Musings on Genre

Recently, I've been thinking a lot about the romance genre and how writers chose their particular subgenres. When I first began writing, I worked on a novel that was a straight historical set in the Regency era. However, I just wasn't happy with the plot, though I liked the plot and the characters. So, I took a break from the novel and completed a short story. To my surprise, that story ended up being a time-travel novel that was set in the Regency era. As I revisited my novel, began to wonder if I could mix paranormal elements with a historical setting. I hadn't heard of the historical-paranormal subgenre before; hence the research machine kicked in, and I discovered authors such as Eve Silver, Jeanne Savery, and Julie Beard (My Fair Lord).

I've found that researching the subgenre I want to write in is immensely helpful. And, it's encouraging to know that other writers are writing and publishing the same types of books that I love to read and write. Since I'm as much a reader as I am a writer, and I believe most writers are like this, it only makes sense to thoroughly investigate my target market as I craft my novel.