The Thing About Genre… Traci Kenworth

The Thing About Genre is…

Traci Kenworth

The thing about genre is that you’re not limited to one, but it helps to remain focused on one for at least three books before you switch to another. I hope to be able to concentrate on two in the future: my Traci Kenworth as a young adult author and my Loleta Abi as a romance author. Concentrating on three at a time at first, helps an agent to place your work better and gets your brand known for that genre.

If you’re bouncing all over the place, it doesn’t give readers the feel that you’re committed to that area until they come to know your work better. It’s like anything: practice makes perfect or in this case, better seen. Now, I have seen Indie authors make this work opposite, where they write what they want but if you want to go traditional, think branding.

I know a lot of authors are slanted either way: Indie or traditional. My preference is traditional, but I may go hybrid later on, who knows? I hear romance does really strong in that category Indie-wise. I had thought to go more Indie for a while, but my thinking has swung around to traditional. Mostly for the brand recognition. I think they have a better way of getting you into the places you want to be than Indie does.

Now, I’ve heard that some big Author Indies can open doors others can’t but remember that Colleen Hoover and several other Indie authors swung around to traditional after going Indie because it helped strengthen their brand and let’s face it, it’s where the money is. Unless you’re someone like James Scott Bell, a traditionally grounded author, who successfully transferred to Indie but again, his branding was already established I think where he can count on his fans buying his work in higher numbers.

Whichever way you go, have fun with it. Get in there, dig, and explore your genre. Learn what works and what doesn’t. Don’t be afraid to take risks. To try twists not invented yet. But I strongly caution, to learn the genre first. Training ground has a reason. It’s for us to be like Bambi on that ice. Fall but get back up. Make mistakes. That’s how we learn.

So, there you have it. The thing about genre is to love the one that you choose and run with it. Until you’re ready to go beyond and try another. Or stay put and expand the genre the way you want to go. None of the greats would be the greats if they hadn’t taken chances. Be confident. Be creative. Love what you do. If the genre doesn’t work for you, move on. It’s never too late to take that next step. Good luck and have a great week! God bless!

Happenings:

Covid is at last, behind me, but I’m having extreme pain in my legs and they are ice-cold in the mornings. I’ve got a doctor’s appointment to see about them next week. I have arthritis already but this just feels so, so painful. I know in my family, legs have been a weak area. My brother had to have operations on his. And my father, toward the end of his life, couldn’t let his legs be touched even in passing by a toddler without writhing in absolute pain. I’ve had to go back to my cane to support me while about right now. I’m very tempted to use those carts you drive at the bigger stores. I know I need to get some exercise in though, regardless, so I’m trying to keep going. How’s your week going?

Some posts about the web you might like:

1. Smorgasboard Magazine https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/smorgasbord-bookshelf-new-book-on-the-shelves-fantasy-the-midnight-rambler-the-hat-book-6-c-s-boyack/ Something evil is after the hat. The ageless enemies have battled many times, but this time Lizzie is wearing the hat. She’s also up against a ticking clock, in that if she can’t find the maker of her new friend’s medicine he will die. The Rambler has kidnapped the only witch capable of making Ray’s medicine in an attempt to make the hat sloppy in his efforts. He’s also flooded the streets with deadly minions to impede any progress our heroes might make. As if that weren’t enough, Lizzie is facing more of life’s struggles, both financially and mechanically. This all goes down in the middle of a huge flood event that she’s ill equipped to handle. Join Lizzie… This is one I’m looking forward to snagging asap.
2. Writers in the Storm https://writersinthestormblog.com/2022/10/7-ways-to-increase-your-creativity-through-workspace-design/ The life of a writer can be unpredictable. Family, medical issues, housing issues, and many more personal-life interruptions can disrupt the flow of words. Many of you may not have options and write when and where you can write. For example, right now I’m writing in the waiting room of a car maintenance shop. The environment here is nice but definitely full of distractions. When we can choose our writing environment, it makes sense to choose a space that optimizes how we write. Keep in mind that not all of us will respond in the same way to the same physical space. In the list of elements I offer below, choose the ones that speak to you, and that feel more creative to you. Brain Science The theory that people are right-brained (creative, intuitive) or left-brained (logical or linear) or both is a popular myth unsupported by neuroscience. The brain’s right and left hemispheres are not separate organs. While the right hemisphere performs more complex functions, and the left hemisphere controls most (if not all) physiological functions, the two hemispheres work together. While the right- versus left-brain theory is a myth, it’s an easy way to understand how people think. At the extremes, a few of us are nearly 100% logical thinkers and a few are almost 100% creative thinkers. A few of us fall into the moves fluidly between the two. In a reality, we are all a mix of the two. Many of us continue to perceive one or the other thinking style as our primary way of perceiving the world. We’re not wrong, but it’s more complex than which hemisphere controls what. Still, we can use brain science and psychology to help us set up a work environment that supports our creativity.
3. Syl’s 65 blog https://syl65.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/friday-inspiration-francesca-battistelli-the-breakup-song/ I LOVE this song!
4. Writers Helping Writers https://writershelpingwriters.net/2022/10/fear-thesaurus-entry-being-pitied/ Debilitating fears are a problem for everyone, an unfortunate part of the human experience. Whether they’re a result of learned behavior as a child, are related to a mental health condition, or stem from a past wounding event, these fears influence a character’s behaviors, habits, beliefs, and personality traits. The compulsion to avoid what they fear will drive characters away from certain people, events, and situations and hold them back in life. In your story, this primary fear (or group of fears) will constantly challenge the goal the character is pursuing, tempting them to retreat, settle, and give up on what they want most. Because this fear must be addressed for them to achieve success, balance, and fulfillment, it plays a pivotal part in both the character arc and the overall story. This thesaurus explores the various fears that might be plaguing your character. Use it to understand and utilize fears to fully develop your characters and steer them through their story arc. Please note that this isn’t a self-diagnosis tool. Fears are common in the real world, and while we may at times share similar tendencies as characters, the entry below is for fiction writing purposes only.
5. Roberta Writes https://roberta-writes.com/2022/10/21/roberta-writes-thursday-doors-riverstill-guest-farm/
6. Charles French https://charlesfrenchonwordsreadingandwriting.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/favorite-horror-films-5-frankenstein/ The movie that I will discuss in this installment is Frankenstein.  This 1931 film was directed by James Whale and produced by Carl Laemelle, Jr. Universal Studios was following up its huge success with Dracula earlier in the year, so this film seemed like a natural choice to make. While the title and characters come from the 1818 Mary Shelley novel, it is a loose adaptation of the text.  Interestingly, the sequel, The Bride of Frankenstein, is a much more faithful treatment of the novel than this first film. This movie, one of the most important in horror film history, introduces Boris Karloff as the Creature. Karloff gives an impressive performance as the lost and lonely being who is unsure of who he is and his place in the world.  This sounds like so many teenagers and young people, and while frightening, Karloff also gathered empathy from viewers in his nuanced performance. Bela Lugosi had been offered the part of the creature but apparently turned it down because of its lack of speaking lines.  Lugosi made a terrible career choice because Karloff would supplant him after this film’s success as the top box office star and would continue to dominate Lugosi’s subsequent film career. I recall seeing this when I was very young. The movie of course, scared the daylights out of me but I was fascinated with it as well. I didn’t know the background behind the movie until now and that in itself is also fascinating.
7. This is Horror https://www.thisishorror.co.uk/news-round-up-week-ending-21-october-2022/ Out now from Dark Matter Inc, edited by Sadie Hartmann and Ashley Saywers, Human Monsters: A Horror Anthology Not all monsters are fantasy. Some are very real, and they walk among us. They’re our friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. They’re the people we’re supposed to trust…and they know it. Contained within this anthology are 35 never-before-published works by supremely talented authors and best-selling novelists. Brace yourself for the unexpected and unimaginable horror of … Human Monsters. Featuring stories by Linda D. Addison, Gemma Amor, Andrew Cull, Andy Davidson, Chad Lutzke, Catherine McCarthy, Josh Malerman, and many more you can pick up your copy in paperback and eBook formats now.
8. Teagan’s Books https://teagansbooks.com/2022/10/22/spook-tober-shorts-surar-fiends-featuring-robbie-cheadle/ Hello everyone, and welcome back to Spook-tober Shorts.  A couple of weeks ago I introduced some new character-friends, the Pumpkin Hat Girls.  They’re back for some more Twilight Zone-ish fun. BASED ON COMMENTS, I REVISED THE STORY TO INCLUDE AN EPILOGUE. Haunted Halloween Holiday is a delightful story by Robbie and Michael Cheadle.  I mentioned it back on August 20.  When I found out about Robbie’s story, it reminded me that every year, I kept forgetting to do a Halloween story until it was too late.  So, I got busy writing A Peril in Ectoplasm.  My latest novella has nothing to do with Robbie’s new book.  Neither does the short story below, but it was inspired by her fun promo image and many of her fondant characters.  I’ve used her photos of some of them as illustrations for my story.
9. Books and Such https://teripolen.com/2022/10/22/badmoonrising-house-of-sorrow-by-joan-hall-thriller-shortstory-suspense/ I share this author’s disappointment in ghost tours – we’ve yet to see a ghost. Seems like it’s something that should be guaranteed on that kind of tour, right? The Legends and Lore posts on her blog feature jaw-dropping and uncanny mysteries/legends – I highly recommend you check them out. Furry friends have been stealing the spotlight this month, and she brings a couple of cuties with her today. Welcome, Joan Hall! Which unsolved murder fascinates you the most? Can I cheat a bit by mentioning another type of unsolved mystery? The story of D. B. Cooper has always intrigued me. He hijacked a commercial airliner in 1971, demanded 200K in ransom money, then parachuted out of the plane somewhere over the Pacific Northwest. A portion of the ransom money was found years later, but there’s been no sign of the man (living or dead). Specific to a murder, it would have to be the story of Lizzie Borden. Did she really give her mother forty whacks, then gave her father forty-one?
10. Stream of Consciousness https://johnwhowell.com/2022/10/22/stream-of-consciousness-saturday-prompt-bowl/ The coffee machine has a mind of its own today. While waiting for the life-saving potion, a bowl of store-brand raisin bran crunch is making a poor substitute. Before long, the machine decides a strike might not produce the best result and coughs up the brew. Abandoning the bowl in favor of the mug, a sip reminds me that today is a safe blow-up day. The security system is already down, and Wile E Coyote is busy in the backyard placing packages around the perimeter of the safe. Joining him and seeing he is using ACME C4 charges. All wired to a plunger, and Wile slowly walks away from the safe with it in his hand. He is allowing the wire to slip from the coil around his arm. “Everything okay?” My question catches Wile by surprise. “Of course,” he says. “Where’s Yosemite Sam?” Wile pulls on his chin for a mini-second and responds. “I locked him inside the safe.” The statement causes my eyebrows to join my hairline. “Is he safe in the safe?” My hand immediately goes to my mouth but too late cause that awful question is already out there.” Wile rolls his eyes. “He’s a lot safer in there than we are out here.” Another statement that threatens to send my eyebrows over the top of my head. It is clear that Wile is about to push the plunger as he gets down on one knee and yells, “Fire in the hole.” “Just a minute.” The words hit Wile like a baseball headed for an infield double. He rises and walks to meet me. “Let me explain,” he drawls. For the first time, his Texas accent comes to prominence. Must happen when he is angry, my brain tells me.” Look, friend.” He pauses, then continues. “You and I have a contract, and how this goes down is entirely up to me to execute. Why did you stop me?” Lol.
11. Chris the Story Reading Ape https://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2022/10/23/meet-guest-editor-and-author-alison-williams/ Thanks so much to Chris for this opportunity to tell you about myself and my editing services. I have been providing services for authors since 2016 and have worked on more than five hundred projects in a wide variety of genres. I have a first degree in English Language and Literature and trained as a journalist. I have worked as a freelance writer and have been published in print and online. I completed a master’s degree in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow and my journey into editing began when I was asked by fellow students to edit their work. I found that it was something I greatly enjoyed and that I have a knack for spotting issues that often writers are too close to their work to see. I have been very lucky in working with some wonderful writers, many of whom ask me to edit subsequent books. It is lovely to see how the advice I give them shapes their later writing and to see their writing craft go from strength to strength. It is always the biggest compliment when authors get in touch because I have been recommended by other authors. The publishing world is changing all the time. It is becoming harder and harder to break into the world of traditional publishing. A polished manuscript is essential when approaching agents. And if, as many authors have done, you decide to pursue your own writing journey through self-publishing, then it is even more essential to make sure that the work you put out there is the best it can possibly be.
12. Charles French https://charlesfrenchonwordsreadingandwriting.wordpress.com/2022/10/22/my-favorite-horror-films-6-the-bride-of-frankenstein/ The next installment in this series is what I consider to be one of the very best horror films ever made: The Bride of Frankenstein. I also want to mention that I have taught this novel, Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus several times at both Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA, and the Department of Graduate and Continuing Education at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. It is also interesting that the sequel The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) to Universal Studio’s Frankenstein  (1931) is a far better film and a more faithful adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic Gothic novel than the original movie. James Whale directed and Carl Laemmle Jr. produced this film. This is one of my favorites as well. I can remember sitting and watching Scream Theater with my friends back on a Saturday when this was on. The bride’s rejection of the groom was brutal and instantaneous and the repercussions to follow horrific.
13. Annette Rochelle Aben https://annetterochelleaben.wordpress.com/2022/10/23/angel-messages-oct-23-2022/
14. Smorgasboard Magazine https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2022/10/23/smorgasbord-blog-magazine-poetry-dorothy-cronin-1949-2006-tuffy-a-much-loved-family-pet/