Wednesday, February 07, 2018

IWSG--Genre Love

February's post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group is hosted by Stephen Tremp, Pat Garcia, Angela Wooldridge, Victoria Marie Lees, and Madeline Mora-Summonte. To learn more about the IWSG, check out their website, Facebook group, and Twitter feed.

For this month, we've been posed the following question: What do you love about the genre you write in most often?

 I write both science fiction and fantasy, though the majority of my work is fantasy. One of the main things that drew me to both types of speculative fiction is the chance to escape the everyday. Part of my author tagline is "A sense of wonder," and that's what I seek in both my writing and reading. Wonder is an underappreciated emotion, something many of us lose forever once we're past childhood. Without wonder, we take the world for granted. These days, I tend to experience wonder most in science or in museum exhibits; I've read so much it's a rare book or author that can surprise me. I still strive for wonder as a way to unleash curiosity and creativity.

Speculative fiction, particularly fantasy, is a flexible genre. It can be set in any world imaginable, tell any type of story, and be blended with other genres. You can ask any type of "What if?" question and create your own answer. Themes can range from so-familiar-they're-comfort-reading to revolutionary ideas that inspire scientists.

Finally, fantasy and magic can feel very empowering. Who wouldn't want the ability to cast spells like Harry Potter or Hermione, wield lightning like my Season Avatar Kay, or bond with a magical telepathic horse as in Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books? Many fantasies employ a "Chosen One" motif, but there are others where an ordinary person is able to have an extraordinary adventure.

What's your favorite genre? Feel free to share in the comments.

14 comments:

Angela Wooldridge said...

Hi Sandra, I love Spec-Fic too. There's just so much scope!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

A sense of wonder - I think you nailed it. Fantasy and science fiction give us a chance to visit a place beyond imagination.

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

Angela, I agree.

Thanks, Alex!

Crystal Collier said...

Basically, you like being a god, eh? ;) LOL. Actually, I love the getting away aspect too. Sometimes writing or reading is the only way I can step out of my house, and thank goodness for that avenue of escape!

Anonymous said...

Yeah, a sense of wonder. I think that's the idea of writing fiction in the first place. Our imagination takes off...and before you know it, we are absolutely somewhere else besides where we ARE.

Great post, by the way. Maybe even ready for a Pukelitzer Award! (great trophy, and if you're Feeling Nosey, come over and visit!)

PT Dilloway said...

Those are good reasons.

Christine Rains said...

I love the flexibility of SpecFic and playing with the what if questions. Most of my stories are born that way. :)

emaginette said...

Sounds like 'a sense of wonder' is your driving force. That must be helpful when looking at your next project. :-)

Anna from elements of emaginette

Cathrina Constantine said...

Ahhh....wonderful post!!! And so true, at least for me.

Diane Burton said...

Great post. Ditto what others said about your "sense of wonder" comment. So true. Love that feeling.

Yvonne Ventresca said...

I've noticed a lot of sci-fi people in the IWSG blog hop! I write contemporary suspense for teens.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Speculative fiction covers a lot of ground these days (horror is technically speculative fiction--a sub-genre of fantasy). It seems like it's split between the types of stories intended to inspire wonder and the types meant to explore the darker sides. Horror is obvious, but then you have darker sci-fi and urban fantasy, etc.

J.L. Campbell said...

Learning new things is always agreeable to me! My genre is romance though.

The Cynical Sailor said...

You've got a great tagline! I love reading about things that stretch the boundaries of the imagination. Cheers - Ellen

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