1. DeadMoon

    DeadMoon The light side of the dark side Contributor

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    writing something outside of your safety genre

    Discussion in 'Genre Discussions' started by DeadMoon, Dec 22, 2014.

    Between reading, writing, watching (old horror movies), collecting and thinking - Horror takes up at least 65 - 75% of my life. Now with my son's first Christmas fast approaching and with our friends, who play Santa and ms clause, stopping over to the house to visit him and My mother giving my items (blankets, toys ect...) that I used as a baby 35 years ago (still great condition). I find myself full of Ideas for short stories that I would otherwise never think about. Mushy, feel good, family style story telling.

    Has this happened to anyone else? A sudden desire to drastically change the genre you feel more comfortable and happy in.
     
  2. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    Yeah. I write whatever story suits me. Horror, fantasy, and science fiction mostly. But I've done a children's story, a YA, thriller, and romance. It's a good idea to read in the genre you are contemplating.
     
  3. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    I think it's fine to switch genres (although publishers don't like it much) but you might also want to try to include some of the emotions and 'mushiness' you're feeling into your traditional genre. I mean, horror is supposed to scare readers, right? It's supposed to expose their fears and push them to the edge of comfort? If you can bring some of the cozy domesticity you're enjoying to your writing, making readers really FEEL how much your characters love their kids or whatever, and then let the horror in to tear that apart? It could be really powerful.

    Remember Pet Semetary? We could really feel the MC's despair, and understand why he was driven to do what he did as he fought to regain the domestic bliss he'd experienced before the accident.

    Now, on your first Xmas with your son, possibly you don't want to write about re-animated dead toddlers! But you could have something threatening a baby, and that threat is what drives the MC to keep fighting against the horror, or whatever.

    Or you can go full mushy, for sure. Just thought I'd introduce another possibility!
     
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  4. theoriginalmonsterman

    theoriginalmonsterman Pickle Contributor

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    I personally try to use a combination of different genres in my writing, so I'm not just focusing on one thing. The only genre I would say I never tried was romance simply, because I don't want to get into that ._.
     
  5. DeadMoon

    DeadMoon The light side of the dark side Contributor

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    I love the Book Pet Semetary, (even named our cat church after the movie came out since our cat looked identical to the movie cat) I am thinking of working the story two ways since it is not very long. One will be the safe,cozy feel good type and the other will add elements of horror and suspense.
     
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  6. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    Well, I've never had much of an inclination to actual change my primary genre, but I do dabble in other kinds of writing. For example, I'm not drawn very strongly to poetry, but I've attempted a few poems as a learning exploration.

    Stepping out of your comfort zone is scary and empowering. And then you look back and find that your comfort zone has grown considerably.
     
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