This post is for IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group), and this month’s question: Of all the genres you read and write, which is your favorite to write in and why?
Right from the get-go, I’ve always been drawn to the darker sides of things. My first story I ever wrote (around eleven years old) was about a creepy house where a girl entered on a dare and discovered a decapitated head in a fridge.
Pretty morbid, eh?
So, I started with horror, then it became horror-paranormal to horror-apocalyptic, and now it’s mainly suspense. Through these genres, the common theme always centered around death.
When my cousin (and best friend at the time) Darren passed away just before our fourteenth birthdays, I was hit with the stark reality that we were not invincible or immortal. That even kids die.
Since then, I have experienced several other deaths of family members and friends. Many of them died well before they were at the peak of their lives, or even able to realized their dreams.
This have always weighed heavily on me.
And showed up in pretty much whatever I wrote be it a short story or a poem.
A loss of some form. The darkness that’s constantly there. .
I enjoy writing both horror and suspense mainly because it’s cathartic for my broken heart, and it’s my way of dealing with the pain.
What about you? What’s your favorite genre to write/read? Why? I love to know!
A writer & her adolescent muse 
Horror – I write about death a lot – also touching on the subject of suicide due to a family incident. I have been told my writing is “dark” and it just feels natural to me.
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In a sense, I suppose they are correct in that we tend to write what we know.
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I’m so sorry about the loss of your cousin. I can see how writing about loss and ‘darkness’ could be very therapeutic! My favorite genre is women’s fiction, which is usually on the lighter side of things–but some of the best authors use it to grapple with heavy/dark stuff. I love how many approaches there are in writing (and in reading) that help us work through our “stuff,” whatever it may be.
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It’s also a good reminder that we’re not alone 🙂
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I totally agree that horror can be a way of dealing with things, of healing and accepting even. I also write horror, but I center around monsters and paranormal: they are the ugly sides of us we have a hard time reckoning with. But they are part of us whether we like it or not ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Oh it’s also my favourite genre to read of course
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I’m on the other side of death – the mystery of solving why; the detective mystery in my case. My detective’s leather biking gear is the black touch – and her Goth leanings.
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Cool! 😉
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I’m with horror as well, in my case because I like exploring character which comes out especially when under stress. But also exploring the unknown, which supernatural horror relates to, as well as the monsters within our own minds.
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I don’t know if I have a specific genre that I write, but so far, other than fan fiction, everything is based on my own experience. Sometimes too much, I think.
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There are times when it is much easier to infuse our own experiences in stories to help create a sense of realism for the reader 🙂
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True. Sometimes I wish I were better at making stuff up though.
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I believe that will happen in time for you 🙂 Start with doing a lot of daydreaming….I know this works for me.
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Horror and dark fantasy are my genres. I agree, the darkness around us is constant. No matter how plush or posh our setting, its always creeping around at the edges. One thing I recently realized, my neighborhood has a good deal of dog owners, and hence dog walkers that got me thinking. Every morning, the building maintenance people for the various apartments come out like clockwork and wash the sidewalks with hoses and soap. I only just realized the connection – the constant need for watering the sidewalk is because of all the dogs and all their business that is left behind, even after their owners clean things up. It made me realize, even in high class places, we’re all just treading over so much shit.
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