Where Genres Collide Traci Dowe YA Author

Genres That Speak to Our Hearts

Traci Kenworth

There are a lot of genres out there but how do we know when we’ve found one that speaks to our hearts? In other words, one that we’ve tuned into and want to write more about? When we first come to writing, we may flounder trying to figure out what genre we want to explore. Or there could be more than one.

After all, we don’t have to confine ourselves to a single genre. Fiction can take us down many paths. Which one or more we choose is up to you as the writer. Although if you go traditional, it may be limited by the publisher. This is so they can fit you into an easier category for marketing.

Genres are like guidelines. They tell us what might be included in a particular story. Not that you need to be restricted by that. You can always bring in something new that occurs to you. That’s how genres broaden their appeal. What I mean might be included is certain known tropes in that genre. For instance, in fantasy: dragons. In sci-fi: spaceships. And so on.

That doesn’t mean if you’re writing a fantasy, you have to include dragons. Maybe you’ve thought of something better. More fantastic. Whatever it may be, get it down. Work with it. Create what it is. Breathe life into its framework. And watch readers turn the pages to discover more about your creation. That’s how things work.

Genres don’t have to be complicated. They’re not an A-Z thing. You have to explore. Strengthen. Figure out how to make it yours in the story. Know what’s gone before. Keep an eye on the current market. Take some risks. That’s how you both grow as a writer and stay relevant. It’s not all cut-and-dried. You have to make an effort.

Show up and bring your game, so to speak. Today’s big authors do this time and again in their stories. They push boundaries. Their characters are fresh and complex. Their settings steep the imagination with both history and story. All of this combines to make their writing the best that it can be. So, grasp that magic inside of you and spill it down on the page.

Happenings: Went to the doctor this past week and a ct scan showed that I’d passed a kidney stone. I still have a small one to go. It also revealed my liver is enlarged and on Monday, the doctor wants to discuss how to deal with that. It’s not from alcohol it’s called a fatty liver, I’ve had one for a long time now. But now it’s time to treat it. Basically, my history started with a huge weight gain following the meds they put me on through my PTSD and the discovery of bipolar. The weight gain made my liver enlarge. Or rather, the meds. It also caused all my health problems. They tell you to expect that, have you sign a paper, but when the years pile up and all this happens, it’s just–I feel sad, aggravated, worried, and so much more. What can I do? I had to go through all that to become stable and now it bites me where it hurts. Sorry, to rant.

Here are some links around the web that may have better luck cheering you up after that.

1. House of Heart https://houseofheartweb.wordpress.com/2023/07/08/fear-of-falling/ Absolutely beautiful poetry!
2. Syl’s 65 blog https://syl65.wordpress.com/2023/07/09/soulfulsunday-06-08-23/#like-34843 I just love Annette’s description!
3. Chris and the Story Reading Ape https://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2023/07/09/weekend-serial-atonement-in-zugzwang-episode-17-featuring-anita-jaye-marie/ Thanks for coming back to Atonement, TN.  As you know, I first wrote the Atonement “universe” back in 2012, and there are two novels and one collection of snort stories.  This serial uses several of the minor characters from the books, and a new heroine.  I’ve avoided using the main characters from the novels because I didn’t want this story or heroine to be confused with the others. However, Deme has been determined to get the grumpy, “bardolator” sheriff, Robin Warden, to at least have a cameo appearance.  Robin’s back story predates the novels. I recommend that you read it before reading today’s serial episode (if you haven’t already). If you do, then you’ll enjoy this segment more.Read Robin’s short story here free. My featured guests today are Anita Dawes and Jaye Marie.  They share their…
4. Smorgasbord Magazine https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2023/07/09/smorgasbord-blog-magazine-podcast-rewind-tales-from-the-garden-little-girl-lost-by-sally-cronin/ This week a beloved statue of a fairy princess joins the other guardians of the magic garden.
5. Fiction Favorites https://johnwhowell.com/2023/07/08/stream-of-consciousness-saturday-prompt-acronym/ My blinking SOS with my eyes had no effect on the clerk. WTF went through my brain as the clerk handed me my temporary membership card. Making faces and rolling my eyes did nothing to alert the clerk that my condition was SOL. Jessica grabs my arm and pulls me away from the desk. “Let’s get to the statue,” she says through her teeth. Seeing that the clerk will be no help, there is no choice but to enter the store. My mind is racing as the checker waves us on. The only thought that comes is to stall as much as possible. Pointing in the direction of the last row clear across the store, we start moving in that direction. Wishing the opportunity to grab someone and scream bloody murder would come up, my objective is to move as slowly as possible. “Quit stalling.” Jessica seems to be on to me. We pass the clothing displays, and Jessica does not appreciate me pointing out the terrific saving on bib overalls. We come to a woman holding a tray of cream cheese on cracker samples, and again, Jessica takes exception to my offer of trying one. She grips my arm with enough pressure to turn my hand black. “I’m not afraid to use this gun right here. Unless you want to be DOA, my suggestion is you get to the statue proto.” A sigh passes my lips, realizing that my goose is now in the oven. Wait, an idea pops into my head. All that needs to be done is to go to the rotisserie oven and grab a couple of hot birds. Tossing them at Jessica and the big guy might be enough of a diversion for me to start screaming like a girl and get some help. With the plan in mind, I steer them toward the hot chickens. Grabbing two birds and flinging them catches both Jessica and the big guy off guard. Jessica starts swearing. The big guy decides to start eating my contribution is a scream that could crack the crystal. I enjoyed the nice finish to this!
6. Entertaining Stories https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/2023/07/08/no-progress-for-me-this-weekend/ It depends on how you look at it. Old What’s Her Face is off this weekend and we have a bunch of errands to run and chores to take care of. Nothing interesting or blog-worthy, but things everyone has to do. I could bemoan the loss of my precious writing time, or be grateful for the bachelor weekend last week. I really moved the chains on my projects last weekend. I will appreciate the time I had last weekend. It would be nice to work on my personal projects, but not at the expense of other things. Yep, that’s very true!
7. Life in the Realm of Fantasy https://conniejjasperson.com/2023/07/07/fineartfriday-wind-waves-and-the-monarch-of-the-beach/ But no matter how fast our human lives change, pelicans, puffins, terns, seagulls, and rare wide-winged wanderers from far out to sea still come to nest on the Monarch of the Beach, Haystack Rock and his attendants. Tidal pools change from day to day, but still they shelter starfish, anemones, and a multitude of other small creatures. These tiny water-worlds remind us that we are part of something larger, something deeper, a mysterious world far more bountiful than we who walk the land can know. The sea is never the same. Untamed and dangerous one day, it is calm and serene the next. The most important thing I’ve learned from my many walks among the tide pools at the foot of the Monarch is this: we humans are not islands—we are part of a world that extends below the surface and conceals secrets and lives we surface dwellers can only dimly imagine. Above the eternal sea, on the strand below and around the God Rock, the Monarch of the Beach, my husband and I rediscover who we are, and we are made stronger. The bonds my family forges each year in this place bind us together. These ties will always remain, no matter how far apart we are or how long we are separated, even after the Monarch of the Beach crumbles into the sea. This is my favorite portion of what she wrote.
8. Story Empire https://storyempire.com/2023/07/10/why-professional-editing-is-vital-for-all-authors/ We are writers. It’s what we do. Some writers are fortunate enough to earn a little extra cash from their work. Others can live a life of luxury because they have connected with millions of readers across the globe. But for the majority, a day job or pension is what keeps us alive. Writing is just what we do on the side while dreaming of better days. Even so, that’s still not an excuse to trust our own eyes to the very important task of editing our work before it ends up on the websites at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. I understand the notion: I’m a good writer. I know where to place the commas and the periods. And I can spell encyclopedia in my sleep. As fine as that may be, it doesn’t make you a professional editor. Editors do more than search out misspellings and poor punctuation. Editors can sniff out bad grammar, trouble with the POV character, and the over-abundance of useless minutia that so often bogs down the story. Editors are not your friends or your family. They tend to be blunt and honest. If your story has problems the author cannot or will not recognize, the editor is there to fix them before they get loose and shred your readers to pieces. It’s always worth the time and money to bring in a professional editor. And no, Mom or Aunt Mathilda do not count as editors. They’ll only tell you your work is wonderful. It’s their job to do so. The last thing a writer needs is to be surrounded by yes-people. I get paid to edit books. I even edit my own work as I write. However, I always hand my work off to another editor for that final proof. So, what do we look for in the professional editor? There are several types of editing. We must do the work to find which works best for our latest project.
9. Teagan Books https://teagansbooks.com/2023/06/19/happy-midsummer-celebrate-with-the-magical-friends-of-thistledown/ Some of you are already familiar with Thistledown — Midsummer Bedlam.  With Midsummer at hand, I thought it would be fun for us to play the “name game” that got that story started. I had found a “What’s your fairy name” thing online and shared it on Facebook. When friends there started asking for a story related to the names, I made my own version of the game (and I used the older spelling of the word — faery).  However, it was just too sugary for me, and I also created a “scary faery” chart.  With everyone’s names as inspiration, I wrote the story. Are you ready to play? To find your Thistledown faery name match the first initial of your first name to the table below. That’s your first name.  To get your last name. Go to the month in which you were born.  Use the same method to find your scary faery name.
10. Books and Such https://teripolen.com/2023/07/07/the-isles-of-the-gods-by-amie-kaufman-bookreview-ya-fantasy/ When Selly’s father leaves her high and dry in the port of Kirkpool, she has no intention of riding out the winter on land while he sails to adventure in the north seas. But any plans to follow him are dashed when a handsome stranger with tell-tale magician’s marks on his arm boards her ship, presenting her and the crew with a dangerous mission: to cross the Crescent Sea without detection so he can complete a ritual on the sacred Isles of the Gods. What starts as a leisure cruise will lead to acts of treason and sheer terror on the high seas, bringing two countries to the brink of war, two strangers closer than they ever thought possible and stirring two dangerous gods from centuries of slumber… Magic, romance, and slumbering gods clash in the start of a riveting fantasy series that spans gangsters’ dens, forgotten temples, and the high seas from the New York Times bestselling author of the Aurora Cycle. I’ve read other series I’ve thoroughly enjoyed co-authored by Kaufman, but never one penned solely by her. Based on the other books, I was anxious to dive into this novel.
11. Myths of the Mirror https://mythsofthemirror.com/2023/07/07/june-book-reviews-3/ I’m back from a busy June! And though I’ve been running around like a nut, I made time to read. I’ve got some great books for you to browse. June’s reviews include my 4 and 5-star reads of fantasy and sci-fi, a murder mystery, middle-grade historical fiction and middle-grade fantasy, and a collection of short stories. Click on the covers for Amazon global links. ***** All Of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and C. L. Herman The first two are on my TBR pile!
12. Rosie Amber https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2023/07/08/%f0%9f%8c%bcwhats-flowering-in-the-garden-at-the-end-of-this-week-in-july-sixonsaturday-gardeningtwitter-gardeningaddict/ This week we have had lovely cool temperatures and some rain. The cool nights do feel a little odd for early July, but then it is easier to sleep when it is cooler.
13. Writers in the Storm https://writersinthestormblog.com/2023/07/building-sufficiently-advanced-magic-in-your-world/ Fans of speculative fiction have no shortage of things to argue about when it comes to dividing fantasy and sci-fi into subgenres. If something has wizards and takes place in Boston in the year 2003, is that Urban Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, or Contemporary Fantasy? But one thing that reliably separates fantasy from sci-fi is the presence of magic. Some people prefer fantasy over sci-fi both as readers and writers because magic is a one-word solution to making any fantastical thing possible and plausible within a setting. It takes the limiters off, allowing a shortcut into exactly the sort of story you want to tell. But anyone who relies too heavily on “a wizard did it” runs the risk of removing the stakes from a story or frustrating readers with inconsistent, unsatisfying plot elements. So what do we do? Do we avoid magic entirely? Do we stick to the most minor of mystical elements? No! All we need to do is make sure we construct our magic system with drama and consistency in mind. Today, we’re going to talk about how to avoid the pitfalls of bad magic by going through elements of good magic. Because all it takes is some consistent and compelling rules and limits, a reasonable bar of entry, and some well-thought out components. Let’s start from the top.
14. Story Empire https://storyempire.com/2023/07/07/flawed-characters-part-ii/ Hello SE friend, Gwen with you today. Last month, I began a series on crafting flawed characters and considered Post Traumatic Stress as a personality component. You can review that post here. Today we continue the discussion, but first I begin with a story. Last week I returned from a visit with my adult children in the greater New York City area. During the visit, I spent time with my beautiful teenage granddaughter. She often spoke about climate change and what she is doing to bring awareness to that problem. Then, in one conversation, she shared her belief that life would soon end unless there are dramatic changes. Though I was saddened to hear her assessment, I found myself jumping back in time to when I was around her age. During my college years, three of the people I looked up to were assassinated: President John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and presidential candidate Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Then on May 4, 1970, four Kent State University students were shot and killed by the Ohio National Guard as they protested the Vietnam War. It was a time of great disillusionment, and many young people thought life would end soon. My granddaughter’s concerns, though shared by me, are different from my young concerns. And I’m left wondering if history truly does repeat itself at least with turmoil. As writers, we try to capture TIME in our stories. We create characters that suffer or celebrate their circumstances. We research the era for identifiers of the generation. Sometimes we also include the emotional impact. If our story is set in the 2020s, what might our characters experience – emotionally? With the current tensions across the world, I think we’d all identify depression as one of the emotions. Per Sage Therapeutics, an estimated 246 million people worldwide experienced a major depressive disorder in 2020. Imagine what those numbers might be if all the silent sufferers were included in this research.