IWSG: Genres

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Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
The awesome co-hosts for the June 5 posting of the IWSG are Diane Burton, Kim Lajevardi, Sylvia Ney, Sarah Foster, Jennifer Hawes, and Madeline Mora-Summonte!

Disclaimer: I’m an impoverished writer. Damn right, I use affiliate links. If you buy something, I get paid.

I resurrected one of my Hard Drive Zombies the other day, and now I’m on my way to a presentable short story. (“Hard Drive Zombies” is Holly Lisle (Yes, the Holly from Holly’s Writing Classes and the FREE flash fiction course) and Rebecca Gallardo’s term for all the abandoned bits and pieces on your hard drive. Their Podcast Episode About this.) My story isn’t what I usually write. It’s short–which is weird–and I have no intention of making it any longer than it already is. It’s also something that’s in the “real world.” No magic. No spaceships. And nobody’s dead. (Also, Holly’s Summer of Fiction Writing is just getting started, so now would be a great time to jump in.)

So, I happened to mention that I was looking for a good “rock star name.” And… I got a lot of suggestions (a few of them were even serious), but they were all men’s names. My rockstar happens to be female, so that interested me. I guess I’ll have to come up with something on my own.

I don’t really think of myself as an “issues” writer. I don’t really feel like I’m writing about gender. In fact, that comment puzzled me the first time I heard it. Gender. And then, you take a step back, and think about it, and you realize that yeah… there it is. That’s what they’re talking about.

And here, I thought I was just writing a nice short story about parents and kids.

I don’t think the story would work, though, if I changed the gender of the characters. Or, at least… it wouldn’t work in the same way.

June 5 question: Of all the genres you read and write, which is your favorite to write in and why?

I’m fairly happy with Science Fiction and Fantasy, right now. Those genres are much more positive than some of the thrillers I tried writing, when I first started. I think it has to do with the separation of the real from the unreal. The serial killer down the street somehow bothers me more when I’m trying to sleep than the giant alien spider floating in space. I also enjoy the “what-ifs” that come up with Science Fiction.

11 Comments

    • Reply

      I don’t even have a file, or at least, not a single file. I have yearly files(2019 Writing Projects), and the zombies are what gets left behind at the end of the year.

    • Reply

      They seem to gunk up my computer pretty well. I think I have all kinds of zombie arms and legs scattered all over. **shudder**

  1. Reply

    I’d definitely read a story about a giant space spider. Even better, a giant zombie space spider? Oh the possibilities!

    • Reply

      I’m happy to hear it. That’s been my nerves-and-anxiety issue ever since I realized my main character was a spider. (But what if people don’t LIKE her?)

    • Reply

      I always feel a little weird saying “Speculative Fiction,” somehow. It feels very high-brow, and I have a giant space spider.

  2. Reply

    Thanks for stopping by my blog.
    If some of the male suggested names seem really cool, why not just give one to your female character. Gender isn’t what it used to be; plus, what could be more rock star than a female musician with a traditionally male name. Just a thought.

  3. Reply

    Really good reasons to prefer sci-fi to thrillers. I see your point. I write thrillers but they do get oppressive at times, which might be why I’m now writing prehistoric fiction.

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