Tag Archives: genre

I Write What I Want to Write!

The other day someone asked me what kind of stories I see myself writing in the future. For me, that’s not an easy question because, honestly, I don’t know.

I can’t see myself only writing in one genre. Yes, there are authors who only write novels that involve detectives and serial killers. And some writer’s pen only romance or historical sagas. But, I can’t see myself limiting myself.

My first novel WINDFALL was a dramatic thriller. However, next year when I write its sequel, I’m not going to limit myself to writing another dramatic thriller. It might end up being a dramatic thriller but it might be something entirely different. Right now I don’t know. I’m giving myself options.

This year I’m writing two novels. One is a coming of age story. The other is a paranormal romance.

I suppose if I was younger I might want to focus on one genre and become famous for that. Like Stephen King did with horror, or John Grisham did with novels about lawyers.

But I’m 60. At this point in my life I’m not going to limit myself.

I’m a writer, sometimes novels and sometimes screenplays, and I’m going to write what I want to write.

Writing Devices for the Blind in 1913 (Library for the Blind)

Life Writing Goals

I went to the library the other day and checked out a book. It sounded really good but, as I started to read it, I realized that I had read it before. I sometimes read books two or more times but I put this particular book down because I did not want to read it again.  This also happens to me when I check out movies. Sometimes I’ll watch movies more than once but, more often than not, I watch it once and that is enough.

Now, I read a lot of books and I watch a lot of movies. So discovering that I’ve already read a story or seen a movie happens from time to time, and it’s going to continue to happen. But, it got me to thinking about my writing goals. I started to think about books I’ve read or movies I’ve seen that really made an impact on me and my life.

I’m talking movies like “Schindler’s List” or “The Wizard of Oz”, books like “The Jungle” or “To Kill a Mockingbird”, “Animal Farm”, “Lord of the Flies” or Steven King’s “The Stand.” These are all stories that made me think, really think. The stories will stay with me forever. And these are the kinds of stories I want to write. Sure, I want a commercial hit but I also want to send a message.

There are plenty of writers out there who can write the romantic comedies or horror flicks, or stories that have violence in them for the sake of violence, or stories with sex in them for the sake of nudity. This is not me. Some writers can write a story once a month because they are formula writers and, that’s okay, there is a place in this world for them, too.

I feel as if I am finally defining the kind of writer I am. Now, will I ever get published? Will my stories ever get made into a movie?

I guess only time will tell…

The Spell

The October reviewing period at MoviePoet.com is over and I have the results of my short HORROR screenplay, “The Spell”.   I wasn’t surprised that I didn’t place, always disappointed but never surprised.

Most reviewers agreed that it needed to be longer.    This seems to happen to me a lot.  I get ideas that are much “longer” than the required page length, in this case, five pages.

Some people didn’t think it was horror.  I disagree with that.  It was horror … just not blood and guts horror.  What can be scarier than getting dumped in prison for a crime you didn’t commit?  What can be scarier than aging dramatically over a short period of time?  What can be scarier than waking up and finding yourself zipped in a bodybag and no one hears your screams?

Anyway, HORROR is not my prefered genre.  But I wrote it and it’ll be rewritten and when it is it’ll be uploaded for everyone to read!