Had a brief thought as I began to start scribbling on my horror novel as to why it feels so wrong and so strange.
- Could it be that it feels wrong because I’m so used to writing in the romance genre?
2. Could it be wrong because it’s simply the wrong place to start the story?
3. Could it feel wrong because I’m so hypercritical and perfectionist?
4. Could it feel wrong simply because I’m writing the wrong genre?
I go through this every time I try to start something new. So let’s look at each “fault” and try to work our way through to the other side.
- Could it be so wrong because I’m used to writing in the romance genre?
Hmm. Possibly. I’ve written 33 traditionally published romances at this point. I know what I’m doing with those. I write in deep person third POV and I write from either the hero’s POV or the heroine’s. So when I start a horror story, I don’t usually have that and so it feels strange. Uncomfortable. Like trying on a pair of shoes that don’t fit and I’m trying to squeeze my fat toes into them. Trying to force a fit. Romance is comfortable for me at this point and horror is not.
2. Could it be wrong because it’s simply the wrong place to start the story?
Possibly. And I know logically that it doesn’t matter how it starts, because if I ever get to the end, I can go back and rewrite the start. Or realise that the true start isn’t until three paragraphs later. Or I’ll think of a better start, because once I’ve written the end, I can reverse engineer the start, or realise what extra is needed at the start to make the ending so great.
3. Could it feel wrong because I’m so hypercritical and perfectionist?
Oh my gosh, yes. One hundred percent, yes. There is no-one more critical of my work than me. I absolutely believe that I must be able to write perfectly during the first draft, because that’s how my brain works and anything short of perfect is no good at all, so guess how I feel about my work most of the time?
4. Could it feel wrong simply because I’m writing the wrong genre?
This is what I torture myself with as well. Because when the horror storytelling lacks in perfectionism, I absolutely tell myself that I’d be better off writing dark fantasy. Or crime. Or cosy mystery, or any other genre than the one that I’m drawn to.
So, as you can see, I don’t make this easy on myself. I tried to start on the story today. I managed 220 words before the doubt crept in. That’s early. Normally I get to at least a 1000 words before I begin to worry about the words being the biggest load of stinking pus that the world has ever seen.
So, yeah. Go me.
Do I go back to the storyline and tweak it?
Or, do I plough on regardless?
Answers on a postcard, please. Or, you know, in the comments section.
Ta muchly.
Nic Dracas 