September 7 question - What genre would be the worst one for you to tackle and why?
Well...
There are a few genres that I guarantee I would cock up like a champ.
Oh, you wanna know which ones and why?
If I were Bob Seger, I'd tell you to blame it on midnight. But since I'm the hot mess that runs this joint, I'll tell you to blame it on my ADHD. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I probably stepped into the time slip while doing the time warp. I do that a lot. So...yeah. Where was I?
Oh yes, what genres should I avoid writing for the good of humanity?
I should never write regency romance.
While I enjoy reading historical fiction, including historical romance, if I tried to write such stories they would come out looking like I followed a "how to write romance" book to the letter. In other words, they would be formulaic, trope-laden, and probably pretty stilted. They wouldn't be good.
While I'm capable of hyperfocusing on a subject (the ADHD paradox), I have a tendency to run off on side paths rather than sticking to the main trail. I would very much enjoy reading and watching films about the Napoleonic era. You could even test me on what I've read or watched and I'd do okay. I'd retain a bunch of trivia bits to throw at people because that is what I do. But if you think I could mold those trivia bits into a cohesive story, you'd be wrong.
Similarly, I'm better off reading political thrillers than writing them.
For some strange reason, I can write sweet romance or I can write erotica. However, I don't have much luck writing romance in between those heat levels.
I do well writing fantasy and speculative fiction. If you're looking for hard sci-fi, I'm not your gal. Once again, I like reading it but I can't write it. I prefer genres where I can let my imagination go to town and not have to adhere to a bunch of rules. You know, the kinds of stories where I can say...
As a reader I particularly like books that refuse to be limited by genre. Those that are not do tend to be stilted.
ReplyDeleteHi, Omery Owl! I'm visiting from the IWSG today. I thoroughly enjoyed your post. I'm ADHD too, and I so get it! Romance was the genre I chose as the worst for me to write, but I admire writers who can pull it off. I'm mostly a nonfiction writer, and I'll read just about anything. Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteHi, Ornery Owl! I left a comment earlier, but it may have gotten lost in cyber space. I have ADHD too, so I forgot to watch to see if comment moderation was on. I loved your post and could so relate to it: both the ADHD paradox and the distracting side paths (I call them rabbit holes). Have a happy and a creative September!
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