Comments on Nathan Bransford, Author: Do You Read in the Genre You Write?

What would you say if you understand that I have r...

2010-12-09T00:13:07.318-08:00

What would you say if you understand that I have read only one book in the genre in which I wrote my novel? I would say that this is a blessing. Probably the first author in the genre felt the same way. Like the first blank sheet of paper in the world belongs only to you and to nobody else. So you feel free to write your story without feeling that it reminds one another, which has already been written. I feel like the first sculptor.
Now I read something in another genre - one of the best books by contemporary authors that I've ever read. The title of the book is Shantaram.

I do read my genre but not primarily and I think y...

2010-11-05T11:42:24.158-07:00

I do read my genre but not primarily and I think you should write about whatever you feel passion for. I try to read a wide variety of books however. It doesn't hurt to experience other styles and techniques. I like to study the way authors handle their genre. I may not be writing a horror novel but I can study how an author builds suspense and handles description. I may not be writing a sci-fi or fantasy but I enjoy their creative description of their unique worlds. Or I may get drawn into the internal monologue from a character in one of the classics so that I can learn and give my characters depth. Mostly I read for fun and write with that same enjoyment but I do believe that reading outside your genre can give you creative approaches to your own work.

I read primarily in my genre, young adult urban/fa...

2010-11-04T07:47:27.493-07:00

I read primarily in my genre, young adult urban/fantasy or fantasy/realism, so that I can stay current on teen issues and interests. That said, I also read most other genres as well, with the exception of nonfiction. It just doesn't appeal to me. I think that we can learn something from every book we read. Life is learning.

Fo Sho! I read lotsa paranormal romance, which is...

2010-08-18T11:25:01.698-07:00

Fo Sho! I read lotsa paranormal romance, which is the genre I write. Right now my only reading outside that genre is non-fiction- but I go through phases.

I don't think it's to my benefit to read everything in my genre. I tend to start copycatting when I read while writing. Sometimes I think it's better not to know.

Like the series I just finished- I hadn't read Kresely Cole yet when I started it, and I'm glad! I would have wondered if it was too "Kresley Cole on the water with mermaids and other sea creatures."

Good question!

My two favorite authors never read other peoples w...

2010-06-11T10:09:22.156-07:00

My two favorite authors never read other peoples work. Reading peoples stuff is OK up to a point but sooner or later the idea engine within either kicks starts itself or not. I like watching movies and read books that are recommended or given to me by people who probably read way to much.
A long time ago I read so many books I guess I decided to read books that sound and feel honest no matter what the point of view. If it feels real I read it. I always read the last thirty pages first in order not to waste time and finish a book just to finish.

Yes, I love to read fiction and fantasy novels.

2010-06-11T09:07:36.610-07:00

Yes, I love to read fiction and fantasy novels.

I read mysteries and I read them. But I also enjoy...

2010-06-10T22:04:05.933-07:00

I read mysteries and I read them. But I also enjoy sci-fi, histories and biographies.

Hmm, well I do write in genres that I read, but I ...

2010-06-10T18:50:06.388-07:00

Hmm, well I do write in genres that I read, but I enjoy reading all sorts of genres so I dont think it correlates. However, I do agree that reading in genres that you also write helps facilitate your writing process.

~TRA

http://xtheredangelx.blogspot.com

I read in the genre I write,romance suspense. That...

2010-06-10T12:06:30.729-07:00

I read in the genre I write,romance suspense. That said,I also read what I would like to write. Horror,fantasy,mystery.How can you write if you don't love to read.

One of the absolutely BEST things about writing Mi...

2010-06-10T11:17:47.845-07:00

One of the absolutely BEST things about writing Middle Grade is that I get to read MG with impunity. I anyone looks at the garrishly covered book with monsters or wizards, or whatever, on the front, I can say (at least to myself) that it's research. Ha! I read just about anything and everything, but I absolutely love to read Middle Grade.

I tend to ignore genre in general when choosing so...

2010-06-10T10:48:05.268-07:00

I tend to ignore genre in general when choosing something to read, because a good many books do not fit precisely into only one genre. I want a book I will enjoy reading and that I learn from, so I'm not going to pass on a book that looks interesting because of the genre someone decided it must be shoved into. I also don't distinguish between adult, fiction and nonfiction, YA, or even J selections. I simply love books.

Mostly I like reading fantasy, particularly histor...

2010-06-10T10:40:28.638-07:00

Mostly I like reading fantasy, particularly historical fantasy which is what I write. But I also love reading about faith, history, (anything with a compelling story!) how to (not just writing-related) and parenting books/articles. Then there are the romances that I get sucked into and sometimes am asked to review. Of course, there's also the YA stuff I love and it tends to cover the same gamut, but also includes urban fantasy and straight-forward fiction. We won't go into what I read for my toddler, who has it all memorized anyway and doesn't need me to read so much as listen.

I do. Plus I watch movies set in the same time per...

2010-06-10T10:38:37.801-07:00

I do. Plus I watch movies set in the same time period as my current WIP. It keeps the mood and the general atmosphere I'm shooting for easily accessible.

:)
G.

I find that the nonfiction books I read give me a ...

2010-06-10T09:35:35.810-07:00

I find that the nonfiction books I read give me a lot to work with in my fiction writing. Little bits of brain science (okay more than a few bits), tons of research on temperament theory- those things have helped me more in creating characters that take on lives of their own than reading in my own genre(s).

I like to read a lot of humor, too- I started with tons of Peanuts books as a kid- love old Calvin and Hobbes and Garfield and especially, especially Bloom County. Get Fuzzy is great too. I find that the cartoonist's take on the world helps me observe things in a different way and has really helped me, now that I think of it, more with writing comedy than anything else possibly could in my other genre(s).

Wow, I hadn't thought about that before. Thanks for making me think Mira and Mrs. Bransford- even though it kinda hurts!

I write poetry, YA fantasy, and literary fiction. ...

2010-06-10T09:24:03.320-07:00

I write poetry, YA fantasy, and literary fiction.

I read children's fiction (esp. fantastical); literary and mainstream (book club type) fiction; classics; sci-fi and romance adult novels; poetry; non-fiction (especially popular science); some memoirs.

So, I read widely. I am more of a generalist than a specialist.

It's the other way around for me. I choose to-...

2010-06-10T09:23:57.445-07:00

It's the other way around for me. I choose to--nay, MUST--write in the genre I enjoy reading the most. In this way I muster the greatest amount of interest/passion in what I'm writing. I hear over and over from writers that, if you don't enjoy reading your own work, how can you expect others to enjoy it?

Definitely. I love to read and have since I was a ...

2010-06-10T09:06:58.044-07:00

Definitely. I love to read and have since I was a child. It's only been in the last 10 or 15 years that I began write. I write the kinds of books I would like to read.

I read more in genre's I don't write. I sp...

2010-06-10T08:54:38.632-07:00

I read more in genre's I don't write. I spend a lot of time in science mags.

I can't imagine wanting to write in a genre th...

2010-06-10T08:36:46.262-07:00

I can't imagine wanting to write in a genre that I also didn't love to read. That would feel way too much like work.

I think it's really important to write both in...

2010-06-10T08:00:56.685-07:00

I think it's really important to write both in and out of genre--IN genre though, I am more careful to read both GOOD examples and BAD examples so I don't fall into pits or traps.

In OTHER genres, I prefer to stick to just good books...

As a children's book author, I think it's ...

2010-06-10T07:57:33.203-07:00

As a children's book author, I think it's vital to read extensively in one's own genre and occasionally in other genres (not only to be widely read and to learn, but so one's head won't explode).

It's important to know what's out there, to take in the rhythms of language, and to know what's possible. I think it's fairly impossible to write well without being an avid reader of the genre you wish to write for. It also helps a writer decide which genre they feel most to attached to. Although I love all sub-genres of kids' books, my true reading passion seems to lie with MG, and low-and-behold- that's the genre in which I'm mainly published.

READ??!! Who the hell has time to read???

2010-06-10T07:50:14.185-07:00

READ??!! Who the hell has time to read???

Yes! I learn from every author I read, what works...

2010-06-10T06:59:10.739-07:00

Yes! I learn from every author I read, what works, what doesn't, what I wish I'd thought of first. Writers write, but if writers do not read in their genre, their journey will be longer and harder than it has to be.

I love good middle grade and YA fiction. I love to read it; I love to write it. I'm so lucky to have found what I love.

Thanks, Nathan, for opening up the 250 first words...

2010-06-10T06:57:10.546-07:00

Thanks, Nathan, for opening up the 250 first words contest so everyone has an equal chance at getting picked.

I read all genres now, but when I was younger, I stuck with horror/thrillers/suspense. Some of my favorite writers do not write in my genre. I recommend everyone branch out; great writing transcends genres.

Oh absolutely. I think it is imperative to read i...

2010-06-10T06:06:25.649-07:00

Oh absolutely. I think it is imperative to read in the genre you're writing to get a feel for what kinds of things are "rules" and what's more like "guidelines". Each genre has them. And yeah, some of it you can break or bend, but you should know what the rule/guideline is you're bending or breaking and why you are bending/breaking it. I've heard a lot of writers swear they CAN'T read in the genre they're writing because they'll start sounding like whatever they are reading. This always kind of strikes me as someone who isn't yet secure in their voice or their story. And while I freely admit that I can't read something like a period piece (ah, Mr. Darcy) without winding up inserting stiffer, more formal language and words like "thither" (such a great word) when I write ANYTHING (because all of my work is contemporary), mostly, I've solidified who I am as a writer and can stick to my own voice. I think it's far more important to keep your finger on the pulse of what's being published, what's trendy, what's overdone, and most of all to figure out how what you're doing is DIFFERENT from what everybody else is doing.