Literary genres that are not for me
One of my author bios reads something like, “Janet writes everything from romance to horror, because genres are suggestions, right?” In my rather brief writing “career,” I’ve written: romantic suspense with time travel (see what I mean about genres being suggestions?), a post-apocalyptic short story (subscribe to my newsletter for a free copy), romance, and suspense/mystery/thriller–and even a few poems and personal essays. So when I saw this month’s IWSG question, What genre would be the worst one for you to tackle and why?, I had to pause and think: Is there anything I absolutely wouldn’t write?
Yeah, there is. But before we get to that:
Happy IWSG day! I participate in the monthly IWSG (a/k/a Insecure Writers Support Group) Blog Hop, which happens on the first Wednesday of each month. We offer words of encouragement to our fellow writers and share our doubts, fears, struggles, and triumphs. Thanks so much to our wonderful co-hosts this month: Kim Lajevardi, Cathrina Constantine, Natalie Aguirre, Olga Godim, Michelle Wallace, and Louise – Fundy Blue! Stop by their blogs and leave them some comment love.
OK, back to genres I wouldn’t write–or would struggle to write:
- Erotica. I’m not a prude, but I’m not that interested in telling (or reading) stories where the primary focus is sex. And writing sex scenes is really hard (heh heh, see what I did there?), so I really don’t want to do it all the time. See 7 Reasons Why I Will Hate Your Book for more of my commentary about sex scenes.
- Body horror, splatterpunk, and other stories with over-the-top violence and on-the-page cruelty. I love me a good horror story–Stephen King is one of my literary idols, and 80s slasher flicks were date movies for Long-Suffering Husband and me (because nothing epitomizes young love quite like watching Jason hack up teenagers). But I have my limits. I recently read a short story about a guy who found a magic Santa suit that turned him into a cannibal, and then he ate his own son. Nope. Nope, nope, nopity nope. Not for me.
- Most sci-fi. I was going to list a few specific subgenres like I did for horror, but then I hopped over to Wikipedia and discovered just how many subgenres exist in sci-fi. Damn. So I’ll paint with a broad brush and say that in general, I’d struggle to write in most subgenres of sci-fi, because I’m not that interested in hardcore world-building. I did write that post-apocalyptic story, and I’m thinking about writing a novel set in the same world, but that feels different. It will involve some world-building and (primitive) technology, but not anything like creating an entirely new civilization in another galaxy.
- Fantasy. Same issue–too much world-building. And it’s not my favorite genre to read, either. I might consider writing a fairy tale, but otherwise, nah.
- Legal thrillers. I love them, but I don’t know enough about the law to pull one off.
- Literary fiction. I need a plot and suspense and conflict and high stakes to keep me engaged. And maybe a serial killer or two to keep things interesting.
I’ve probably overlooked a few, but those are the ones that seem like major nopes for me. And if I’ve listed your favorite genre up there: no judgment intended. If you enjoy heartwarming holiday stories about cannibalistic parents, I’m not judging you. I may decline your dinner invitation, but I’m not judging you.
After that, we need a palate-cleanser (heh heh, see what I did there?). So it’s time for:
Writing Memes!
How my work in progress is going
Never has a meme been so accurate.
This one’s pretty spot on too:
The wonderful weirdness of writers
Long-Suffering Husband went through a phase of asking me every. damn. night. how my writing was going. (I really want to make a joke here about there being better ways to make me moan, but since I don’t write erotica, I’ll skip it.) He’s finally scaled it back to every third night or so. I mean, the man only has so much energy.
I should have become a writer in high school, when I needed a Get Out of Life Weird card even more than I do now.
Can you just imagine the conversations the dude who wrote that cannibal Christmas story has had with this family? Also pretty sure I don’t want to see his browser history.
Speaking of:
I have literally left my browser open to stab wound references.
On the other hand:
And finally, we’ll end on a palate-sweetening note, just in case you’re still thinking about that cannibal story:
How about you? Which genres are nopes for you (as a reader or a writer)?
14 Comments
rawsonjl
I don’t like reading horror and even struggle with good suspense books (even though I do like them but I tend to get scared half-way through and skip to the end! then pick up reading where I left off). I rarely like anything fantasy or sci- fi either but have found select books in both genres that I like. Mostly I’ll give anything a try and see if it clicks but if I’m not invested in the story by like chapter 4 I’m out. Life is too short. I’ve always wanted to try writing but I just don’t have the discipline even though I definitely have the storylines running through my head.
Janet Alcorn
I’ll also try most any book and bail if it’s not clicking for me. As you say, life is too short—and my TBR list much too long.
Writing—or finishing a piece of writing anyway—does require discipline. At some point I hit a wall and get convinced that it sucks and I suck, and it takes perseverance to push through that and keep working.
Bobbiem91
The moaning joke was hilarious I’m still laughing. I had a friend from a US agency I’ll not mention who, upon meeting me, began asking me all these weird questions. I finally mention that yes, I can come up with 10 ways to poison that husband you hate but my character only got to use three. He stared at me like I was crazy then stated laughing, managing to say, “I get it now. you’re a writer.” My answer, “Duh.
I also can’t write erotica. When I do you’d fall asleep at how boing it is. I can’t do horror, and I’m not into heave violence. I can write sci-fi or fantasy but I’m more a historical and contemporary with some speculative fiction with portals…Idea…time to write a snippet.
Janet Alcorn
I’m picturing you being interrogated like a suspect only to have the agent be disappointed to learn you’re a writer. Please tell me it was as hilarious as I’m imagining.
Ooh, portals! I’m intrigued!
S.E. White
Writing memes on exact point, as always! I particularly liked the Starry Night one because yes. So amaze! Just read it!
Splatterpunk would also be an extremely tough write for me. For mostly the same reasons. I nope right out of those ones pretty quick, too.
Janet Alcorn
Glad you enjoyed the memes! Some of my hardcore horror fan friends laugh at me for my wimpiness, but I’m not a fan of gore or cruelty just for the sake of it.
joylenebutler
Congratulations on your tribute to your mother. It must be bittersweet. My parents died before anything I’d written had been published. But they also loved explaining to family and friends that I was “different”. haha. I love your writing, Janet. You generally make me think, laugh, and sometimes cry. In my books, that’s what a great writer does.
Janet Alcorn
Thanks, as always, for your kind words! Writing and editing that piece was hard and involved a lot of tears, but it was also cathartic.
And here’s to being different! Normal is boring.
Olga Godim
I share the first two items on your least. Neither erotica not horror work for me, both as a reader and as a writer.
Love your memes!
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! My meme addiction started with a few COVID memes back in 2020. Now I need a 12-step program.
emaginette
Not everything needs to be on the page. That said, I love world-building, only because the escape isn’t complete unless I’m somewhere else. hehehe
Anna from elements of emaginette
Janet Alcorn
I enjoy some stories with complicated world-building (as long as the world-building doesn’t take over the book to the detriment of plot and character), but I’m not that good at it as a writer. I’m all about the people and their weird, dysfunctional behavior.
mlouisebarbourfundyblue
Congratulations on having the story about your mother published, Janet. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been to lose your mother to dementia. I’ll never write erotica. It’s so far off my radar that it didn’t even occur to me when I was answering this month’s question. And I had to google splatterpunk to find out what it was. Too awful and intense for me to even think about. Thanks for all the wonderful memes ~ just what I needed tonight. Viscous murder ~ lol ~ Maybe if you were writing splatterpunk. Have a good week!
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! Losing Mom that way was awful. Writing that piece was cathartic.
It was “Boston molassacre” that had me googling. Viscous murder indeed. Hope you have a good week too!