Don't be a genre-hater
There are great stories in every genre - and countless terrible ones, too, of course! Take the time to immerse yourself in all genres to enjoy and to learn from the greats.
A lot of people miss out on entire worlds of film, simply because, they say, they hate this genre or that. With a single statement they brush aside an entire world that contains, in its very genre-specific way, brilliant story gems.
Genres and sub-genres are like countries with their very distinctly different laws and landscapes. If your average tourist says, e.g., “I don’t care about Mongolia and will therefore never travel there”, not much is lost. That individual has simply chosen to exclude a particular part of our world from his/her life experience. Most likely, that decision will not impact that person’s professional life. But if you’re a writer and you exclude an entire genre – you are, in fact, messing with your profession, your craft, your goals, your future, you’re messing with who you might one day become.
Genres like drama, comedy, science fiction, horror, action, romance, thriller, fantasy, adventure, crime, film noir, mystery, romantic comedy, musical, western and more are no doubt top of mind. But check out this listing of genres and subgenres - there’s some stuff in there I’ve never even heard of, such as Ruritanian romance, Bangsian fantasy, Windling, Isekai, Sword and planet, Survival horror, Postcyberpunk, Slipstream … even just reading those makes me want to dive into those worlds. So much to see, so much to explore and learn from!
I have currently no intention of writing romantic comedies - but I watch them, of course. I have enjoyed some of the most charming, wonderfully crafted romantic comedies. I laugh, I cry, I’m entirely happy when the inevitable moment comes, when the two, despite all those carefully layered odds, finally end up together. Wherever your voice may lie, whatever your preferred writing genre – never exclude entire other worlds – you learn from those just as much – and maybe even more.
Every genre offers great stories (and myriads of terrible ones). My suggestion – if you have a particular prejudice against a particular genre – do the research, then at the very least watch ten or twenty of the top reviewed films of that genre.
Even if you can’t stand getting scared and have stayed away from horror for that very reason – get over it! Watch them, get scared – then analyze and learn. You’ll probably still never write a horror film – but the professional writer in you has just become more rounded, more experienced, more versed. And should you ever find yourself in a room with a horror-afficionado producer - you’ll be able to hold your own.
Learn to not think “genre”, but “story” instead. As a writer, you couldn’t possibly want to exclude yourself from some of the greatest stories ever told, right? So, in whatever genre-country those stories may sit – take the time to journey there – take in the scenery, take some pictures and - I guarantee it - you’ll come back a better writer.
Enjoy your trips!
