Back in January, when my first novel Revary came out, I decided to take on a challenge given to me, lovingly, by my little sister. Her comment was "You only write fantasy, try writing something else" after she, again lovingly, told me how much she did not like the MC of Revary Clare.
Naturally, I responded like Anne Shirley and Jo March and was furious. This is what I write. Pitching and mooning? Dragons, blah! Magice, rawr!
So I took her up on it and decided to only read outside my genre while I edited the three novels do out in 2020. It helps me to not read in my genre while writing in it. Accidental stealing rather than deliberate stealing happens. The editing is going slowly, by the way. And it was interrupted by a desire to write short stories for my publishers anthologies. Which is a great idea. I need to write more short stories and these ones come with prompts! I also want to try drabbles and micro fiction. I've done flash fiction before but ran into a publisher that seems to live off drabbles and micro fiction so I want to hit them up.
Any way, I am reading through the Aubry/Maturin series (and I love it!) because I want to write a really good pirate novel. And I want all the ship stuff (the best part) to be accurate. I am also reading a book a month. Not in my genre...It's HARD TO DO! I have read 4 (all of which can be found here at my goodreads). I'll admit, for some of them I did part audiobook and part reading. I skipped a Philip K. Dick...I was so excited to read it because I love the other two books by him that I've read. But let me tell you: Non-fantasy is boring! I know all literature has it's qualities and it is all valuable and I will fight for it. But I might not read it. The only one I really loved was "Moriarty" by the (AMAZING) Anthony Horowitz. But I love Sherlock Holmes. Not detective novels and not mysteries. Holmes. I love Holmes.
This month, I am reading "Band of Brothers", which I know I will like because I have watched that HBO series about 10 times. I am eager to see what the book is like. All that I am trying to say is: I'm happy non-fantasy exists; don't expect me to read it or like it. And more than likely: DO NOT EXPECT ME TO WRITE ANY. :)