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Talk about everything and anything related to the fantasy genre here.

Chained To Fantasy

70
Posted on 5/23/2011
Not sure if this is the appropriate topic for this post, but I was just hoping to get feedback on writers being stuck in a genre. What I mean is, once you've written a Fantasy story, is the expectation that every story you write will be Fantasy? Do most authors feel tied to a particular genre? Has this been the case for any of you here on Book Country?
Showing 1 to 10 of 30 comments
2 years, 25 days ago

While SF and Fantasy are my first love as a reader and writer, I have written in other genres. I think many authors prefer one genre over another, the ole write what you know and love what you write thingy...

The thing is, a writers audience will sort of dictate what the writer does best and since publishing is a business, the writer more often than not stays where their work sells the best...
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2 years, 24 days ago

Everything I've read on industry blogs and related places indicates that authors tend to and are often encouraged to stick to a genre. They might create a couple of different worlds to bounce back and forth between but their audience is there. I see many authors debating the use of pen names on their blogs and such. The most common argument in favor of such (next to writing steamy romance that you don't want your friends and family to know about) is the whole writing in multiple genres thing.

Right now, being un-agented, I'm exploring. I tried my hand at steampunk and at romance. The romance drove me nuts in many ways because that was the only plot, getting those two people together. The steampunk fizzled for plot issues as well.

Fantasy is where my imagination can really let loose and have free reign. (Heck it seems that's the only thing people can latch on to when they read my contemporary fantasy, that they love my imagination but little else is said about the book's plot or characters.)

That's why I think I'll be sticking to fantasy for a good long while.
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2 years, 24 days ago

If you're published, then it can be hard to branch out. Particularly since there's no guarantee you can use your old agent, publisher, etc. You have a bit of leeway in fantasy to write, say, science fiction and horror, I think. Most people who read one also read the other two. And most publishers are SFF and not exclusively one or the other. But if you wanted to write a historical political drama, it might be harder. But you certainly could. Pick an agent who covers all the genres you're interested in, maybe come up with some unifying feature of all of your works, or - hell - just come up with a pen name.
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2 years, 24 days ago

I have a hard enough time staying chained to one genre within a single work. I don't think I could stay within a single genre for an entire career.
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2 years, 24 days ago

I've pretty much heard the same of what's already been said. Especially for why pen names are sometimes used. I can definitely see it being an issue if you're published, and have a planned serial. You're bound to get readers who have entitlement issues and get angry if they even suspect you aren't writing the sequel they want (http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/05/entitlement-issues.html), and so using a pen name starts to look like a shiny idea to avoid any of that.
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2 years, 24 days ago

I am with Mr. Roman.. I have written contemporary fiction and fantasy. I haven't published anything, obviously, but I am interested in many fields.

As to established authors, a lot use pen names. As an example, Darren Shan. He wrote fantasy/horror and also adult books.
I understand why this happens... if you see the name Tom Clancy, what comes to mind? Definetely not historical thriller. You buy one of his expecting a certain flavour and theme to it; I'd get dissapointed if it was something else entirely.
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2 years, 15 days ago

I'll admit it. I'm an indentured servant to FANTASY. Basically, I'm a slave to the genre until I've adequately sate my appetite. When will that be??? Probably never, but my writing hand has strayed momentarily on occasion. Of course...the walk isn't that far: High/epic fantasy to Urban fantasy. Not that great of a leap...but a jaunt nonetheless.
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2 years, 13 days ago

There are a few different issues being raised in this thread.

One of the reasons I'm sticking to a few genres (related in how I perceive them) is that getting better at writing takes practice. Becoming a better novelist requires writing several, or many, or eleventy billion novels.

Fantasy requires additional skills, such as worldbuilding. Flitting between genres might make you a better writer in terms of creating deep characters or snappy dialogue. But I don't believe it will aid you in creating interesting, unique, tense and consistent systems of magic, for instance.

In terms of sticking to a genre or two as a writer, there are very practical reasons for that. Consider how long it takes you to write, edit and polish a book. If you're under contract for a series, you might be writing two a year. On deadline. While marketing yourself and attempting to build a following. Will you have enough time, energy and creativity to simultaneously write for and market yourself to separate audiences?
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2 years, 11 days ago

I've had this issue come up in a creative writing class my last semester in college. One girl who always wrote urban fantasy wanted to know how I flip flopped between fantasy, SF, and contemporary fiction. My only answer what that I just do. I use my contemporary fiction to practice character development since I usually only write short fiction in that format. Its where I play with perspective and thought processes. Sometimes its point of view and format. Since there is no world building involved, there is a kind of purity I get to play with when it comes to character.

My fantasy and SF is where I get to add in all the other elements of world building. In essence, I get to be super creative. The problem I have with fantasy, and some SF, is that I'm drawn to character driven stories. This often reflects in my writing, and is often the one thing that people complain about. I'm influenced by modernism, which often doesn't have a definitive plot. I prefer to write fantasy, but I need to work on plot introduction. Currently I haven't written any contemporary fiction and hope to continue writing fantasy/SF.
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2 years, 10 days ago

@Leanna - you might try plotting out what's going on in the wider world beyond your characters. Essentially, make the plot something that pulls your characters into it, rather than something that they have to drive. When I'm writing, it's largely character driven, but when I'm planning, it's all plot. That does sometimes mean the characters (and by extension the readers) get blindsided, but that adds to the versimilitude.

I still say I have to write the story I have to tell. If I try to tell a story that's not there, it doesn't come out right.
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Showing 1 to 10 of 30 comments

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