do not write like him, but it took me a while to figure that out. I'm still trying to find my voice. My high fantasy is typical of it's genre, I but hope the characters, plot and setting will stand out, it has certainly change a lot over the years from the first stereotypical idea that I had and am too embarassed to mention now. *grin*

My other story ideas are different. I hope to one day be able to write something very unique, something that will shake the reader, like Lars von Trier or Gaetan Soucy do, but I have a long way to go before I reach that stage, if ever.

[jediknightmuse.livejournal.com]

What genre?
Fantasy

Why did you pick that genre, and do you read the same?
Sometimes I think it sort of picked me. Before I really got in to writing fantasy, all I would write was Star Wars fan fiction. When I was younger, they'd have fantasy sort of twists. There's even one where two characters go to Oz, hehe. After I wrote a fantasy story based on a role play I did, that was when I first really got in to writing it. I'd go back and forth between fan fiction and original fantasy. It's the genre that I feel I can become most creative in because I can choose things about the world that I can't do in Star Wars fan fiction. I try reading fantasy but I haven't been able to find a good book/trilogy/series to really get in to. Though I've had the book The Crimson Sword for like...six months and I've slowly been reading that. It's pretty good

Do you write your chosen genre in the "traditional" style of that genre?
Umm...well, since I've only read one fantasy trilogy, really, and that was Irish fantasy, I'm not entirely sure. o.o

Do you write in any variations of that genre?
Umm...I don't know? o.o

What do you feel your writing (stories, style, unique method of storytelling) brings to that genre (if anything) that is new and fresh?
Umm...well, I think the novel I'm working on right now is something that's new and different. There are some cliches to it, but unfortunately that happens a lot with fantasy.

Is your genre difficult to break into? Do you feel yourself in competition with other writers? Do you feel that you hold your work up to (and that agents/publishers will hold your work up to) the standards set by masters/published writers in that genre?
I don't think it's difficult to break into. My creative writing professor two semesters ago tried telling me that in order to write fantasy, you need to "write for real" first. So in other words, fiction, but modern day fiction. She wasn't a huge fan of the fantasy genre, which really didn't help me a lot.
I don't think I'm really competitive against other writers. Other than maybe when they try to be showoffs and basically tell me that my writing is crap and theirs is better, because I know it isn't. My writing might not be its absolute best right now, but first of all, the first draft is always crap, and secondly, you grow as you write. I have definitely grown a lot in my writing from when I first started. I don't hold my writing up to anyone like Stephen King or...Tolkein or J.K. Rowling or anything. It'd be great if I could be as good as any of them, but if I'm not, I'll just be happy to eventually get published.

[nycshelly.livejournal.com]

I write the stories that come into my head. There's the spy stuff, an outgrowth of my fanfic, and what I guess is science fiction. Well, the stories are set on Mars in the future, so folks likely would call that science fiction, except they're also political thrillers. Maybe. I'll think about genre when I'm looking for a publisher, but I don't worry about it much now.

[shanrina.livejournal.com]

Right now, all I write is fantasy. However, I have a science fiction character who's been screaming in my head for years to give him a series. I'll get around to it at some point...the time isn't right yet, though.

I _hope_ I'm avoiding writing too much like most "traditional" fantasy. I try to avoid it and I think I'm succeeding, but I'm not completely sure.

Right now I have an epic fantasy and two urban fantasies in the works.

One of the biggest things I like about fantasy is the ability to create moral dilemmas that could never occur in the real world, so the more I think about it, the more disappointed I am with how plot-driven the majority of fantasy novels are. I hope I'm bringing a little bit more character development and depth to fantasy, because I feel like that's missing from a lot of fantasy novels, especially epic fantasy.

Yes and no. I think it's difficult to break into every genre, and probably getting more so every day (at least if you're planning to go the traditional NY-pub route, which I am...at least to start). However, I think it can definitely be done.

I'm not a competitive person by nature, so I don't really feel like I'm in competition with other writers because I know no one else can do my stories justice, just like I can't do anyone else's story justice.

I think standards differ so much between fantasy authors between the genre. I don't compare myself to the masters/published writers in the fantasy genre, and while I think agents/publishers may, I'm not sure that there's any comparison. Look at, say, Feist. I could compare my writing to the Riftwar Saga, but those were published at least 20 years ago (I think, anyway...could be wrong) by a male author telling a story of an invasion, and while I love Feist I have no interest in writing a cultural misunderstanding/invasion story like the Riftwar Saga, especially since the first thing I sub will probably be an urban fantasy anyway.

Honestly, the main standards I hold myself to aren't books, but television shows. I look at Xena for humor and stereotypes bent way out of shape, to Charmed for plotbunnies (and absolutely nothing else, mind you *g*), and to Joss Whedon for plotting and character development, possibly because the more I think about it the more things I see done...not _wrong_, exactly, but not the way I would do them in fantasy novels. But then I'm also a comm arts geek, so to me studying television shows and movies and breaking them down into their parts to analyze is in some ways more natural for me than doing so for books. Although I love writing novels, if I thought I could get a movie/television show made out of one of my stories instead of a novel, I'd change the story to suit the new medium in a heartbeat.

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

What genre? Fantasy of all sorts, though mostly sword and sorcery

Why did you pick that genre, and do you read the same? I've always been fascinated by knights and dragons, and you rarely find them in space operas. I read a whole lot of it while critting on the OWW, but most of my recent 'real' books read have been political in nature.

Do you write your chosen genre in the "traditional" style of that genre? Probably so... but I don't really try to do so or try to avoid so either way.

What do you feel your writing (stories, style, unique method of storytelling) brings to that genre (if anything) that is new and fresh? I think the charcater attitudes might be off-norm, but I'm not so self-impressed as to think I'll offer anything 'new' to a genre that's decades old.

[nightwolfwriter.livejournal.com]

Currently published in: SF/Adventure (Super-Hero); SF (Star Trek); Fantasy/Sword and Sorcery (Video Game Tie-in)

Currently working on:
Fantasy (Sword and Sorcery)
Fantasy (Epic/Seafaring)
Dark Fantasy
YA Urban Fantasy
Science Fiction/Military
Science Fiction (2 Star Trek Short Stories/1 Star Trek novel)

Why did I pick these genres? Probably because of all the role-playing I did back when I should have been studying in college. Plus, since I have a degree in Medieval History, I find myself drawn to Fantasy.

Obviously, I write in a number of sub-sections of SF and Fantasy.

What do I bring to the genre? I'd like to think I bring stories people will enjoy reading. I doubt I'm going to revolutionize the fantasy genre or the SF genre.

SF/F is a very competetive field. I haven't found an agent yet, but I seem to keep getting work in the media-tie in world, so I'll take what I can get now. As I stated above, I think Henlein, Niven, Cook, McCaffrey, and Beagle are on a completely separate plane than I am in terms of my writing skills, but I think I can hold my ground against the second and third tier of authors out there.

[db-writer.livejournal.com]

What genre?

>Science Fiction

Why did you pick that genre, and do you read the same?

>It's been what I've done since day 1. Like when I was a kid, it was always what I wanted to do.

Do you write your chosen genre in the "traditional" style of that genre?

>I'm fairly much a traditionalist. People who try to "write on the edge" of a particular genre' usually miss the mark, IMO.

Do you write in any variations of that genre?

>So far, a bit of horror as well and one magical realism tale.

What do you feel your writing (stories, style, unique method of storytelling) brings to that genre (if anything) that is new and fresh?

>Nothing. I am first and foremost a storyteller. If I lived 5000 years ago I'd be the one passing on the oral history around the campfire. "All is vanity, and there is nothing new under the sun." Originality is in the eye of the beholder. I would rather walk in the steps of those who have come before, and maybe push the road ahead just a bit more.

Is your genre difficult to break into?

>I think so. As with anything, if you write good stuff, you'll be successful.

Do you feel yourself in competition with other writers?

>Competition? No. Jealousy?

Do you feel that you hold your work up to (and that agents/publishers will hold your work up to) the standards set by masters/published writers in that genre?

>That's my goal. If someone said to me "Your work reminds me of (Asimov/Haldeman/Niven/Pournelle/Pohl/Heinlein/Anderson) I would be a happy man.

Inquiring minds want to know. :)

What do I write?

[miwseshat.livejournal.com]

What genre? Science Fiction/Fantasy

Why did you pick that genre, and do you read the same? I have always been strongly attracted to the Fantasy/SciFi genre. My very favorite books are all from there, starting with A Wrinkle in Time back when I was in 3rd grade.

Do you write your chosen genre in the "traditional" style of that genre? Mostly - my fantasy is not fantasy/romance, it is fantasy/adventure, though. I don't really write "hard" scifi, though. I don't think I have the knowledge for that.

Do you write in any variations of that genre? Oops - answered the question a few ago. I write mostly Fantasy/Adventure or SciFi/Adventure.

What do you feel your writing (stories, style, unique method of storytelling) brings to that genre (if anything) that is new and fresh? I think I tell strong stories with believable characters. The women I write about are not dumb, and definitely have a clue (usually). Also, my stories (and characters) have a wry sense of humor about them, without being or becoming stupid.

Is your genre difficult to break into? Yes and no. Depends on what you are writing and where you want to go with it. I think F/SF is easier than say, current fiction. As I have not yet been published in this genre (because I haven't finished my stories yet!) I can't give a definitive answer.

Do you feel yourself in competition with other writers? No. There is room enough for everyone that can tell a good story.

Do you feel that you hold your work up to (and that agents/publishers will hold your work up to) the standards set by masters/published writers in that genre? Well, if they do, I'm doing OK. F/SF doesn't exactly have a long tradition of high standards. And there are almost as many styles of writing as there are variations of F/SF.

These are my answers, and I'm sticking to 'em. *wink*

[andelku.livejournal.com]

What genre? Fantasy, SF, historical, and non-fiction essays with a softcore political/sociological bent.

Why did you pick that (those) genre(s), and do you read the same? I'm an omnivore. I read like a crazy person.

Do you write your chosen genre in the "traditional" style of that genre? Fiction: Emphatically not. I deplore the ghettoization of fiction. I like to mix it up. Non-Fiction: I fell in love with Alistair Cooke's Letters from America and From Our Own Correspondent while working as a journalist in Europe. I pretty much use that as a model and wing from there. It works nicely on NPR.

Do you write in any variations of that genre? whatever I can get away with.

What do you feel your writing (stories, style, unique method of storytelling) brings to that genre (if anything) that is new and fresh? I think the fiction and the non-fiction feed each other. Fantasy and SF gives a certain epic perspective that helps one to look at small real events in terms of a much larger story, while the journalism puts me in constant contact with new and interesting stuff in the real world.

Is your genre difficult to break into? Yes, both are.

Do you feel yourself in competition with other writers? Sometimes. I try not to focus on what other people are doing, and stay with making my own stuff as good as possible.

Do you feel that you hold your work up to (and that agents/publishers will hold your work up to) the standards set by masters/published writers in that genre? They wouldn't keep publishing me otherwise.