It’s tag time! And this one is about one of my favorite topics: GENRES.
So hi yes! Sorry it’s been a tad quiet over here. Life has been quite full + I’ve been trying to prioritize editing, thus I decided to skip posting when I was supposed to a couple of weeks ago. (I do not prioritize my own books nearly enough, so I’m actually proud of myself??) But I am BACK and super excited because I’m about to do a tag that is absolutely brilliant!
Okay but confession first: I’ve been meaning to do this tag since its creation back in…May 2021. Yes, it’s been a YEAR and I’m only now doing it. But hey, at least I’m doing it within the same month it was made! Just…a year later.
BUT I DIGRESS.
This tag was created by none other than one of my favoritest beans in the world and just the most delightful soul Kenzie @ Smudged Thoughts. If you’re not following her, you’re missing out on actual joy and rainbows and brilliant plot bunnies and wit and hilarity all around plus cookies. So basically, YOU SHOULD BE FOLLOWING HER!
She put together this whole tag for writers all focused on GENRES (with the most fun tag title to boot) and tagged me for it which is good, otherwise I would have gone all pirate and stolen it because it is a ridiculously fun and clever tag and how could I not do it???
But first and foremost, we must get the official stuff out of the way: the all important Rules.
RULES
- Thank the blogger who tagged you, and leave a link back to their blog
- Leave a link back to the creator of the tag (Here’s the ORIGINAL POST.)
- Answer the questions honestly, and include at least one (1) gif of a pelican >> it’s in the rules, folks. you have to do it.
- Tag 3+ friends to do the tag on their own blogs! >> and make sure to give them cookies. because that’s always fun.
(These are the best rules ever. I can’t. XD)
Alrighty, let’s get to it!
The Jolly Genre Jubilee Tag
What is your favorite genre of fiction to write?
I mean, I think we all know the answer here…
~ F A N T A S Y ~
More specifically, young adult fantasy.
(I’m actually not sure I’ve ever written in any other age category???)
I’ve long had a heart for teens, teen girls especially, and I love fueling my stories full of struggling teens finding ways to overcome and grow and be their messy, adorable selves while navigating the big, scary world. That age between childhood and adulthood is fascinating and exciting and hard, and even here at 30 I still love writing characters in that age group and exploring all the many ways of finding oneself during that vital stage of life and growing up while not letting the world destroy that youthful wonder. I don’t know, guys, I just really like young adult books. I can’t imagine ever outgrowing that.
As far as fantasy, well. The reason I love that is an entire blog post in and of itself. But to sum it up, I love the infiniteness of it. I love being able to explore all kinds of worlds. To ask “what if” and make up chaotic and whimsical things. I love how it’s boundless, a genre wildly free for the imagination. But, at the same time, it mirrors the truth of our own world in such a powerful, thought-provoking way. Fantasy is just incredible.
Also there’s dragons. SO.
What genre would you NEVER get caught writing? . . .EVER.
There’s honestly probably a LOT. I’m exceedingly picky about my genres and really only truly love a choice few.
Military fiction would be one. Lololol. I know noooothing about that and would be bored out of my mind.
I highly doubt I’ll ever write a contemporary or even historical fiction. Now if we’re talking contemporary or historical fantasy YES. But straight up no fantasy, real life stuff? I can’t imagine I’d ever do that. MAYBE in a flash fiction, but…probably not. Eheh.
Hard scifi is another. Ya know, where the action is interrupted with walls of text describing scientific gibbly-goo of unpronounceable words. Yeah. No. I cannot.
One that may upset many people (please don’t unfollow me!) is…Westerns. Alas and alack, I just cannot seem to get on board with the Western love. One really funny thing about me is that if I don’t like the aesthetic of a genre, I don’t like the genre itself. I am exceedingly visual and the aesthetic of a story is like 50% of the reason I will either like or dislike a story (the characters are the other 50%). And the dusty, rough and tumble aesthetic of Westerns makes me wrinkle my nose. I just…do not like it. It looks hot and tiresome and dirty and I want my whimsy and greenery and dragons, thank you. So yeah, no Westerns for me.
(Now watch me get some Western plot bunny and have to eat my words.)
What fictional genre feels most like home to you?
Again, I think we all know this answer. XD
FNATASYYYY.
But if we’re getting into specifics, medieval fantasy. The good ol’ Lord of the Rings-esque stuff. I’ve actually in the past few years been…veering away from medieval fantasy in favor of some more unique stuff?? BUT I still love it. It’s the things I grew up on, and whenever I step back into a world like that it feels like returning home. Stories of quiet villages and farm boys going on a quest to be a king and wise mentors and sprawling worlds and epic battles. Maybe it’s been done a million times over, but I will always love it. It will always feel like home.
Similarly, sweet fairy tale retellings. Stuff like Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, Beauty by Robin McKinley, The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George—I grew up on these things (not to mention Disney princess movies) and it ignites my princess loving heart and turns me into that wide-eyed little girl all over again. I am so utterly fond of those types of tales. <3
If you could transform your real life into any genre of your choosing, which would it be?
Contemporary fantasy!
Because, not gonna lie, as much as I think I’d love to live somewhere like Narnia or Middle-earth, I really like my modern conveniences. Air conditioning, microwaves, and modern plumbing are a must. So if I could have all my modern things and ALSO magic and dragons, yes pleeeease!
In fact, can I just live in the Harry Potter world? It’s the perfect mix of the real world but also so much magic and fantastical creatures and whimsy. I wants it. I needs it.
What genre does your real life most resemble at the moment?
I’m gonna have to copy Kenzie here and say DYSTOPIAN.
Seriously, I’m pretty sure we’ve all felt like characters from a dystopian novel in these past couple of years. 2019, where the world felt normal and okay and people were actually sane still, seems like a distant memory… If only some random 16-year-old will swoop in and save the world. That’s what’s supposed to happen, right???
Okay but on a less depressing note, my life personally these past couple of months have honestly felt more like a quiet contemporary. Maybe even a Studio Ghibli-esque story. There have been a lot of just peaceful days of creating, tons of being outside in the wind and flourishing spring air, quiet walks talking about little nothings with my sister, cozy evenings reading good books. Soft days with internal struggles but so much beauty around me. So maybe the world outside feels like a dystopian, but for me personally things have been…good. Plenty of hardship, but good and peaceful and lots of growth despite it.
Find the peace and beauty in the chaos, friends. It’s so worth it. <3
What’s a genre you’re interested in writing, even though you’ve never written it before?
Oooh! I have so many different types of fantasy stories I want to write that are honestly hard to even categorize in specific fantasy genres. But one is contemporary fantasy. Many, many years ago I wrote the first chapter of a contemporary fantasy idea I had, but have not touched it since. I think it’s a fun genre though and one I’d love to properly explore one day.
Another one outside my usual brand is apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic. I’ve just been hilariously fascinated by a world that has been on the verge of being wiped out and the few left have to rebuild. Don’t ask me why, it’s just FUN. (In fiction, that is…)
And another surprising one that kind of goes hand-in-hand is zombies. I KNOW. XD For some reason, the idea of zombies is just kind of…neat. I doubt I’d ever actual write a zombie story, but the temptation pops up now and again when I’m feeling particularly adventurous.
What genre is your most recent plot bunny, and where did it come from?
Oh gracious, the plot bunnies are so endless, I’m not even sure which one is my most recent.
Funnily enough, in just these past few weeks I’ve gotten a TON of inspiration for some vague plot bunnies I’ve had for quite a while now, but suddenly they’re becoming solid and full of ideassss.
One is an Alice in Wonderland retelling which has been trying to percolate in my brain for actual YEARS. Another is an original fairy tale I’ve been thinking about for maybe three years or so now that, just a week or two ago, popped into my head with vivid clarity and I feel like I finally have a good hold of this story and it excites meeee. And the third just happens to be that contemporary fantasy I mentioned earlier that I wrote the first chapter of positively ages ago and now has very suddenly popped in my brain with all sorts of new ideas and is demanding attention I don’t have time for.
In fact, I don’t have time for any of them but here we are. Either way, it’s nice of them to AT LAST not be so vague and nebulous. I just don’t know why they all had to come at ONCE and when I cannot give them proper attention. >.>
How many genres have you written thus far in your writing journey?
Dear oh dear. That is a question indeed…
Well, my first story was, in fact, a contemporary about a girl befriending a random horse and no plot to speak of. So I say I’d never write a straight up contemporary but apparently that was a lie because I already did. But does it really count when you’re 9 years old? No fears though, by the time I was 10 I read The Hobbit and started writing fantasy (with a sprinkling of some other spec-fic) and never looked back.
My second ever story was about a tiny girl who lived beneath a mushroom and went on an adventure to find her beloved missing blanket. Then I think I dabbled with some random historical fantasy thing about a magic lake that never went anywhere. Soon after, I started a portal fantasy with a magic talking horse (named Misty, of all things…) and that was when I truly discovered how much I loved writing fantasy. From there I wrote a lot of medieval fantasy, with DRAGONS of course.
As I got older, I started playing around with some more unique fantasy and other spec-fic things.
I’ve written…
- Fairy tale fantasy
- Steampunk fantasy
- Time travel (more of the fantasy brand than scifi, obvs XD)
- A King Arthur/Robin Hood crossover fantasy blatantly inspired by BBC’s Merlin
- Dystopian involving superpowers
- A soft, whimsical, timey-wimey fantasy thing as far as The Timekeeper & the Librarian goes
- And I guess the Fragmented Worlds series kiiiind of would be closer to science fantasy???
So yeah, basically a lot of fantasy things. Is anyone surprised??
That was SO. MUCH. FUN!!! A humongous thanks to Kenzie for creating this delightful thing! Now the real fun part…passing it on!
Tagging…
Katie | Josiah | Nicki | + YOU!
(Seriously, do please do the tag if you want to!)
Also don’t forget your COOKIES. *passes them out to all*
THE QUESTIONS
(For copy and pasting purposes.)
What is your favorite genre of fiction to write?
What genre would you NEVER get caught writing? . . .EVER.
What fictional genre feels most like home to you?
If you could transform your real life into any genre of your choosing, which would it be?
What genre does your real life most resemble at the moment?
What’s a genre you’re interested in writing, even though you’ve never written it before?
What genre is your most recent plot bunny, and where did it come from?
How many genres have you written thus far in your writing journey?
And you can find the original post HERE!
There we have it, my friends! Some perhaps surprising and not-surprising-in-the-least genre reveals from yours truly. Now I want to hear from YOU! What’s your absolute favorite genre of all time? And what’s a genre seemingly everyone loves but you’re not a fan of? Do we share any likes/dislikes? I LOVE genre discussions, so come tell me all the things!
This was so much fun to read through! I so agree that fantasy is one of the best genres with all its imaginative potential. And that life these days is dystopian. XDD….I guess if you live in a dystopia, you seek the fairy tales more
Awwww! I’m totally honored all my nonsensical rambling was, in fact, fun to read. *grins* Thank you! And YES. The unbridled infiniteness of fantasy will always excite me. <3
“I guess if you live in a dystopia, you seek the fairy tales more.” OKAY BUT THAT SHOULD BE A QUOTE. I love that!!!
I’m having the same problem as you, with the plot bunny invasion. XD It’s made even worse, because they won’t stick to just one genre…so I’ll be thinking about a sci-fi, superhero story idea, and then literal minutes later, I’ll be thinking…”ooh, but what about a magical au story with wizards and magicians?” XD It’s driving me slightly insane…the bunnies, they are endless. >.>
IT’S SUCH A PROBLEM. And oh man, yesss. My genres are all over the place too and it’s just ridiculous. Someone has got to get a hold on all these wild plot bunnies running around….
THANK YOU for tagging me, Christine! This tag looks so deliciously exciting! Just reading the questions has given me a lot of ideas about what I usually write or don’t write, and why… I can’t wait to answer them all!
Haha, no shame about not liking the Western genre! I personally love it because I grew up reading it, and it makes me feel at home… so wide-open and breezy and brisk, like anything can happen. But I totally feel you about needing an aesthetic YOU ENJOY. And if you don’t enjoy the dusty Western aesthetic (’tis very dusty indeed), you just don’t. That’s perfectly okay!
Although now I’m kiiiiiiiiiiiiiinda rooting for you to get attacked by Western plot bunnies, like you said xD xD
YOU ARE SO WELCOME!!! I honestly cannot wait to see all your genre preferences. It’s such a fun topic and a blast seeing what all my friends like/dislike. ^_^
Awwww, thanks for understanding! I suspect if I grew up on it I’d be fond of it myself, but it was just never anything I pursued so, alas, grew no attachments to it. But hey, when I was little I used to dislike sci-fi and superhero stuff, and now I LOVE those things, sooo you never know! Maybe one day I’ll convert. I mean, I DO love The Mandalorian, and that’s basically a western in space, so there’s hope for me yet. ;D
*tries to shield self from oncoming plot bunnies but knows it’s a useless endeavor*
I just LOVE that we were the same horse-crazy little girl writing random horse stories. XD It was such an obsession back then!
And YES. FANTASY IS JUST THE BEST. I just adore escaping to other worlds for a while. <3 Plus it’s so FUN! And like you said- there are DRAGONS!!
Honestly, if I were able to relocate to Narnia or Middle Earth or someplace, I think I could handle doing without all the modern amenities. No, it wouldn’t be easy, but I think just to live a simpler life in a kinder world would be worth it. :’) However, I DON’T think I could handle losing technology, ehehe. First of all, I have a bunch of friends on the Internet. XD Aaand I really don’t think I could write a book by hand. XD (but still I WANT TO LIVE IN THE SHIRE SO BADLYYY)
It’s too great. XD Gotta love those horse-craze years!
YES YES YES!!! The sheer infiniteness of it, the untamed imagination, it just– AWK. I love it so very much! (And the dragons. Always dragons.)
I feel that though. I always go back and forth between wanting DESPERATELY to live somewhere like the Shire and then realizing just how much I love my air conditioning and internet. XD Can we just have a portal where we can constantly go back and forth from our world to another???
I think I took a pretty hardcore turn into writing adult fantasy as soon as I turned eighteen, funnily enough? I used to write exclusively YA fantasy, like you. I wrote an Arthurian retelling that started off as middle grade (it was NOT middle grade, but I was sixteen and I thought you could stay close to the weirder parts of Arthurian legend and still be a kid’s book), and then it turned into YA, because I was seventeen and still thought you could put the weirder parts of Arthurian legend into a kid’s book, and then I FINALLY faced the truth and realized it was adult fantasy. And I guess I’ve been writing adult fantasy ever since?? (I still need to finish that Arthurian retelling, though. I need to finish a lot of things. I’m working on it!) I still write YA fantasy sometimes, though! I’ve got a Tam Lin retelling I’ve really wanted to write that would definitely be YA, but I’m having a bit of trouble with it, so it’s on the back burner for now! It’s contemporary fantasy, and I think contemporary fantasy is hard for me to write, too? I really want to write a Tam Lin retelling, though TT
I actually ended up really liking writing more for adult audiences? It’s nice to not have to worry about whether the content is age-appropriate, and I feel like YA fantasy can be uncomfortable with morally grey main characters sometimes, and morally grey characters are typically what I like to write. So in a way, I think it worked out!
All of your stories sound so cool. I hope the Alice in Wonderland story idea works out for you, I love Alice in Wonderland! And do feel free to tell me more about the Arthurian story, I LOVE Arthurian fantasy (as I’m sure absolutely everyone who even tangentially knows me has noticed, lol).
(Also, I hope this comment is at least semi-coherent, I wrote it pretty late at night lmao)
I think that’s great though, that you landed on what you prefer pretty early on. Though I LOVE YA there can be limitations with it sometimes. In fact, right now I’ve had a plot bunny of a story with protagonists who are a little older, so yeah, maybe one day I’ll write something not exclusively YA??? Who knows? Hehe.
OKAY BUT ARTHURIAN LEGEND. Yes! I love it! I went through an especially crazy phase of it during my late teens, which is when I was writing that retelling. It was supposed to be this huge series, but I only ever wrote the first book and then abandoned it. I do still love the idea though and had SO many ideas for it. So…maybe one day I’ll go back to it. There’s just SO MUCH to play with with Arthurian legend! But yeeeah, things can get pretty weird if you stick to the original myths. Those people did some questionable things. XDD
And a contemporary fantasy Tam Lin story??? UM. THAT SOUNDS AMAZING! But yeah, I’m so used to writing made up worlds, or some reason writing a contemporary overwhelms me?? Which makes no sense because I’d actually be writing in a world I KNOW and not having to make everything up! I don’t even know. XD
Also HUZZAH for another Alice in Wonderland fan! 😀 Yes, ONE DAY I am going to write a retelling. Been wanting to for years and years and years. It’s gonna happen!
(Lol! Was perfectly coherent to me! I feel like my reply is the incoherent thing, and I have no excuse since it’s daytime. Though I haven’t had coffee yet today, so we’re calling that my excuse. ;))
Thanks for the tag! This looks like it will be fun to do!
I too am basically a fantasy all the way type gal, but my secondary genre is Sci-Fi and I can definitely see myself writing a hard Sci-Fi someday. I honestly can’t see myself writing anything that doesn’t have some sort of supernatural twist, so like even if I wrote westerns there would be werewolves or something because I am physically incapable of writing something that doesn’t have some fantastical element >.< actually, I do someday want to write a Heist Western Zombie story just because I do like the Western vibe and I think it would go really well with both zombies and a heist story.
You’re so welcome! <3
Oh my goodness, okay but I always say that I am incapable of writing a story without some fantastical element as well! Like, word for word. XD But seriously, any time I get even an inkling of an idea that may be set in the real world BOOM! suddenly there are dragons and fairies and who-knows-what-else. Like. I just can’t NOT. And I’m perfectly okay with that. XD
But BUT. A Western zombie heist story??? OKAY I’D READ THAT. I love heists and, like I said, always thought zombies were cool so???? YEAH. I love your brain. That is amazing.
Ooh I love this post! I might just have to steal the tag 😉 Also I love your unabashed fangirling about fantasy 😀 It’s my favorite too (though I have a soft spot for romantic historical fiction/old contemporaries… and when I say “old contemporaries” I mean like Pride and Prejudice, which was technically a contemporary when it was written, haha). And your life being like a Studio Ghibli movie? Ahh so lovely. I love how we can find quiet gentle havens amidst the dystopia-like wide world. : )
You should absolutely steal it!!! 😀 It’s such a fun one!
Fantasy is just such a delight. I can’t imagine ever not adoring it.
Old contemporaries! That is a BRILLIANT way to put it. Because it’s so true that we call them historical fiction, but that’s not what they originally were. So that is a perfect way of labeling it! Love that!
It’s been a work-in-progress on my part and a lot of grace from God finding the joy and peace amidst the turmoil. I still fail at it a lot, but more and more I’m discovering how to truly embrace the little moments, and I’m so grateful to God for guiding me through this. <3 There really is joy to be found in everything.
I was wondering if you had read the Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. It is definitely medieval fantasy and I think you would like it if you haven’t already read it. I loved the series! The characters are super fun and the world is absolutely lovely and interesting.
I have read the first book and ADORED it but, much to my great shame, never did read the others here years later. So thank you for reminding me that I absolutely must do that. I know they are classics and a must read for fantasy fans. So yes, I’ve got to do that!
I just might do this tag!
My sister dislikes westerns for more or less the EXACT same reason you do–the dust. XD I never really understood that (this coming from someone who adores westerns), but I guess it’s an actual thing!!
You shooould! It was such a blast to answer the questions!
Oh my goodness! XD Okay, that makes me feel so much better. That is hilarious she feels the same way, I thought it was just me! I know it’s an odd reason not to like something but…here we are.
Thanks for tagging me here, Christine! I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of your answers. Never would’ve guessed that fantasy would pop up so often. ;P
It was so lovely and encouraging to hear your heart behind your stories. Knowing the purpose for your writing helps you stay motivated in tough times, so it’s great that you know what yours is. And even though I’ve only read Burning Thorns, I can say with certainty that your writing definitely touches hearts. I so look forward to seeing what God has planned for your writing journey. <3
I must admit, your reasons for not liking Westerns are understandable, but also just very hilarious. XD I enjoy stories about outlaws and sheriffs and train chases, like The Lone Ranger. I’m good otherwise, haha!
You’ve definitely written in a number of different genres, which is really neat. I’m very excited to read The Timekeeper and the Librarian. And I’m also looking forward to whatever else you write in the future. I know whatever stories you pursue, they’re going to end up phenomenal. ^_^
You are so very welcome! I am very unpredictable, aren’t I? 😉
“Knowing the purpose for your writing helps you stay motivated in tough times” <—That is SO true and I love how you put that! Honestly something I need to remember when writing becomes a struggle, so thank you for that! And for all your kind wooords! *melts in a puddle of happy feels* Thank you for always being such a huge support and encouragement to me!
Bwahahaha! I’m such a weirdo. It’s just ridiculous, because Westerns have a lot of tropes I love. But the settings–can’t get on board with ’em, nope. XD
GAH. Thank you again!!!
Oooh, I’ve been meaning to do this tag FOREVER. Thank you for reminding me about it!
I love all your answers so much! ALL THE FANTASY! Yesssss. 🙂
I’m having a plot bunny invasion, lately, as well. What is up with that? They’re swarming. I think it’s because of all the editing, and my brain is screaming at me to WRITE SOMETHING NEW! It was better in April when I was doing some frantic drafting again, but now that I’m back to editing, all the ideas keep popping up and doing their best to distract me.
I know we’ve talked about this before but my first story was about a girl befriending a random horse, too!!!!! 🙂 We must be twins.
Also, I now VERY much want to read a story about a tiny girl living under a mushroom needing to go on an adventure to rescue a beloved blanket. That sounds like a DELIGHTFUL children’s book just WAITING to be written.
It took me a year, so I make no judgements! Lol. But it was SUCH a fun one to fill out! 😀
YES. FANTASY. ALL THE FANTASY. What more does one need in fiction, really??
Oh my goodness, you may have solved the mystery, because I’ve been heavily editing for the past couple of months! That must be it. Plot bunnies do so love to swarm when we’re not drafting, don’t they? >.> I mean, I’m glad to have all this creative excitement, but must it come now? *shakes head*
Aaahhh look at that! Totally twins! That is hilarious and just the best. You gotta love those horse craze days. Good times, good times.
D’awwww! You know, I’ve never thought about revisiting it and turning it into a children’s story. o.O It was just one of those silly stories baby Christine wrote, so it’s never occurred to me it could have potential… Look what you’ve done, now you’ve got my brain going! ;P
So much fun to read this! I’m most assuredly a fantasy/spec fic writer girl too—I read all kinds of genres but only write in one. Go figure. 😂 And I feel ya on Westerns, I don’t like them either in reading, writing, OR watching. Guess they’re just not my thing. 🤷🏼♀️
Huzzah for all the spec-fic love! The real world is overrated anyway. ;P
Really? That makes me feel better! I know a lot of people who LOVE Westerns, so I always feel like the odd gal out with this opinion. Glad to know it’s not just me!
Oh. my. goodness. A King Arther/Robin Hood crossover??? Those are two of my favorite legends and I’ll read/watch/absorb ANYTHING to do with them. *all the heart eyes* And this love for them has *cough* been due to the influence of the BBC. XD I actually just finished Merlin the other day after watching it for 2 years and I. WAS. DESTROYED. The writers might as well be Robin Hood, shooting an arrow through my heart like that. :””’C I was wondering, have you ever seen the BBC Robin Hood from 2006-2009? That is another masterpiece of a show! I would DEFINITELY recommend it to fans of Merlin.
ANOTHER KING ARTHUR AND ROBIN HOOD FAN. *HIGH-FIVES* Aren’t they just the best? One day I really should rework that story… I was quite fond of it.
AND OKAY BUT YESSSS. BBC’s Merlin is literally my favorite show in the entire earth. Even though…yeah. *wraps you in a tight hug* I know, I know. It’s been years since I last saw the ending and I’m still not recovered. Not. Okay. *sniffles* But it’s still such a good show GAH.
And ROBIN HOOOOD. Yes I have! I love that one too! Merlin is my ultimate favorite, but I adored Robin Hood as well. Even though it destroyed me too. >.> BUT YES. I LOVE THEM ALL! And am so happy to find another fan! 😀