The Trendsetter

In my previous post I wrote about Creating a story for your fiction where I mentioned how you can determine what fiction or novel you’re interested to write based on your favorite movies.

In this post, I would like to expand upon that post by exploring how your favorite novels could be used to help determine what type of fiction genre you write.

If you want to be a writer that is.

As I wrote in the blog titled Writer’s secret to successful writing recently, writers usually are avid readers and they will read anything and I mean anything they can get their hands on and especially if it help them to complete their novel. Well, probably there are some who don’t need to read at all and they just write, but I think this is impossible.

So, let’s start with your favorite novels you’re always going after–no matter what others tell you to read. If you go to the book stores and you peruse the fiction isles, what sections do you go first – romance, science fiction, memoirs, mystery or crime or mainstream novels? The same thing should be asked when you go to the library to borrow your favorite novels.

As for me, I read everything – from romance to mainstream and everything in between. I must confess though I’m attracted most by the book’s cover. I don’t know why, but the cover of the book always attracts me first. When I go to large bookstores - like Borders here in Beantown (Boston that is) - I disappear right into the fiction isles and the DH starts to panic he almost approached the clerk to make an announcement of my name and ask me to come to the counter.

When he finally found me, he said, “Are you still reading that chick lit?”

“Well, I’m just checking. But the cover is pretty don’t you think so?”

He rolled his eyes and sighs. “Is it really a novel? With this pink and lime green illustration with a girl carrying toy dog and everything?”

“The story is so funny. You should read it.”

“Nah. I’ll meet you at the magazine section, then? In fifteen minutes or so?”

“Okay.”

Fifteen minutes passes. Then, twenty minutes and then he finds me in a different isle this time but still in the romance section no less.

So my favorite novels have characters that are witty, funny and flawed, and have substance, the plot is well planned with the main characters having clear goals and are determined to achieve them despite all the challenges and obstacles thrown in front of them. And the ending must be about the main characters reaching their goal or not because they deserved it and not because of coincidence.

Well, where can I get this type of story? Practically, in every genre and I don’t limit myself to one or two genres. I always read reviews, reading a lot of writing magazines to find the novels that have the story that interests me the most. I don’t care who wrote it either they’re a first time writer or popular and established writers.

So yeah, whenever I want to write, I think about what story I like to read and how it interests me the most. And I’m indeed writing this type of story right now.

As for the advice for writers to ‘write what you know’, I’d say write not only what you know but what interests you the most. If you write what interests you it will sustain the momentum you need so desperately when you write 60,000 - 100,000 words. This is not a small feat for a first time writer.

So, after spending much time reading your favorite novels you’re ready to write.

As Red Smith said about writing, “Just sit down and open up a vein and bleed it drop by drop.”