Happy October! I always thought of the term "genre-fusing" as strange. As much as art imitates real life, the idea behind genres is the marketability behind a story's aesthetic. Depending on whether someone likes space lasers, dragon riders, or even seeing a world where Bulgaria won the Second Balkan War, a different genre will exist for every person. Very rarely will you find such abstract concepts put together, but just because it can seem chaotic on the surface does not mean it's unworkable.

Chefs experiment with food all the time; like scientists. When they place different ingredients that may not go together in the traditional sense, sometimes they surprise us with masterpieces by including a plethora of spices, sauces, or other experiments with how we see food. Since we live in a world with a massive international community, these chefs can take ingredients from completely different parts of the world, from completely different cultures, and make something that resonates. The creativity in the food is much like the creativity in writing, though we can make a different argument for writers.

Writing, as a form of art, represents the human soul to a great extent. In life, we deal with different "genres" all the time; it's why we have different social circles, different times of day where we engage in separate activities. Every human is unique, and we're all busy for a reason. Life is a busy, chaotic mess, and so to write a story that can seem like that in concept isn't lazy or chaotic writing; I'd argue that if done well, genre-fusing is the best thing you can possibly do for your story. It makes it unique to you!

In my particular story, I've combined elements of my life that I either took a vast interest in, or, in a sense, wrote about experiences I've had to a fictionalized extent. In my story, you can find hard science fiction, a low fantasy magic system, alternative history, and even the polar opposites of comedy and tragedy within specific scenes. I've diversified greatly, and because it's a realm that makes sense to the mind, a realm that focuses more on the story itself and the feelings of life can make it stand out a lot more. When I walk through Barnes & Noble and I walk through the sci-fi or fantasy section, there's now a formula for every book cover and every trope that authors "must add into the story", but I'm here to tell you that's what the publishing companies have taught you. In reality?

Rules are meant to be broken.

While learning there is most certainly substance behind these rules, I wouldn't consider them that; they are guidelines. There are reasons you probably shouldn't have a dinosaur in a story about space, but maybe you use the science fiction element of your story to explain genetic modifications, or even preservation on another planet. How did they get to that planet? When we're told what's creative versus what's lingering in our consciousness, and especially that perfectionism element, we struggle to write. There is no one correct way to write.

Eventually, I want to influence other authors to follow this method of individual storytelling over genres alone. While there can be an overall setting that gives an atmosphere (or, maybe there are multiple settings that align with the plot and give a sense of genre), there's much to note. Consider that most genres are not mutually exclusive, and that you can experiment with whatever you find intriguing or creative. For me, that was always adventuring in an unknown land and fighting against evil as a kid. Eventually, that theme manifested, and now I have a novel where my main protagonist does just that: she fights demons and journeys through the mysterious lands of the Underworld. Yet, despite a straightforward concept, I combined my interests in science; specifically chemistry and astronomy, as the most notable. Consider that sometimes genre can be as simple as a background, as it does not have to be active on its own to tell a story.

The idea isn't to appeal to multiple audiences, and while marketers will tell you it is, consider why you're writing a story. Most people who are writing a story will never have it seen by the public. Most will never have an editor. They write a story not because they're expecting it to be particularly profitable, but because they feel as if they have a story of their life to tell. Even if it's written, free, and somewhere on their blog page, turning said story into a novelization is difficult. Believe me, I know that fact very well.

If you think genre-fusing can't perform well financially either, look at Dune. Of course, in the realm of science-fantasy, that is the biggest there is, but we have not explored such a genre in such depth since its inception. It's much rarer to find two of the most popular genres put together, and I don't think it's because people aren't trying to make it. It's because they're snubbed by this marketing scheme of genres, and in a perfect world, we'd talk about stories based on their content; not based on their aesthetic or theme.

Since I like a lot of different genres, I'd like to express that I've always kept an open mind when exploring them. I remember the frustration I felt when speaking with some acquaintances when they said they'd only like a specific high-fantasy genre, and further expressed they had not branched out in ten years. Not towards my book specifically, but when we were just talking about things we liked. Even still, I asked if they liked Star Wars, and the answer was yes. Why? Because the story in the original trilogy was amazing.

So, even if you find yourself trying to market to a niche, over time people will see that you focused on your story and perhaps find great enjoyment within your book. Never let doubt stop you from making your novel.

Until we meet again,

It's the spookiest month of the year!

Dustin