First, I wish you a delightful autumn. Drink in the scents of fall, feast your eyes on the bejeweled colors, and savor the tastes of the season.
Autumn stories tend to fall into two main categories: earthly and unearthly.
Earthly autumn stories are much the same as those
written for any other time of year, with only seasonal, weather and holiday
changes. These provide backdrops for wonderful themes and plot twists.
Unearthly stories are cut from a very different
cloth. Usually the world of the paranormal – whether light or dark – comes into
play. For those who write in this genre, there are few ‘musts’ or restrictions, and
just about anything goes as long as the integrity of the story is sound. We can
indulge in exotic world building, travel on an alien space ship, use stone
circles to pass through time portals, and allow witches to brew potent magic
potions.
The standards for
authenticity vary depending on which genre we choose to write in. Some authors have a passion for research and accuracy, and express it in their novels. Loops exist where an author who writes thrillers or murder mysteries, for instance, is expected to have impeccable knowledge of FBI guidelines, morgue procedures, CSI skills, ballistic expertise, as well as knowing just about everything a practicing attorney would know about wills and child custody.
This is not the only genre where an author is held
to an extremely high factual standard. Historical romance can be just as demanding. There
have been many heated debates about how historical fact should be woven
together with a fictitious story.
The paranormal writer, on
the other hand, can get
away with – murder. Of facts and procedures, that is. Mermaids can steal
humans
away beneath the sea, only to find the human can breathe by way of
magical
infusions, time travel can be a mode of transportation, curses can turn
people into
insects, and a mischievous djinn or ghost can interfere with life and
love. Humans can even mate with extraterrestrials and vampires are
immortals.
To many, the paranormal world may seem delusional
or a haphazard product of author fantasy. While it can be, much of it is based
on ancient legends and tribal teachings that morphed over time. It is not
as haphazard as it may seem. The beautiful painting below is of the goddess Night, painted in the 1880s.
There is a genre suited to
everyone’s style of writing, and stories to entertain every reader.
Where does your writing
fall on the scale of absolute fact or fantasy? Earthly or unearthly?
As a reader, how do you feel about the different degrees of
factual accountability depending on the genre?
For this author, as long as a story is compelling, well
written and structurally intact, it can be enjoyed.
GEMMA JULIANA is a multi-published author who
lives in an enchanted cottage in north Texas with her handsome hero, teen son
and a comical dog. She loves making new friends and hearing from readers.
Exotic coffee and chocolate fuel her creativity. You can buy Gemma’s books
on Amazon and visit her website http://www.gemmajuliana.com. To follow on Twitter: @Gemma_Juliana https://twitter.com/gemma_juliana
8 comments:
I love earthly and unearthly...and everything about autumn!
As a reader, I'll get into both types if the author imbues their tale with enough facts to suspend my disbelief over the fancy.
As a writer, I love adding the fanciful to the facts. Making the impossible plausible is the best thing about writing. Great post, Gemma.
I love paranormal stories - lets the imagination soar. :)
I love both earthly and unearthly. I love writing a little magic into some of my stories. I've written one paranormal romance and it was fun to just let my imagination go wild. I love time-travel romance.
As a writer, I've written a lot of different genres. As I reader, I enjoy almost anything is it's well done. Nice post, Gemma
I love the fantasy nature of paranormal stories...the what-if and the open possibilities. :)
I love ghost stories, especially when they are filled with suspenseful romance.
Thanks to each of you who commented yesterday. I went out for a while, thinking I'd be back soon, and it ended up being an all day outing.
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