***
Saddles and skateboards.
Sometimes people express surprize when I
tell them that my latest release is a young adult /paranormal. To me it seems
perfectly natural. After all, I've been writing YA for almost as long as I've
been writing romance. In fact my first milestone was to win a place on a
residency co run by the Queensland Writers Centre and Allen&Unwin in 2010
with my teen, fantasy novel The Overlander. Since then, along with several
rural romances, I have written The Overlander Trilogy, a literary novel; The
Silent Ticking and another YA fantasy; In The Beginning. Occasionally I even
have a dabble at poetry.
So, how do I skip from saddles to
skateboards? From outback to urban? And
why. Perhaps the answer lies with my reading. For decades I have read
voraciously. I love to read. I didn't start writing until I was in my forties
and so my reading experience was way ahead of my writing. When I went to school
(in the Dark Ages) I understood genre as falling into five "types".
These being prose, fiction, poetry, drama and lyric. But in my young mind I
conveniently refined them into two. Fiction and nonfiction. I guess it was a
mindset that I never grew out of. I have read acres of books utterly oblivious
to classification. And so, when I write,
I have no problem travelling from one genre to the next. Indeed, it is
only very recently that I have been forced to deal with the whole genre
concept.
When I get an idea for a book I just go
with it. For instance, The Children Of The Mist came to me after a conversation
with my paranormal crazy daughter. It started with a question. "How would
you feel if you woke up on your 16th birthday and discovered you had become a
vampire?" And so, Morven Smith was born. When I'd finished, I had to sit
down and work out which genre it was a fit for. Not a smart way to write I
know, but that's just how it is.
So, as I loved to roam and read in an
uninhibited style, so too I like to write without boundaries. Some people ask
"why change genres?" and I say "why not?".
***
Born in Britain, I arrived in Australia as a young woman in 1985 for an impromptu holiday and never left. I fell in love with the Australian bush, its unique flora and fauna and the colourful personalities that inhabit the country. I live on a small acreage close to Toowoomba with my family, dogs, cats and ponies.
I love to write. I write rural romance, young adult and, more recently, literary fiction. When I'm not writing, I'm reading, walking or riding my Connemara pony, Romeo. Rural romance is a natural extension of my passion for all things country. I believe that romance is the universal language of love. And besides, I'm a sucker for a happy ending.
Jenny around the web: Facebook Twitter Website Author Page
The Children Of The Mist
An original paranormal YA about an unconventional girl, an unconventional boy, their extraordinary
When skater girl Morven Smith turns sixteen, she develops boobs, acute appendicitis...and a pair of pointy teeth. While she is stunned by her metamorphosis into vampire, her best mate, the enigmatic Zest, is not. For the young werewolf, Morven’s transformation is an answer to his lonely prayers.
But they are unable to celebrate their mutual paranormalcy for long — there are too many dangers, too much suspicion, and too many questions. It’s only in Scotland that Morven can learn the truth about her past. But she discovers more than she bargained for when she meets her birth family — an ancient feud between vampires and werewolves. They may both be Children of the Mist, but only one species can survive.
Read Reviews
Buy Links: Escape Amazon Amazon UK B&N
A Kindle copy
giveaway of THE CHILDREN OF THE MIST for one commenter.
***
Why not indeed? Jenny you're a woman after my own heart! I read a wide variety of genres too. For now I'm sticking with one writing genre, but I don't know what the future will hold.
How about you? Do you like reading and writing widely or do you prefer to stick with one?
30 comments:
I read a variety of genres although I've stuck to just one in writing. Of course, I didn't understand the specific sub-genre of what I was writing until my publisher labeled it.
Good for you, Jenny. I know there are agents and editors who sort of cringe at the notion of a writer switching up genres and age categories (think of the brand!), but you have to follow your heart. Thanks for sharing!
Jenny - thanks for dropping by - great post!
Alex - sounds like me for the moment! :)
Jeff - so true - there's been a lot of buzz lately about building a brand!
I always admire writers who can move from genre to genre with ease. I'm one of those who writes to a particular *subgenre* even, so it's very categorized. But it seems like fun for both writer and reader when the author can move around a bit.
Good morning everyone. Jemi, thanks for inviting me back!
Alex - genre is a subtle thing isn't it? Seems to be a lot of overlap.
Jeff - can't argue with you there. There's a lot of hype about brand.
Elizabeth - it is fun. I write for many reasons I guess. One genre just isn't enough scope for the imagination!
Great post Jenny. Thanks Jemi. I also would not like to be limited to one genre only in my reading.
Nas
I read a variety of genres and like to write a variety too- though I mostly like to write fantasy. I enjoyed this interview. I can understand how Jenny can go from saddles to skateboards. :) Wishing her the best of luck!
~Jess
Elizabeth - it does seem like fun, but it's so hard to do well!
Nas - any time! It would be very sad to only read one genre!
Jess - It is fun to mix it up!
Thanks Jenny!
Hey Nas - I agree, the sheer choice of reading material available is just fantastic.
Hi DMS - Thanks for dropping by. Perhaps it's true that variety is the spice of life!
I don't like to stick to anything in reading or writing, although I have my favorite genres.
It's cool to see Jenny again. Her YA paranormal looks interesting.
Medeia - great to see you again. I see that you enjoy a literary smorgasbord as well.
Medeia - it does indeed!! :)
I read a variety of genres however I have my favorites. For instance I can almost enjoy any fantasy, science fiction, or crime novel but I'm a tad more selective when it comes to, say, romance or mystery. As for writing, I like sticking to urban fantasy. I don't know; it simply suits me. Thanks for sharing this. And the novel sounds intriguing!
You gotta write what you wanna write. I write for all ages and different genres. Most tend to be speculative in some fashion so I guess that might help. Good luck!
Clarissa - that's how I feel about writing contemporary romance right now - it suits me! Great description :)
Nicole - we do have to write what calls to us - I think that works best!! :)
Clarissa - hi there! Must agree with you. No matter what genre you write you've got to feel comfortable in your own skin.
Nicole - looks like you're more outside of the box than I am! And by the way, my pony is white so he's probably part unicorn.
congrats to Jenny on her book!
Great post! I definitely like to read across a lot of different genres, though I get stuck in a few every now and again. Children of the Mist looks great!
On writing different genres. You know we're not just genre in life, so why should our writing be just one. People have many interests. It's what you're comfortable with, I think.
I think changing genres is a great idea. It opens up all kinds of new ways to think about writing. I've already congratulated Jenny, but here's my congratulations again. Great job.
My break is over, Jemi. I'm back to haunt you. Hope your fall is wonderful.
Thanks Dezzy :)
Meradeth - I go through phases with my reading too!
Teresa - I think so too. I'd never write a genre I didn't enjoy, but there are lots of genres I love :)
Lee - glad to see you back!! Hope you've had fun with your break :)
Hi, Jenny! I think I met you on someone else's blog last week, but not sure. Good luck with your book.
Hi, Jemi!
Yep, I tend to work out the story first and then work out what genre it fits into. It's nice to know other writers do that too.
Hi Carol - thanks! :)
Lynda - that's a great way to do things! Smart lady :)
Dezond - thanks!
Meradeth- I know what you mean, I sometimes spend a while in one genre and then move on.
Teresa - just love "we're not just genre in life" Great phrase!
Carol - lovely to see you again!
Lynda - that's good to know. Thanks for sharing.
C. Lee - many thanks. Lovely to meet you.
I read a medley of different genres, but write only one - fantasy.
Nice to see Jenny again :)
Wendy - that's kind of my style too! :)
Hi Wendy, great to see you. One genre today perhaps, but you never know what the future holds. That's the wonderful thing about writing. There's no limit!Have a great day,
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