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Okay, I'm back home and it looks like I'm gonna be sticking around for a while, so theoretically, I should be settling down to do some writing... any second now...
Maybe not.
I'm not experiencing a writer's block.
Nope. I just don't particularly feel like writing.
So sue me. I'll get back to it... any day now.
Yes sirree...
Lately, I've just been having too darned much fun. No apologies for that. We only go around once.
Since I don't have much to report on the progress of my WIP, let's just move along and consider this month's question, shall we?
Of all the genres you read and write, which is your favorite to write in and why?
Good question. Although I know the term turns some people off, the pigeonhole that takes the least amount of hammering to fit my writing into is Literary Fiction. Yeah, I know, that sounds pretentious as all get-out, doesn't it? Like I'm insinuating the stuff I write is somehow more meaningful or has more merit than Genre Fiction. Far from it! It's simply the closest fit, as described by the industry.
| [image courtesy of unsplash] |
People, and what makes them tick, is absolutely fascinating to me.To begin with shadowy images of characters, and then slowly develop them until they are clearly defined in my mind... and in readers' minds... gives me great pleasure.
Unlike Charles Schultz' Linus in this old 1959 Peanuts cartoon, I genuinely like people and honestly believe that even those who aren't particularly admirable deserve to be fleshed out and presented in such a way that instills some level of empathy. Readers may hate Archie, the main character in Explosive Beginnings, but at least, they (hopefully) come to understand why he is the way he is.
Stories not only give us a much needed practice on figuring out what makes people tick, they give us insight into how we tick. [Lisa Cron]
Which, of course, doesn't mean that writers of Genre Fiction don't create awesome characters. It just isn't their main focus.
Being classified as Literary Fiction doesn't necessarily mean a book is snooty, high-brow and full of la-di-dah words and phrases... like some of the books forced upon us when we were in school... but some admittedly are. Not MY stuff, mind you, but some. However, I think it's fair to say that most literary writers have an inordinate love for the sound and rhythm of words. Not just what they say... but how they sound.
The best thing about writing literary fiction? No template. There are no expectations of a certain kind of story arc, character type, resolution, or a guaranteed happily-ever-after ending. Anything goes. There are no road maps, which suits me perfectly. (Those things are a real pain in the patootie to fold...)
The best explanation I've seen regarding the difference between Genre Fiction and Literary Fiction came from freelance writer Steven Petite in a 2014 Huffpost article: In essence, the best Genre Fiction contains great writing, with the goal of telling a 'captivating story' to escape from reality. Literary Fiction is comprised of the heart and soul of a writer's being, and is experienced as an 'emotional journey' thru the symphony of words, leading to a stronger grasp of the universe and of ourselves.
Yeah... well, that still sounds a little lofty, and I doubt if I've ever risen to those levels. Bottom line? I write stories that I'd like to read. Period. Not my fault the industry gurus categorize my hybrid stuff as literary. After all, in the end, what we all write is... words.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.