As an aspiring writer, I have always enjoyed writing in different genres. I begin by writing the foundations of a prose or a short story before embellishing it.
Whichever genre you decide to write in, they all have their basic conventions to follow, in order to appeal to a particular readership. The more you write, the more you can get these conventions nailed down. You can begin playing with them, testing the boundaries and limits to break and push beyond how they’re meant to be. Some writers decide to strictly adhere to these conventions, conscious of the importance of the reader and not feeling confident enough to do otherwise.
Years ago, I was one of these writers. Too nervous to break rules, frightened to ruin the concept of the piece. I found myself writing the most basic of stories, not crafting it into a particular theme. As I learnt and experienced more, I found myself writing fantasy-fiction. I quickly picked up the conventions of fantasy-fiction and writing within the boundaries, enjoying the worlds I was able to create. However, I soon found myself slipping into a rut and refused to write nothing but fantasy-fiction.
More recently, I wanted to break free of writing fantasy and dabble in writing other genres. I realised that if I wanted to pursue a career as a novelist and have a better chance in moving into the world of publishing, I must show agents and editors that I am not a one trick pony. I can write more and I also wanted to prove this to myself.
To confront this fear, I started to practise writing small extracts in four genres. At first I was apprehensive to be writing in some of these new styles, worried that inspiration would not come and I would fail. I did struggle at the beginning, watching the flashing cursor for ages before I began typing. I came to the realisation that I was very good at free writing in different genres and enjoyed writing in new ones just as much, if not more, than fantasy.
The four genres I have practised writing in were Horror, Crime, Sci-fi and Fantasy.
Sophie Creates 