Well hello there, dear readers. Richard and I have found yet another blog challenge that we’ve decided to jump into because:
- Why not?
- We’re insecure writers!
- We’re not alone!
The prompt goes up the first Wednesday of the month, but since we were in the middle of A to Z, we didn’t get our post together until today (which is fine, because we want to keep our posting-streak alive by posting on Sunday anyway). If you’d like to chime in and let us know your answers to the questions or drop a link to your post if you’re participating, please do so in the comments! And check out the IWSG website for more answers!
April 7 – Are you a risk-taker when writing? Do you try something radically different in style/POV/etc. or add controversial topics to your work?
Richard:
I think that my writing is fairly low risk, simply by the nature that so few people read it. The vast majority of it gets read by no one (not even me) after I draft it, and I think the people that do read bits and pieces here and there pretty much know what they’re in for.
On the other hand, yes, I do try to switch it up. I write across all different points of view, and I experiment with various forms like epistolary writing, serials, etc.
In terms of controversial content, I do write quite a bit of fairly explicit and sometimes extreme smut. Outside of that, nothing particular springs to mind.
I guess I will have to think about this more as I start my MFA since that requires me to share my writing with more people. On the whole, I think my non-smut writing is probably a solid “R” rating, so I don’t think that will be a huge issue. Form-wise, most people seem to enjoy when I play with things like incorporating journal entries, grocery lists, etc., so I don’t think I’ll get a ton of push back.
Jayden:
I am not particularly a risk-taker when writing. I feel like the times I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone when writing haven’t gone well. I remember trying to write a novel in present tense instead of past tense, and I couldn’t do it. (Later, I was successful, and now I have trouble and sometimes switch back and forth!) It was fun to write a novel that intentionally had BOTH present and past tense. It wasn’t easy to switch gears sometimes, but a fun challenge, nonetheless.
I’ve also tried some radically different things over the years (at least for me), like writing a Choose Your Own BDSM Adventure novel. That was a huge endeavor, but it was SUPER fun, and it’s all published and everything.
As for controversial content, I do write some pretty explicit and hardcore kink sometimes. The primary reason I’ve chosen to self-publish is that it means I have no restrictions on what kinks or combinations of characters I can write. I’ve seen publishing houses that want specific interactions (must be FemDom only, etc.), and as someone who is bi, poly, and a switch, I literally like it all. It’s fun to play with switching it up, even within the same novel. I like being able to go where the story takes me.
J R Vincente 