wine on the keyboard

genres and sub-genres

by Kay~Kacey on 9/9/2005

I always find it fascinating to find out what kind of books people write. Sometimes the quietest writers write the spiciest books! People who seem like they’d love to write chick lit and have funny quirky voices in real life…write historicals.

I’ve tried a lot of genres before settling on my relationshipy romance. I’ve done short contemporary. (sweet) Long contemporary suspense. I’ve done non fiction how to. Middle school aged book. Straight suspense. An historical. After trying all those type of books, I finally settled on the long contempoary or single title relationshipy romance.

Who has tried the most kinds of stories? Have you tried other genres or sub genres? And how did you end up writing the types of books you do now?

Mary September 9, 2005 at 8:47 am

I used to write sweet romance, then I went for romance now I’m writing women’s mainstream fiction. That I like the best.

Rene September 9, 2005 at 8:50 am

I started out with historicals. All I ever wanted to write was historicals. But then for the fun of it I tried a contemporary paranormal. I ended up putting my historicals aside and wrote two of those, one of which is making the submission rounds. I’ve tried category and I suck. I can’t write chick lit.

I’m pretty gregarious in my real life, but my writing is dark. I also talk like a surfer/Valley girl but my historical style is very formal.

I’m back to historicals, btw, but I will probably go back to paranormal. I really want to try a gothic and an erotica, just to see if I can.

Melissa September 9, 2005 at 9:11 am

I write historical suspense – I can’t write just a relationship story. I need to have the characters involved in something exciting and dangerous. I also am starting to delve into the inspirational market and I’m working on a WWII-era inspirational.

Kelly September 9, 2005 at 9:22 am

I started off writing young adult mystery then my love of history took over and I moved into historical romance. I also plan on expanding that to move into the historical mainstream market as well. My other love is horror. I have an idea for one based on a nightmare I had and I would also like to get back to writing YA horror in the vein of Christopher Pike (his earlier stuff as opposed to the later stuff). :coffee:

Amy K September 9, 2005 at 9:44 am

Um, just the long contemporary without the slogan is all I’ve tried. No, wait, I did try romantic comedy for a couple chapters. And I really want to try chick/mom lit but not yet.

Emma S September 9, 2005 at 9:44 am

I just kind of fell into writing erotic romance.

The love scenes always came back from my crit partner without very much red (and now that I actually have editors, the love scenes need very little edits). It’s not so much that I decided that’s what I want to do, but that’s what I’m good at (apparently).

And I am the quiet one in real life – I’d never talk about S-E-X.

Tori September 9, 2005 at 11:05 am

You sure you want me to answer this? :rofl:

Okay. Let’s see… historical, paranormal, fantasy, alternative history, mystery, paranormal/fantasy chick lit, action/adventure, science fiction.

Gina September 9, 2005 at 4:16 pm

I started with nonfiction and sweet romance. Moved to sweet gay romance and now I write gay erotic romance. I still write straight fiction, but the gay fiction seems to be dominating now. It just seems to flow easier, which still amuses me because I’m lacking the gay and I don’t have a penis, last time I checked anyway! I still write my nonfiction as well.

Kelly C. September 9, 2005 at 4:44 pm

The only stories I have tried to write are straight romance, YA, and have been glued to romantic suspense. With suspense, I enjoy the quick paced danger, the h/h beating the odds and falling in love for a price! LOL! I’m eeeevil. 😀

Margery Scott September 9, 2005 at 5:07 pm

I’ve tried them all,from sweet romances to suspense, to time travel, to mainstream police procedurals. I still haven’t figured out where I belong.:cursing:

Peggy September 9, 2005 at 9:41 pm

I started as category, then wrote a contemporary/chick lit type (though not sure about the chick lit part because I’ve actually never read any) and now am writing historicals.

Teresa September 10, 2005 at 7:57 am

As a teenager I wrote YA/First Love stuff. As an adult I’ve only written historical and time travel. I write historical cause I love history, research and happy endings 🙂 Straight historical and TT both fit in well with what I love to do, so that’s why I write them :mrgreen:

Sharon September 10, 2005 at 9:40 am

I’m pretty stubborn. I’ve stuck wtih adventure for the most part, both in historical and contemporary settings.

Steph T. September 10, 2005 at 7:36 pm

“People who seem like they’d love to write chick lit and have funny quirky voices in real life…write historicals.”

Well, I don’t write historicals, but I’ve had a few people tell me I should try chick lit or writing in first person *coughSashacough* But I’m a little stubborn and don’t want to give up my hero’s pov…

kacey September 11, 2005 at 4:13 pm

Wow, we’ve tried a lot of different types of writing, haven’t we? Interesting how most of us have kind of jumped around before settling into what we are writing now. Or still have dreams of trying other subgenres.

I think Tori wins for trying out the most types of writing…

Megan September 13, 2005 at 1:32 pm

Coming in late, but I feel like this is me: “People who seem like they’d love to write chick lit and have funny quirky voices in real life…write historicals.”

I never thought of writing anything but Regency, but now I am writing a mommy-lit, and it is so much easier for me than historical. Of course, that means I think it’s not as worth doing, or as good, but we’ll see what happens with this one. I’ll be sending it to my agent at the end of the month.

Cece September 13, 2005 at 8:03 pm

women’s fic, chick lit, erotica, erotic romance and young adult–what a combo! And I have a time travel erotic romance plotted.

Steph you could always write double first person and break it up by chapter *ahem*:typing:

Teresa September 14, 2005 at 4:41 am

I write Suspense. I write fantasy. A furturistic. Oh and a Sci-Fi-ish. Those complete my arsenal at the moment.:roll:

Previous post:

Next post: