Question: What's your Achilles heel?

[RK Wallis]

Genre. My novels simply don't fit neatly and I struggle to find comparisons. And controversy. I can't help myself poking the readers in the eye with a perspective I know they aren't going to find comfortable.

Have you seen this? Content Genre: Objects of Desire and Values in Story

That might help you wrap your head around genre and shape parts of your stories. I need to revisit it!

 

[TimRees]

Have you seen this? Content Genre: Objects of Desire and Values in Story

That might help you wrap your head around genre and shape parts of your stories. I need to revisit it!

Hi RK,

That article left me realising what a pile of bunkum the word Genre is.

I didn't read it all because very quickly I found myself disagreeing. I don't think the author understands my creative process. I can't speak for anyone else.

For example, and this is just an example: Thriller: How do we deal with ever-present and often incomprehensible forces of evil in everyday life?

What nonsense? Why the use of the word evil? When I set up a thriller scenario, I'm only concerned with the drama/conflict, which is always human - mainly humans with faults. In Delphian (a full-blooded spy thriller), for instance, there is a character with whom I am personally at odds, but the truth is he's just a character doing his job - his motive is to save lives, but he's happy to abuse unfortunate individuals to achieve his aim. He is a man who could possibly be described as evil, but he's simply doing the wrong thing for the right reason. In short, he's human.

When I develop an idea for a novel, the last thing on my mind is how do I fit this story into a particular genre. My only focus is how to best tell the story. I set the stage and then release characters upon that stage and it is they who tell their story.

I have already come to the conclusion the publishing industry is going down the toilet and that article just confirms my belief that it is for authors to focus on telling their stories and put two fingers up at anyone who tries to limit the exploration of storyline and character.

Yes, of course I understand that the word genre is designed to place your book on a shelf where readers who will be attracted by the storyline can find the novel, but in my opinion, publishing has gone too far. I.E., if you write about pixies, the main character had better look like a pixie the readers can relate to.

Do we, as authors, feel that is a bit limiting and insulting towards the readership we wish to attract?

I'm rebelling against this whole set of criteria the publishers are demanding. If I were a painter, I would feel that I am being restricted to paint within the confines of the canvas frame.... Sorry, but no. I only wish to write stories that explore their own boundaries, maybe beyond the frame. I am not interested in publishers who only want stories to slot into a specific area of the shelf.

Recently I made the decision to target small indy publishers who simply seek good stories and don't mention genre and this week I have entered into a dialogue with one such publisher.... There is hope at the end of the tunnel...

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Me too

Yep. There are a lot of us. Let's face it, you don't generally become a writer because you enjoy marketing ... unless, I suppose, you're writing books on marketing. LOL!

 

[Pamela Jo]