What genre do you write?

[sterling]

In a recent discussion with a writing peer, the subject of genres came up. She asked me what genres I typically wrote, or would like to start writing.

My answer was a lengthy ramble that could have just been summarized by two words: Speculative Fiction. But of course, I wanted to get into more detail than that, so we talked about it for several hours. Almost everything I've written falls into this category (both fanfiction and original fiction), with specifics in: post-apocalyptic, dystopian, fantasy, steampunk, and/or urban fantasy worlds. With the rare exception of a few horror and sci-fi works, I was actually a little amazed that my writing focus was so easily defined.

Even the genres I'd like to start writing for are under the big "speculative fiction" umbrella (one specifically would be alternate history, but I just don't know if I have the patience to do the kind of research I would need to do to make it feel historically possible).

So, some questions for other writers here...

What genres do you usually write?

What genres would you like to write for if you decided to try something new?

Comments

[sterling]

I've not actually read anything from Turtledove, so thanks for the recommendation. I will have to check his work out. I've mostly been intrigued by the Tales of Alvin Maker series by Orson Scott Card. The first book, Seventh Son, is particularly engaging (the subsequent novels not as much, as almost all books in a series suffer unfortunate quality degradation as the series goes on) and worth a read if you're interested in the "magic is real" sort of thing coupled with alternate history of the United States in the expansion periods. It's very solidly planted in the fantasy/alternate history realm of things.

Yes, genre does seem like a woefully inadequate way to refer to stories sometimes. But, like all labels, it's really all we have to try and explain what style we have to other people. It's like being labeled a "hippie" because your hair is long. Nothing works quite well enough to be perfect, but people can sort of get the general idea.

What is it about dialog that gives you the most trouble? I ask, mostly as a curiosity, because I tend not to have many dialog issues. I'm wondering what sort of road blocks you run into... Maybe I can make a topic on that in the future in this community. ^_^

[revolutemind]

I actually liked all the way through the third book of the Maker series; and also found the latter books a bit thin; I could have done without Calvin Maker on the whole as The Accidental Villain.

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The biggest trouble I'm having right this second is writing the female voice. I can write masculine dialogue all day, chop it up, leave half the words out, banter it back and forth without missing a cue; but when I go to write women, I either make them self-referential to the point of pain, sullen, or snotty. I imagine it's less trouble with dialogue than it is mechanical bias.


You should absolutely write up something on dialogue. I'd like to see the many different takes on it. I've found in my time it tends to sift folks; they either can write it all day and labor on everything else, or they can render the World in pretty poetics, but turn their characters into purpled monologue spouting bricks.