Why Choose Genre?

by Jeffe Kennedy

On the Word Whores blog, we are all writers of genre. We were semi-random about choosing the original group of seven and continued that fine tradition with replacing those that moved on. But, we all write some form of speculative fiction - science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, that kind of thing.

You could say we chose to write it.

But - and I'll be interested to hear what my fellow Whores say - but I didn't choose anything.

It chose me. And by that I mean, it rose up, seized me by the throat and refused to let go.

Speculative fiction, in all its glorious permutations, is what has always lit me up. From fairy tales to mythology to the day I picked up my first Anne McCaffrey book and discovered the joy of stories on other freaking planets, these have been the kind of stories I love to read.

Turns out they're also the stories I love to write. I don't choose what turns me on.

I mean, we're all self-confessed Word Whores here. We tell you right there on the side bar that we all started doing it out of love. That's a little whore-secret: we still do it out of love. Out of obsession. Because we can't freaking help ourselves.

If we make some money at it, that keeps us alive a little longer so we can keep doing it.

The picture above is one that the editors at Aeon Thirteen put on my very first speculative fiction story, Pearl. Which you can still buy here, should you be so inclined. It's a good story. I've gotten better since then.

But I still remember the feeling of writing it. Of letting myself write it, this non-literary, lower story life form.

Oh yeah. It was that good.

Sign me up for more.