1. Mans

    Mans Contributor Contributor

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    Which kind story writing is more difficult?

    Discussion in 'Genre Discussions' started by Mans, Mar 1, 2014.

    1- Humor

    2- Children's Stories

    3-fiction

    4- History

    5- Crime & Thriller

    6- horror

    7-Mystery

    8-Fantasy

    If you have any explanation, please express.
     
  2. David K. Thomasson

    David K. Thomasson Senior Member

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    It depends on the writer.
     
  3. plothog

    plothog Contributor Contributor

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    Of those listed, history sounds the hardest to me, because it would require a vast amount of research to create something authentic. Though that's just what sounds hardest for me. Other people will have different opinions.
     
  4. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    no difference... some would just take more work, such as research, but not be any 'harder' for me to write...
     
  5. TWErvin2

    TWErvin2 Contributor Contributor

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    It depends on your background and experience.

    If you're a chemist or a physicist, hard SF might be easier than humor. If you're background is in pop culture, then it may be the other way around.
     
  6. sunsplash

    sunsplash Bona fide beach bum

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    I think it depends on the interests of the writer and their mindset. For me, in high school and college creative writing classes, I always struggled with sci-fi when assigned because, honestly, I just didn't like that genre. I would eventually get through with high marks but the writing wasn't easy for me because I wasn't enjoying myself. I think a proficient writer is always capable but if their frame of mind or heart isn't in it, it'll take a lot longer to churn out something...be it good or bad. Now, that's not to say writing what you don't know or don't like is not a good challenge. If anything, sometimes it forces my own creativity to come out more. Those pieces may not be my best (I do surprise myself sometimes, though!) but I take away something new and valuable with every effort.
     
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  7. Jak of Hearts

    Jak of Hearts Active Member

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    Others may disagree with me but I think mystery is the hardest because you have to walk a very fine line of not giving to much information but also giving enough to keep the reader engaged. Humor I also think is difficult but I believe Humor is one genre that you can't learn, you just know it or you don't.
     
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  8. KatieValino

    KatieValino Member

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    I agree with Jak so much, something that is humorous to you can be very hit or miss with others. As for mystery i agree, trying to litter your text with hints about the main story whilst not giving it all away at the beginning is hard as heck, possible but does take some thinking and a lot of re-writing. I personally find romance hardest because I WILL NEVER BE STEPHANIE MEYER! (that is a good thing btw, blerg, even thinking of twilight makes my eye twitch)
     
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  9. Bjørnar Munkerud

    Bjørnar Munkerud Senior Member

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    When you're dealing with a very small amount of characters (0, 1 or 2, or possibly even 3, 4 or 5, if it's for many, many pages in a row) so that you need dialogue and character development etc. to keep the story interesting. Similarly if we don't see the main characters interract with "the outside world" (such as when trapped in a cave, we only follow the characters when they're at home, they're trying to find their way through a maze or they're always in a small enclosed location such as a prison, petrol station or shack). And in general when dealing with very little stuff happening, so you need to describe rather/more than advance the plot. The same goes for having loads of characters, interweaving plots and backstories that somehow are all going to be connected, relevant, interesting and make sense.

    Also dealing with characters that are very smart, especially talented at something you're not, have a very different attitude towards something (examples include having children, doing drugs, violence, sexuality, food preferences and religion) is very hard, and also for people who have a very peculiar way of speaking, so that you have to decide how to best convey it on paper, or who speak in riddles or innuendo, are always very profound, are very posh, use slang, don't know English (or whatever language you write in / they speak), have verbal tics etc.
     
  10. peachalulu

    peachalulu Member Reviewer Contributor

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    I agree with David & Jak - depends on the writer, depends on how well they can translate things. Just cause someone is funny doesn't mean it can be translated into words. Some people are too logical and can't imagine anything ghostly for horror and if they tried it would probably come across flat and unbelievable. And others can be romantic and yet not create a believable romance because they cannot sustain the conflict. Interests play a big part and a recognition of your strengths and weaknesses.

    A straightforward mystery would be hardest for me because I don't know if I can think backwards - crime first, clues woven it - too structured.
     
  11. minstrel

    minstrel Leader of the Insquirrelgency Supporter Contributor

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    I think it would be humor. That's something you either have or you don't, it seems to me. When I was in high school, we had a boy in class who desperately wanted to be known as the class clown, but he just didn't have it. He'd say and do things that he thought were hilarious, but would make all the rest of us cringe. I would never want to be thought of as that guy, but I suspect that if I tried to write humor, I would be.

    I stay away from humor. I love reading it when the writer is reliably funny, but I don't trust myself to be funny.
     
  12. EdFromNY

    EdFromNY Hope to improve with age Supporter Contributor

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    I think it depends on personal tastes and experience. I don't think any one genre is inherently more difficult to write, but each requires a certain skill and attention to a particular kind of detail.

    My advice would be to decide what kind of story you want to write and have at it. Worry about genre if and when you decide to try to publish it.
     
  13. Bryan Romer

    Bryan Romer Contributor Contributor

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    I have to agree. Not only is it very hard to be truly funny, it is almost impossible to be funny to a wide range of people with the same jokes. Tastes, backgrounds, religious and social beliefs, even sexual orientation vary wildly and will turn something funny to one person into an offensive slur or something incomprehensible to another. Only slapstick holds universal appeal (except to those who hate slapstick).
     
  14. shadowwalker

    shadowwalker Contributor Contributor

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    I don't think humor is any more difficult than any other genre - if you're a humorist. So which one is the most difficult? The one you have no interest in writing.
     
  15. Tesoro

    Tesoro Contributor Contributor

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    This! What is most difficult depends on who you are and what you like to write, I guess. I'd add "The kind of books you've never read."
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2014
  16. AsherianCommand

    AsherianCommand Active Member

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    None of them. Like everyone else has said. Some people have natural humorist abilities. (I don't know if that exists, but it does now!)
     
  17. mg357

    mg357 Active Member

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    History I think would be the Most Difficult because of the amount of research that has to be done. I recently finished two and I am working on a 3rd historical short story and All of them have required vast of amounts of research.
     
  18. shadowwalker

    shadowwalker Contributor Contributor

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    Ever try writing a realistic government conspiracy novel? Or hard sci-fi? I'm reading (or trying to read) "Debt of Honor" by Tom Clancy - I'm quite sure he wasn't an expert on the stock exchange or atomic weapons before he started writing it.

    The amount of research needed doesn't depend on genre - it depends on the writer and the subject of their particular novel.
     
  19. AJC

    AJC Active Member

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    I agree with this. I have a very hard time writing humor, romance, or horror because I never read those types of books. The topics that are easiest to write are the topics I need to do the least amount of research on.
     
  20. Siena

    Siena Senior Member

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    I would say that humor is possibly the most hit and miss.

    And history the most time intensive, because of the research involved / keeping things accurate.
     

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