This week you learned what genre the Confabulators write in and why. Most writers tend to write what they enjoy reading, but sometimes they write genres outside of what they enjoy reading – Michael Crichton probably read more non-fiction as research for his novels than he ever read science fiction, and it’s rumored that J.K Rowling doesn’t read fantasy, let alone young adult – so the question we posed to the Confabulators was whether there was a difference in what they wrote verses what they like to read.
I write nearly all YA fiction, but I read across nearly all genres (well, no romance or erotica and very little fantasy aimed at female readers). I do read quite a bit of YA, but I tend to read more adventure/action/thrillers/mysteries by British writers – Dick Francis, Victor Canning, Geoffrey Household, Nevil Shute, Robert Harling, for starters.
Nope. I read SF almost exclusively, and that’s all I write, for the most part. It’s the only fiction that interests me, whether consuming or creating.
I read and write a wide range of genres. I’ve been writing mostly horror lately, and I enjoy reading fantasy, urban fantasy, horror, science fiction, short story, mystery, and a lot of non-fiction in various subjects. Most of those genres I’d never try to write myself, but I enjoy reading them and respect the writers who can write them well.
Whatever I’m reading is dependent on what I’m doing at the time. If I’m not writing, I’ll read anything. Murder mysteries, cheesy romance novels, non-fiction, etc. You name it, I’ve probably read it. If I am writing, I like to read books from my genre. I use them for inspiration, to get past writer’s block, . Artists, of all types, make the best thieves. We steal everything.
It should come as no surprise that a large portion of my personal library is horror, transgressive, noir, and other dark genres. However, in addition to that, I read a lot of classics and literary fiction. Nick Hornby is one of my all-time, top-five favorite authors, and he keeps it pretty light. I enjoy science fiction, but for whatever reason, I don’t really write it. The novel I am writing, Heaven’s Edge, takes place in a science fiction setting, but is a noir story at heart.
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