Take Me Away: A Poem about Genre by Steph Beth Nickel

Inspiration for this poem came from John Truby, who wrote The Anatomy of Genres.

 

Carry me off to worlds unknown, of dragons and hobbits and fae,

To planets and worlds beyond our own; oh, what a marvelous day!

 

Tell me the stories of worlds began, where darkness and light compete,

Or stories of ranchers way out west who never admit defeat.

 

Show me the heroes battling crime—detectives, PIs, and more,

Let me see from the other side what happens behind closed doors.

 

Make me laugh and make me gasp; I’m on the edge of my chair,

I love to be breathless and laugh out loud; a story can take me there.

 

They’re growing up and finding out who they’re meant to be,

Now looking back at what has been, of what they now can see.

 

What motivates and drives us on; what makes the story shine?

No matter what genre, it’s all about love, love of many kinds.

 

Stories may take us far away or take us deep inside,

The best of them will help us grow while on an incredible ride.

It's Up To You by Vickie Stam

           

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:21

A thin silver moon casts a shimmer of light across the midnight sky. You're unaware of the tiny moon's existence. The den you burrow in your blankets each night would make anyone believe you possess the skill of a wild animal even though your demeanor proves different. You feel cozy and warm but not entirely protected from the wilderness that looms not far from your lair.

Six months of living in your apartment in the city's shadiest part of town makes you wish you could sleep with one eye open. The break and enters and purse snatchings dictate the monthly rent you pay molding a price that fits your budget. You keep to yourself. Don't make any waves.

Tonight, just like any other night, a noise outside your window wakes you from your not so deep sleep. You lunge forward. Your heart throbs. You call out in a loud voice, "Who's there?" But no one answers. Eyes wide, you search the room and breath a sigh of relief when you realize there's no one standing between you and the light you purposely leave on each night.

You shutter at the sound of breaking glass outside your window. A familiar scene plays out in your mind. You cast your gaze on an old pine chest that once held a family heirloom. The words, "Nothing ever changes around here," ignite a fire inside you, yet you don't call the police. Instead, you lay back against your pillow, close your eyes and wait for the silence to return. How dare you?

The next morning, cops are milling the street questioning anyone who might have witnessed what happened to your neighbour's car. Shards of glass line the sidewalk in front of your building. You tip toe around the crime scene hoping to go unnoticed.

With your nose to the ground you take up your usual quick pace and head west in an attempt to veto any questions the cops might hurl your way. The smell of evil burns your gut. You taste its wicked bile.

"Not so fast!" A tall man in a blue uniform jumps in your way. You swallow hard resisting the temptation to throw up your own shame. The man means business. You see it in his eyes. You know what he needs. A full description; something you can give him. It's time for you to turn this no-good neighbourhood into a good one. It's up to you to change things.

You clear your throat and run your fingers through your short brown hair. Just when you're about to ante up, the man's complexion turns a deep shade of red.

"Someone around here knows something!"

Caught between the battle of good and evil you know what you must do. You must confess. That someone is....you.

This month's theme "New Explorations" challenged me to write in a different voice/style so I chose to write something fiction in the 2nd person narrative using you, your and you're. I prefer to write non-fiction so this was a daring choice for me and my first attempt at such a narrative, one that I just might try again.

A Branding Nightmare - Tracy Krauss

Our prompt this month suggested we look into writing in a different genre. While variety is the spice of life, I'm afraid I am going to have to pass. I'm already scattered enough as it is. (At least it feels that way.)

For those who don't know, I already write in several very different genres. My two primary genres are romantic suspense novels and comedy stage plays. The novels are for a Christian audience while the plays are for a secular high school audience. I've also delved into Science fiction in a recent collaborative series called COLONY ZERO. Add to that my devotional book 'LIFE IS A HIGHWAY - Advice and Reflections On Navigating the Road of Life' and my illustrated children's book THE SLEEPYTOWN EXPRESS, and I would say I've got enough variety already, thank you very much!

Herein lies my problem. As a published author, it is difficult to brand oneself with such a variety. I recently read an excellent post by Russell Blake entitled 'How to Sell Loads of Books.' (I highly recommend you read it if you haven't already.) He says you need to stick to one genre if you are going to try to brand yourself. (And branding is highly recommended if one wants to sell books...) He also recommends using a pseudonym if you are writing in more than one genre. Even if you 'tell' your audience that you and your pseudonym are one and the same, it helps with branding. 

Hm. Unfortunately, this advice has come rather late for me. I've already got several things going, all using the same name - my 'real one'. One of my problems is, I enjoy writing both fiction and plays and I don't want to give either one up. I suppose there could be worse problems to face in terms of one's writing aspirations. I should be happy that I have so many titles under my belt, right?

I know there are several other writers within our ranks with a similar 'problem' and I wonder if they have any advice on the topic. This is a dilemma that has come up in more than one discussion forum online and I would love to hear your thoughts. 

Tracy Krauss continues to write plays, novels, novellas, blog posts and too many other things to list in her home in Tumbler Ridge, BC. Maybe one day she will figure out what kind of writer she really is...