Genre Matters

I have been spending some time soaking in many groups of writers on various FACEBOOK pages as well as Bloggers. I have noticed that most people are very true to writing what they read. For example, if they are writers of Fantasy which seems to be the biggest draw of genres today, the only read Fantasy. This makes sense. I guess I never thought of having a favorite Genre or one that speaks to me the most as much I have had genres that I really had a hard time enjoying. As I read more and talk more to authors that are rightfully married to their genre, it makes sense that these people are perfecting a craft. They are immersing themselves into their craft by ways of reading what is out there. They read the world their minds live in. They enjoy the "competition" as it were. They create a bond within the subculture of writers and fans of the genre. This I now understand.

As a new writer, I am feeling confined to a genre. Almost as if I commit to a genre, I will never be able to escape the hold it has on me. I will be stuck...because that is now my genre. I want more freedom. I want to test the waters and span the genres. Sure, I will have a forte in a sense. But I want to drink from many genre ponds and not pre-choose one that I might find does not fit. I need a patient dressing room to try things on...maybe wear it for a while...and then make some decisions.

So...Last night, I asked a group, a very cool group of writers, where all of the Realism writers and readers are. I guess they ARE out there. I need to better understand the genre-specific worlds and choose to learn them better while trying them on. As a new writer, I now see the value of reading as much as possible. This is the test drive for writers. I like this idea. Who knew I could still be awaken to new worlds. It is fun to grow and feel new to the world.