Monday 16 February 2015

Finding Your Genre

with Enisa Haines

I was nine and reading Harlequin Mills & Boon novels, devouring them really. Young? Maybe. I blame Cinderella. She introduced me at age three, in the guise of a fairy tale, to romantic fiction.




When I began to write, my first attempt was a contemporary category romance. No surprise there. I knew the genre well. With my imagination working best in the midnight hours, night after night I wrote until finally those last two magical words--The End--appeared.

Did I yell out 'Yes!' or grin at the computer screen? No. I sat silent, unmoving. My plot and conflict may have been typical of the Sexy line I loved but the tone wasn't an exact fit and my hero and setting bore no resemblance to the rich alpha male or an exotic, lively city so prevalent in the novels.

Hmm. What to do? Fix the story or start another? In the midst of my dilemma the Silhouette Intimate Moments line arrived in Australia (as Silhouette Jasmine). The Harlequin Intrigue line arrived soon after. Romance mixed with danger.



I love cop shows. A movie-length thriller screens late in the night and I'm wide awake watching. Add a romance into the mix and I'm enthralled. The romantic suspense genre grabbed hold of me from the first moment of encounter.

My mind brimming with romances entwined with danger, I completed one manuscript, then a second, third and fourth. Enthused, I showed the work to critique partners, entered writing competitions, sent query letters to Silhouette Books in New York. Positive feedback. Competition placings and wins. Requests from the editor for partial and full manuscripts. Yes! Romantic suspense was the genre for me.

And yet I felt anxious. Doubt and uncertainty crept in. Why?

Image: www.computertutorsf.com

It's funny the way things that are meant to be happen. After a long battle with illness my father died. In my grief I wondered about the place that was now his home and how he was. In my wondering my imagination came alive.

A new world, a paranormal world, appeared. Characters I'd never thought to write about pushed forward seeking attention. How could that be? I wrote romantic suspense. Searching for answers, I came across an article. To discover my real voice and unlock my true writing potential I have to know my core story (who I am psychologically).

Who am I? I'm serious, my funny gene latent most times. I'm honest, maybe too honest, trust being a big issue for me. My tastes are black and white with no shades of grey in between. Examples: I love rock music and soulful ballads. Pretty Woman and The Terminator (all 4 parts) are my favourite movies. My view on justice is the same. Good battles evil and evil is vanquished. I'm obsessed with all things extrasensory and unknown. 'Is there anybody out there?' is a question I've been asking since I was a child. I haven't had an answer yet but it's a given that the cabinet beside my TV bulges with DVD collections of The Twilight Zone, The X-Files and Supernatural and a bookshelf is filled with paranormal novels.



Light-bulb moment! There it is revealed. My core story. I now know the writer I am.

I write stories set in a harsh world where good battles against evil and characters must fight to survive and embrace love. Stories about truth and trust and justice. That's my author theme. My brand. As long as I am consistent there and write the books I want to write, whether the genre is romantic suspense or paranormal doesn't matter.

Have you, in your writing journey, travelled along one path, or have you changed direction? Was finding your genre an easy trek or one with tangents that confused? Do you utilise your core story in your writing?

Love to love -

The bush. I'm blessed to be able to enjoy it daily where I live.
Love to laugh -

Small example of my bag fetish.
Love to learn - the myths and legends of times past are a great resource when creating new characters and worlds.

Image: courtesy of slideshare.net

14 comments:

  1. Yes Enisa. Sometimes it takes a bit of experimenting to find your genre. For years I read and wrote Regencies but then they started to bore me. And it's an overcrowded field. More and more I was reading romantic suspense so now that's what I write. And it seems more...me. I understand your emotions on finding your genre!

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    1. Hi Vonnie. Thanks for dropping by. You echo all my sentiments!

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  2. I'm not sure that finding my genre took a while - the first 5 books I wrote were all rural romances - but it certainly took me a while to find my voice and style. I always thought I'd write, and initially set out to write, giant Jilly Cooperesque bonkbusters but none of my books turned out that way.

    Tis a weird biz...

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    1. Hi Cathryn. From my experience, I believe genre, voice and style are all linked because my voice and style certainly don't suit the Sexy line I first targetted.

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  3. Enisa, how wonderful that you've found your true genre. You're so passionate that I can't wait to read how you bring your villains to justice. Bring it on!

    And P.S. That is only a *small* example of your bag fetish? Gorgeous bags!

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    1. Hi Malvina. A long and at times frustrating process of discovery, but one I'm glad I went through because I can write the books I really want to write.

      And, yes, I do have more bags!

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  4. Hi Enisa! I haven't read any of your romantic suspense but I love the paranormal stuff you're writing now. It really suits your voice. I have a love of (and some success with) short story-writing but have been attempting contemporary romance for the last few years. This post got me thinking: maybe it's time to expand my horizons...

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    1. Hi Marilyn. Congrats on your short-story writing success. That you're thinking of expanding your horizons indicates to me that there's a lot more to your style and voice than you have discovered so far. So go forward and try.

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  5. Hi Enisa. I bet you were very relieved when you finally found your genre and everything else seemed to fall into place. I always loved Historical Romance (most likely because that was what was mostly on my mothers bookshelves at the time) and my first manuscript was an Australian gold rush saga - because I had knowledge of the time from history at school (I was only 15). However, once Pride and Prejudice landed in my lap I knew this was the period for me. It has served me well and although I would never rule out other time periods I am not sure I would write outside of the historical genre for now.

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    1. Hi Cassandra. Yes, I was ecstatic when the true genre dawned on me. It was like a door opened wide and I could step in. I'm enjoying what I write now. And lucky you to have found your genre so early, but I see that you, too, didn't do it instantly. So I'm thinking there may be many authors out there who experience the same thing.

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  6. Finding your genre (& as Catherine Hein mentioned, finding your voice) is a journey, isn't it? I've been writing Historicals but it's taken a while to find the right voice. I recently dabbled in a spec fiction and found that finding my voice was easy in that genre. I love the world building in both so I'm going to stick with the two genres.

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    1. Hi Dee. Yes, it's a journey, at times frustrating but in the end worth it. Now that I know my voice and style, I believe I can write in both romantic suspense and paranormal as they have many similarities and I do love the edginess of them.

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  7. Hi Enisa Haines, that is a fantastic post. You had me intrigued from the first line, wondering what you were going to reveal and adding a personal tough about yourself is very engaging. Thank you. I too love the paranormal - don't think I could write it - but I certainly like reading, talking and learning about it. Can't wait to read one of your paranormal stories one day. I also love romantic suspense and this is a genre I am attempting to write at the moment, which is away from crime fiction which I have written previously. Although it still has some elements of crime in it along with a few mysteries. I think it is fun to explore different genre's and although it is initially out of our "comfort zones" sometimes we have to play around with and explore what we like to write and what we are good at before we land on our feet.

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  8. Hi Karen. I'm happy to hear you enjoyed my post. Finding your genre is an individual journey. Easy for spme. Harder for others. I think it does have to do with recognising who you are and acknowledging this. Adds an extra level to your writing which is a good thing. trying new genres is a good thing as you learn a lot and this learning also adds more to your writing. I'm interested in reading your romantic suspense. That is a lot different to crime.

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