Wednesday, May 1, 2013

IWSG : Genre Commitment

You guys, I'm not even kidding-- you have no idea how happy I am that A to Z is over.  Yes, it was super fun to meet new bloggers and to see what awesome and creative things people came up with to blog about... but I really, really missed my favorite blogger's normal content.  I'm very excited to get back to our regular blogging schedules.

It's the first Wednesday of the month (holy hell, it's May already!  Speaking of May-- it was almost 80 degrees here in New Ulm yesterday, and now... well it's snowing.  Awesome.)  And, since it's the first Wednesday of the month-- that means it's time for Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group!

 

Hi.  My name is Azia and I have a problem.  

I have writer's commitment issues.

I cannot nail a genre!  People will find out I'm a writer and, naturally ask what I write.  

I'm all like, "Hey, this novel is YA and this other one is NA and this one is just a contemporary romance-kind of like depressing Chick Lit, and hey let's work on a poetry chapbook and I have a collection of essays, so yeah I don't know really know what I write." *insert insecure giggle here.*

Why can't I commit to a genre?  Is it bad that I haven't?  How did you guys know what to write?  

this seemed like an appropriate picture to represent my emotion
HELLLLLP ME.

9 comments:

  1. I didn't realize you lived in MN too. I live just north of Mpls. And watching for snow on this first day of May. Yowza.

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  2. Haha. I love that pic. You are too funny!

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  3. I don't think it's bad that you haven't committed to a single genre. I like to write in a variety of styles. I have manuscripts in fantasy, literary, romance, YA urban fantasy, and poetry. I just don't see the sense in limiting myself to one thing when I'm interested in writing in others.

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  4. I started with contemporary YA, then did many other genres. I think some writers are trying to find their comfort writing. Being a writer also means experimenting. You're just fine, but I do wish you good luck!

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  5. Yeah, sometimes it's like that. That's the problem with so many ideas. A great problem to have, by the way ;)

    Lynda R Young
    IWSG co-host

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  6. I don't think you have to commit to a single genre yet--I think you need to write what you love, which will result in a better book. Besides, who says you can't have a gazillion pen names for each of your genres? :)

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  7. When you are ready to let out the one diffinitive piece it will be in whatever you like as will the second and third and...I think its fine to have many options, You will know when to glue down.

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  8. I too had the same problem of trying to nail my genre.

    Womens fiction? Nope, too much graphic sex.

    Romance? Nope, too much mindless sex.

    Erotica? Nope, too much plot to go with the graphic sex.

    I eventually settled on a made up genre called "quirky fiction". It accurately describes what I write (sexual tension, sexual heat and everthing else in between, plus funky plotting) without it being pigeonholded.

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  9. Who said you have to commit to a genre? You're a cross-genre writer, that's great! You'll learn a lot about the craft and about yourself as a writer by mixing it up. Then after a few years, you may settle on a genre that you feel most comfortable with, or maybe not. Either way is fine and I don't think you should feel stressed about it. Just keep writing what you want! :)

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