Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click here to learn more or sign up.
Optional Monthly Question: What do you consider the best characteristics of your favorite genre?
I’m keeping this post brief but wanted to say this is a good question. It got me thinking that what one person likes in one genre they may not like in another. I love fantasy and sci-fi but have been reading a lot of horror and mystery lately. I love that fantasy and sci-fi are limitless but wouldn’t want to read a mystery like that. There have to be some boundaries. And while some horror may be limitless, those are usually too much for me. I like my horror with limitations.
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Member Spotlights
#iwsgbookclub
The books we’ve chosen to spotlight in the month of October are Sign of the Green Dragon by C Lee McKenzie and Business for Authors by Joanna Penn. Please check these out and consider giving one or both of these a read this month. If you’re not up for reading them, no worries, you can still help spread some love for these publications and or participate in the book club activities.
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No personal updates this month.
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What do you love about your favorite genres?
Have you tried the IWSG Book Club?
It may take some time, but I promise, I will eventually stop by your blog. My response time has gotten slower but I’m still making my rounds.
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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts: Tonja Drecker, Victoria Marie Lees, Mary Aalgaard, and Sandra Cox!
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Click here to visit other IWSG blogs and sites to receive and share more inspiration and support. (This month, I’m #30).
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords #blacklivesmatter
9 replies on “”
A mystery with no boundaries might be challenging.
A mystery with no boundaries will either unrealistic/relateable or be unsolved. Unsolved mysteries only work when knew ahead of time that they will be unsolved or, at least, some part of the mystery is solved.
I’m trying to imagine a mystery with no boundaries. I think that would break all the rules—it might have been done by a space alien who zapped the victim from a ship hiding behind the moon. But that might work in a SF mystery, and not be without boundaries…
I’m all for a good genre mash-up from time to time.
While I agree that mysteries have to occur within boundaries, I would argue that they fantasy and science fiction aren’t so much ‘boundless’ as ‘define their own boundaries,’ and that a mystery can work well with the same rules. On the other hand, the simple act of explicitly defining the rules for your reader in a science fiction or fantasy mystery would probably give them clues you didn’t want them to have. It’s an interesting conundrum.
Yes, quite the conundrum. Even in a mystery where I can’t figure it out before the big reveal, I still feel like all the clues were there. In science fiction, though, sometimes I feel truely surprised.
I’ve read some horror, but it was more thriller than horror. (Like House of Thunder by Dean R. Koontz.)
I’m torn on the thriller front. Part of me really wants to like a good thriller, but I don’t always. I’m still testing out the genre.
You’re far braver than I! I can’t handle horror even within limits 🙂
I’ve gone through waves of reading a wide variety of genres over the years – but my favourites are always ones that leave me happy and hopeful!
Loved Lee’s The Green Dragon. I have Joanna’s book, but haven’t read it yet – soon!