Genre

I have talked about my writing and the stages I am at and then recently realised that I haven’t mentioned genre.

Really it is the process that I wanted to share not necessarily my actual words. And that’s for a whole range of reasons, insecurity, fear, they just be rubbish. My photo from the kitchen door today is some more odd lines. It isn’t really poetry, more thinking in short lines. I am finding with my current draft that if I put some words down as the idea hits me, I am then able to build on those flashes to create the scene.

Back to genre - my first manuscript is women’s fiction. Stories about women, for women, by women. Also called chicklit although I don’t see mine as trendy enough to fit that well. I aim my writing at the same audience so it may be up to them to judge whether they prefer the term women’s fiction or chicklit. Chicklit seems to have a reputation for being a bit soft, which I don’t think it deserves.

Anyway, when I finally came to the end of the first draft I thought “wow”. Then after re-reading and reworking several times (and I mean lots) I thought “how horrid, perhaps I should try something different.”

So I did. My second attempt is fantasy. And working a bit slowly but I am enjoying trying something very different. I also have ideas for stories of different genre, action, suspense/crime; even young adult.

You may be starting to think “she’s a bit fickle” about now. But part of it is that I love books. All books, all genres. I read everything I can get my hands on, but if I’m not enjoying it I will put it down and pick up something else. So with an interest in reading different genres I have an interest in trying to write different genres.

You may have noticed that I don’t refer to my own stories as novels. It is a bit of a quandary how to describe my work. I certainly think of them in terms of novels and I can picture them in the bookshop sitting on the shelf looking like novels. But until the manuscript is accepted by a publisher and turned into that book on the shelf I can’t quite let myself call them novels.

You will also notice Aunty Lizzie is still on the kitchen door...

Happy Scribbling