Cross-fertilisation
Feb. 9th, 2006 10:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
enitharmonMy friend Julie Cohen and I decided to try an experiment, and at the same time attempt to pull a fast one on the Reading Writers group. Each of us is quite at home in our chosen genre; crime for me, erotic romance for her. But what would happen if we changed over? We thought we'd each submit a first chapter in the other's chosen genre to the group's manuscript evening, and see what happened and who noticed.
Julie has reported on her experience of trying to write crime here. As for me, I also find that the exercise was curiously fruatrating. Where Julie found it difficult to write crime fiction seriously and veered towards a ghost story where she felt instinctively more comfortable, I found myself veering towards parody. I could only really make progress by satirising the form and shovelling in the clichés.
As it happened, the Reading Writers were no fools and had us sussed quickly. I'm never going to be a serious writer of romance but it was great fun trying, and I learned a lot. And if I can't take the genre terribly seriously that doesn't mean I hold it in contempt or despise the craft of its writers. Far from it - my respect for them has grown considerably.
And as with all forms of creation, cross-fertilisation makes for health and viability.
Julie has reported on her experience of trying to write crime here. As for me, I also find that the exercise was curiously fruatrating. Where Julie found it difficult to write crime fiction seriously and veered towards a ghost story where she felt instinctively more comfortable, I found myself veering towards parody. I could only really make progress by satirising the form and shovelling in the clichés.
As it happened, the Reading Writers were no fools and had us sussed quickly. I'm never going to be a serious writer of romance but it was great fun trying, and I learned a lot. And if I can't take the genre terribly seriously that doesn't mean I hold it in contempt or despise the craft of its writers. Far from it - my respect for them has grown considerably.
And as with all forms of creation, cross-fertilisation makes for health and viability.
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Date: 2006-02-09 10:53 pm (UTC)Fab news on the White Mercedes front though - clever thing you.
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