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Writing and Publishing, Part 4:
Creating the content:
The Genre Box:
This word must be of French origin since we are instructed to
pronounce it something like John-ray with a loooong John. I rather
enjoy the looks I get when I pronounce it gen-rhee. Well, what
does it mean?
I go to my dictionary and find this:
Genre:
A category of artistic composition, as in music or literature,
marked by a distinctive style, form, or content.
In writing, genre has come to mean the reference category, or the type of book we are writing. What is it about? In truth, there are only two kinds of books. The only two kinds, are fiction and exposition. All of the other genres are sub-categories of one of these. A great number of the books sold as one or another of the forms of exposition are really fiction; bad fiction.
The reason we have so many sub-categories is for placement in the library and bookstore. How will people find it? Will it be in the gardening section, the music section, or science fiction? If the placement is important to the writer or publisher, and is in doubt, there should be a reference on the back of the book, in the upper right corner like this: (Reference/Science Fiction). Then the stock person in the bookstore will know where to put it.
Most folks in this business advise us to get into a genre box as writers. We are advised that we can attract a certain type of reader and develop a fan base, just like King did. Well, maybe. It's just another decision; a personal and a business decision. It may be a good option for some folks who really enjoy writing a specific genre. For me, to get into that box would be a bad decision. Perhaps I could do as King does and develop a fan base. Then I could write the same theme and plot over and over again.
I must ask myself how that would be different from being a nine-to-fiver. If a comfortable slot was my goal, I need never have retired from Ford Motor Company. In general, I was quite comfortable there, though I never let my manager know it. My major complaint about being there was that I was in a box. In this case it was actually a cubical, but the feeling was that of being stifled. Physically and creatively, there was not much space to work with.
Now that I am graduated from the nine-to-five, managed existence, I will resist being creatively stifled for the rest of my life. As part of my program to do this, I have invented pen-names for different general areas of creative effort. when I first did this, I thought I was only inventing pen-names. I was wrong.
Somewhat to my surprise, I found that these alter egos took on a character and style of their own. In reality, they really were separate entities which had been suppressed parts of myself. I turned them loose, almost accidentally, by naming them. Once released, they took their own way and a process of reintegration had begun.
Once I released these personality fragments, I discovered that they were the most creative parts of me. Now that they are empowered, they are gradually merging back into a single entity and bringing all of their knowledge and creative energy with them. Even after we are merged again, I will keep the pen names. They allow me to create in whatever genre I want to with no conflict or confusion for what a book purchaser will expect. In fact, If I decide to work in other areas, I may even create new pen-names. You may believe all of this or not. I have no choice because it's happening to me.
Here are the names I am currently using:
Willie Gaffer is a critic, philosopher, humorist. He writes fiction,
humor and social commentary.
Markus Thyme is an adventurer and student of human cultures and
behaviors.
Madam Evelina Maria Bellenda is a spiritual philosopher and investigator.
This does not mean she has nothing to say about social and cultural
concepts. One of her functions is to illuminate the relationship
of our temporal life to our spiritual self.
I, William E. Steinman, am a technical writer and teacher as befits
my background in science.
Now, as far as my alter egos are concerned, I have already said that you have to be a little bit crazy to be an artist. It matters not if you are a writer, painter, or poet. Van Gogh was a lot crazy. Poe was nuttier than a fruit cake. Some may argue about Steinbeck, but must acknowledge that Hemingway was far enough gone to blow his own brains out.
Going as far as Ernest did is not necessary, but we must open to that part of our subconscious where craziness resides if we wish to be creative. I fully believe that we must be a little bit crazy to be a real artist. If we wish to simply be mechanics, it is not necessary, of course. However, why bother? Why not just become a bank clerk or a tax accountant. These are honorable, good, steady, paying professions.
I will reiterate, writing is a creative process. Creative people are not ordinary. They are oddballs. Take a look at the history of writing. The creative people must be able to go into the ghettos and sewers of their own minds. These places are where the nuggets of great stories hide. If you cannot ferret them out, you can still be a writer, but not a great one. In this series, I really want to encourage creative writing. Therefore, I will emphasize creative concepts throughout.
Next week, we'll get into the Gaffer method of writing. As
I said, Willie Gaffer is a pseudonym for myself. That is no longer
a secret.
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