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Write genre, make money: Editor's Notes #271
October 03, 2018
Hello,

Three words that still have meaning, that I think we can apply to all professional writing, are discovery, originality, invention.
—John Dos Passos


In this issue:

1. Write genre, make money
2. Tickled my funny bone
3. Interesting Web site
4. Writing prompt

1. Write genre, make money
Merriam-Webster defines genre as "a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content." In literature, the big three of genre includes romance, sci-fi, and mystery. Subgenres include categories such as medical thriller, historical romance, and graphic fantasy. And if you think genre is only for fiction, think again. Biography, history, and literary criticism are also considered genres.

According to Jan Fields, most self-publishing authors who live off their writing, write genre.

Genre readers are voracious readers, always on the lookout for new material. This means there is always a growing market.

One appeal of genre is that the reader knows what to expect. And this leads to one of the benefits of writing genre. It is something like a fill-in-the-blanks, but with a requirement for imagination and a splash of fresh scent added.

Mystery: a "crime" that needs to be solved (in mysteries for the very young, a missing toy can be a crime); clues, both relevant and irrelevant; characters with an element of the hunter and the prey. Resolution that explains all.

Romance: two people who need to get together and don’t yet know it; another person who gets in the way; social, economic, or geographical impediments to overcome. Resolution of happily-ever-after.

Sc-fi: another world, another time; evil forces that threaten; unlikely heroes to save the day. Resolution of restored universe.

If you want to wallow in the wonders of writing genre, read enough to be sure you love what you will be writing. If you can’t read your genre obsessively, you are not likely to write it well.

If you do love reading genre, you will already have a sense of the form and style to adopt. Why not give it a go? If you sell one genre piece successfully, you have a great launch pad for your next one.

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2.Tickled my funny bone
In filling out an application, where it says, "In case of emergency, notify:" I put in DOCTOR.

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3. Interesting Web site
Interested in a list of genre categories? Wikipedia will make you scroll and scroll and scroll. There’s something for everyone.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_writing_genres#Genres_and_subgenres

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4. Writing prompt
Write a short genre piece using the following elements:
Characters — Cherha and Wint
Setting — Below
Opening problem — The light is too bright

I’d love to see your result. Anyone who sends me a piece of genre following the outline above by October 31, 2018 will get a free sample edit of their piece. Length is up to you as long as you think it’s short.

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