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

[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.

---

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.