It’s a common lament among writers: Why is genre important? Can’t I just write whatever I want and let the marketplace figure out how to classify it? Or perhaps: My work is a mix of genres. I don’t want to be pinned down. I like to mix it up. Let’s look at why genre is…
Tag: Genre
Predictable vs. Unpredictable
Once, in a writers’ workshop, the presenter said that good fiction dwells upon one protagonist, looking at the world through her eyes as events unfold, events that fundamentally don’t change anything at all, and that the only arc, the only change throughout the book, was the protagonist’s view of events and the lessons she learns….
Keep the Pages Turning with Mini Cliffhangers
What do you think of when you hear the word cliffhanger? Bombs dropping? Car chases? A character literally dangling from a cliff while hungry sharks circle the water below? Not all cliffhangers are so dramatic. They can be big or small, external or internal, over-the-top or subtle. They can apply to thrillers, literary fiction, and…
Comfort is the Enemy of the Successful Writer
When I say comfort is the enemy, I’m not talking about how cozy your writing nook is, but how we as writers sometimes get stuck in a safe place. Whether that safe place is a genre, a series, a book, or even our tribe. I’ve seen writers work on their first book for years,…
Write What You Know
“Write what you know.” That was Mrs. Frances Toepfer’s advice on the first day of English Composition class at Abraham Lincoln High School in southwest Denver more years ago than I wish to acknowledge. She then raised her glasses from the chain around her neck and studied us for a moment, expecting, I suppose, questions….