Wednesday, March 3, 2021

IWSG: The Genre Preference

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Writers have a genre preference in story-creating but is it the same for those downtime moments when they reach for something to read?  Welcome to the question of the month!


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Whenever I read fiction, it's typically the genre I love to write about and that's romance! It captures my heart every time! There are those rare moments I am up for the challenge to write outside of my genre like I had with IWSG's Anthology Contest on Dark Matter (it is sci-fi and I didn't include romance).

I mainly read romance because I find it inspiring! It fuels my muse and every dull moment, though I rarely come across those in a day.


I once had a friend tell me that writers must be avid readers of all sorts of books. I digress; I have been writing for over thirty years and have not felt the need to read horror. I am, however, open to trying genres outside of my comfort zone, but the elements of the book (plot, setting, and characters) must speak to me before I give the book a try.


How about you? Do you only read what you write? Do you believe that all writers must read everything under the sun?






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18 comments:

  1. Steph W.March 3, 2021 at 8:04 AM

    I have a hard time reading horror, which is strange because I remember in grade school that was all I wanted. Ghost stories, Goosebumps, Stephen King. But now I am not sure I would be able to finish one!

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  2. Alex J. CavanaughMarch 3, 2021 at 8:21 AM

    I think variety is good but you don't have to read everything. I read outside my genre of science fiction but things like horror and westerns don't interest me.
    And your story for the IWSG anthology still had a touch of romance to it...

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    Replies
    1. Elizabeth MuellerMarch 9, 2021 at 6:00 AM

      You read my story? x) I didn't realize it had a bit of romance...

      Delete
  3. Natalie AguirreMarch 3, 2021 at 9:17 AM

    I like there to be romance in the stories I read, but I prefer when the book is in another genre, like fantasy, contemporary, murder mystery, etc. I read in a lot of genres these days, because I enjoy so many different ones. And it may expand my horizons in my writing too.

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  4. Nancy GideonMarch 3, 2021 at 10:38 AM

    As a fellow romance author, I confess to having read EVERYTHING else first before falling in love with Happily Ever Afters. I've written few books where romance is the only element. I like to sprinkle in suspense, paranormal and action/adventure just to make it more fun to write. My regret is now having never enough time to read all the books on my Kindle!

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    Replies
    1. Elizabeth MuellerMarch 9, 2021 at 6:02 AM

      Oh, yes! I do enjoy other genres with romance it it. It's so exciting.

      I agree on wanting more time to read all those books as well!

      Delete
  5. Sarah FosterMarch 3, 2021 at 2:21 PM

    I agree that the book should speak to you before giving it a try. I'll read pretty much any genre if it sounds interesting.

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  6. C. D. Gallant-KingMarch 3, 2021 at 8:14 PM

    I don't think you have to read everything, but I do think you should give things a try. Even read bad books sometimes! You can learn from a lot of different places!

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    Replies
    1. Elizabeth MuellerMarch 9, 2021 at 6:03 AM

      That's a great idea--even reading bad books is a wonderful teaching moment. Thank you!

      Delete
  7. Diane BurtonMarch 6, 2021 at 10:43 AM

    LOL about horror. I feel the same way. Romance gives us hope that humankind will continue. Everything I write has some romance in it, even my middle grade sci-fi adventure, though it's just a hint.

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    Replies
    1. Elizabeth MuellerMarch 9, 2021 at 6:03 AM

      That is so sweet to have even a hint of romance in younger audiences. I love it!

      Delete
  8. LisaMarch 9, 2021 at 11:36 AM

    I LOVE a good romance too! I can't read horror either, or should I say, I don't subject myself to it because I take it in too seriously. Thanks for visiting, and commenting on my blog. I appreciate your kind words! Otherwise, I also like to try different genres but like you mentioned, the characters and plot have to have some kind of heart in them for me, no matter the subject. The movie (based on a book) called The Dig (on Netflix) is to me a perfect example of something that could be dryly historical, but isn't because the story is really about the people in the story, not the actual Dig.

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  9. cleemckenzieApril 7, 2021 at 9:47 AM

    It seems you've found your niche. Congratulations.

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