What I Find Fascinating about Genre Fiction
What I find fascinating about the different genres in fiction are the different ways in which they appeal to different people.
Why is crime always such a big seller? People want to see justice done, are fascinated by what makes others turn to crime, have become a fan of the detective or whoever is the hero of the novel they’re reading and wants to read the latest adventure and also to solve the puzzle that the crime story sets. (Of course, most readers have more than one reason for loving a certain type of story. I know I do).
As for historical fiction, for me, the big appeal is looking at viewpoints you might not have thought about before and also to work out what could have happened in situations where there is no definite conclusion. (What actually happened to the Princes in the Tower is the obvious one here. Were they killed? Were they smuggled out of the country? Why was Henry VII so worried about Perkin Warbeck? You can have lots of fun writing books that try to answer questions like that. You don’t need to be right even. What you do need to be is accurate with the proven history and make a good case for the solution you are coming up with).
So what do you like to read and why? (I love to read outside my normal genre for writing in, which is healthy, I think).
Writer at work. Image via Pixabay.
Chandler’s Ford Today
My comments above tie in nicely with this week’s Chandler’s Ford Today post where I interview Gill James about her historical fiction, The House on Schellberg Street. More details tomorrow.
Personal history can often be found in things like old exercise books, which in turn reveal things about political history and how much people knew at the time. Image via Pixabay.
From Light to Dark and Back Again – Reviews
Many thanks to all who have left reviews for From Light to Dark and Back Again (Kindle or paperback versions). One example is below but all are much appreciated.
Feedback, negative or positive, is vital for any writer. We learn from mistakes. We learn we can’t please all of the people all of the time! It is also confirmation you are reaching out to readers (hopefully in a good way).
What you can glean from reviews is the general consensus, which can be incredibly useful in thinking about who your Ideal Reader is likely to be, which in turn helps you to write more effectively for that mythical creation.
I wrote a piece a while ago about book reviews (and why they matter) on Chandler’s Ford Today. I share the link here. See what you think. The great thing with a review is it doesn’t have to be long but does give at least one clear reason as to why you liked something or didn’t. Help an author – review them!
Allison Symes: Collected Works 