Create your own genre / Happenings In The Outhouse 06-Nov-2020

I was listening to a podcast the other day with Seth Godin, and he mentioned something that made me stop in my tracks.  The discussion was about many things, but then it turned to subject of genre.  He alluded to the notion of creating your own genre (and he gave an example of Agatha Christie and Earl Stanley Gardner, although both mystery writers they are quite different).

Huh?  Create your own genre?

I know, right?

Think about your favorite YA fantasy books about a wizarding/magic school, and of course one name goes right to the top.  Think about legal thrillers and Grisham comes to mind.  Even though other books/authors play in both of these fields, one appears to be a genre all their own.  But then again, so are the others.

Let's look at the horror genre.  The stories are fairly spread out when it comes to styles and voices, but one author from Maine seems to rise to the stop--it should be noted that said author produced some of his best works in this arena in the 1970's, 80's, and into the 90's; not that he hasn't continued to do so, but I personally have steered away from him for reasons I won't care to indulge.

Down the road a bit, I'm going to delve into the cozy mystery genre.  Although mine will have a slant to them.  I'll expand more when I get to them.  Do all cozy mysteries need to have the same basic elements?  Some would argue yes.  Me?  Nope.  I've been reading a bunch of thrillers, by a variety of authors, and they're all different.  Some don't have the same elements, yet are still considered thrillers.

Write the best worlds you can.  Do them in your own way.  Create your own slice of a genre, if you will.