When I was much younger, I appreciated the predictability of genre fiction. In trying to escape the trials and tribulations of my dreadful teenage life, I took great solace in immersing myself in a book that promised me a happy ending. I enjoyed reading a story that tied everything up in a pretty little package, with a "feel good" ending.
There came a time when reading these books became mundane. I could solve the mystery before the super sleuth and I knew who the love struck heroine would end up with half way through the book. I found myself leaving countless books with dogeared pages sitting on the shelf unfinished. It was then that I started searching for novels and stories with that "not so happy" ending. I began writing that way as well. I would stop and consider the most unimaginable ending for my stories, often writing without a particular conclusion in mind. I would let the story lead me to the finale.
I truly enjoy writing a story that begins in the middle of a conflict and works both backwards and forward. I suppose that makes me more of a literary fiction author. I consider this type of writing much more challenging to both read and create. I do however, find that people who read my stories, often want more. They feel like the story is unfinished. They are unsatisfied when the things don't end they way they had hoped or imagined.
In speaking in terms of poetry, fiction and nonfiction, I find the word genre to generic. To classify each of these as a "type" is very general. It does, however combine all forms of writing into categories that offer the promise of a more exciting journey.
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