How do you know? How do you know that what you are writing is what you are best at? Sometimes I think I'm better at inspirational writing, sometimes I think I can write a kids story better than an adult, sometimes I think I can get into the mind of a crazy person better than a sane one. How do you determine what you are best at, without the input of others? What makes you stick to one story all the way through, without being sidetracked by your other ideas, or can't you?
Generally, it's the genre and style you know best. If you love reading it, you'll generally love writing it. Some people get a false idea of what they're best at as they try a few different styles and show them all to the same people. You have to remember that these people also have their own preferred styles and will almost always prefer to read in that style, regardless of whether it's particularly good or not. All in all, I'd say you should stick with what you enjoy and get the most out of.
Whatever speaks to you and interests you. I know what I like and don't like. I don't think you'll ever see a fantasy story from me... just as an example.
I'm lazy so I write anything that doesn't take much research lol I just go with the story or idea in my head, only genre I probably won't ever tackle is sci-fi, that is because I find it too restrictive after writing fantasy, with sci-fi I would need to stick with what might be possible instead of what I can imagine. I wouldn't even draw a line at having a go at literary fiction but would need to write it with a story. I am playing with scripts right now and really enjoy them, the freedom of mostly dialogue is great. However I read everything possible crime/detective is the biggest section on my bookshelves but only because they tend to come in series and I collect the lot - I have all the Cadfael, Kathy Reichs and a lot of Agatha Christie. Children's comes next as I still have several shelves of my chidren's books before we get to my own children's. I don't think I have an unrepresented genre on my bookshelves though. I'm unlikely to write a poem or a song - but I am not saying never to either. I never start a book planning out a genre though I let the story decide that and each story I write has other elements in it.
I write what interests me. I don't know if it's what I'm best at - I'm not good at plotting, but I'd love to write something intensely plotted, like a mystery, crime or horror novel. I just can't come up with the twists and turns and tension, though. So I mostly write rambling epic fantasies because they're easy. Always wanted to give literary fiction a go as well, but it'd have to be something very carefully chosen since it's so easy to go wrong and sound pretentious, or fall short of the mark and sound stupid. (at least for me)
One style may come easy because you're perfectly in tune with it, through some godlike talent. Or it may seem to come easy to you, because you're not trying hard enough. Something may seem hard because it is hard, or simply because you suck. How can one possibly know which is what? Ask others to read it, supplying no indication as to what was your own favourite piece, or how long it took. Then they'll give you a hint. Some are so lucky that the style that seems most effortless to them is amazing in the eyes of others. Some just have to try harder and live with that. You can wonder for all eternity, or let your test audience decide.
I think a person can write different genres, but do better at one then the other. I write mostly fantasy, but I did write one horror book.(also seems to need the most work) It was one of those stories that just had to be written down. I don't know if I will write another, but I think it can be done. Granted, the horror/suspense did have some "fantasy" in it. Is the clown real or not? Write what you feel inspired to write.
What ever you don't have to fight against. At times we want to write X because we admire x, and decide to fight against something that comes more naturally to us. Lets say you want to be a serious writer because serious writers are admired and you like serious books, but trying to write 100% serious becomes a struggle because a part of you want to include humor when it sees great opportunities for it in the text. I believe that you should trust you gut in thous cases and not fight what comes natural to you. And that your serious book will be better off if you do include the humor you feel will fit.
For me, I do know fantasy is my genre. It's the one I like to read the most. Science Fiction is second. But the reason I stick with it is because -- I like creating worlds. I like the idea of discovering something no one else has. The possibilities are endless.
they say you should write the kind of book you would want to read. Thats how people usually know, i think.
the genre i am smitten with as a reader is my hunting ground as a writer ..a process of elimination thing ....... case in point i would more than likely remove my eyes with a rusty blade before i read fantasy therefore i know that genre is not my bag ...ya dig
lol, whoa, quite the visual there and yea, I dig... thanks everyone. I read somewhere - mag I think - that what you read may not be what you write so I explored that and have discovered that doesn't work for me. The more philosophical, open-minded and psychologically true the writing is the more I want to write that. I also seem drawn to stories where the mc is young - "To Kill a Mockingbird"; "The Lovely Bones"; "Secret Life of Bees"; and when they are potentially dysfunctional - "The Bell Jar"; "Girl, Interruped" (book was amazing, movie didn't do it justice); "I Know This Much is True" (even though the mc was an adult looking back at his/their childhood).
