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So I was just sitting here thinking.... when authors write a story/novel, do they write it based on what they like to read or does it correlate at all? For instance, I tend to write (and read) romance, but I'm a hopeless romantic so I don't know if mine counts lol. What does anyone else do?

It all depends... If I'm writing for pleasure, I'll write what I like to read - sci-fi/fantasy or poetry. However, I've had to write some not-so-fun stuff (design documentation for games, card text,
Etc).

Depends on the mood.

I found myself writing a graphic sex scene a couple of weeks ago, and it started off nothing like that.

And then a couple of days ago, I had a clear scene that I had mentally planned, and then put my pen down after half a page of A4, because it was, frankly, rubbish prose.

Sometimes stuff just comes out!

I've been an SF and mystery fan since I was a kid, horror too. I've tried SF but failed totally. I've written a few okay horror short stories, sold most of them.

But in recent years, I've turned to mystery fiction. I loved the American private eye stories, Robert Parker's Spenser, and the classic Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. So I've turned to writing my own series of modern American private detective novels, set in Houston. The first 2 were purchased and published, the 3rd is just finished and is currently being evaluated by a publisher. I really love writing my own special type of private eye, not the hardboiled fist-and-dame rough guy, but a highly intelligent and well educated professional.

So yes, write what you most admire and you'll enjoy it as well as probably writing the best stuff. No reason to force yourself to write what you don't want (unless of course you work for a newspaper and are assigned to write about the dreary city council meeting, ha ha).

Thanks for your input guys! I agree that you have to love the stuff you write about... or else it would just be like a job you hate.

I could say I write what I like to read, but I read a wider variety than I write. I guess I write what I enjoy best or have a better feel/understanding of how to have the story progress. I still try to think of story ideas in other areas. I think branching out occasionally, even if only a few pages for yourself, will help you with the rest of your writing.

i dont want to write .i just love to read

For me, there has to be something that's interesting about it, or why would I write it? If I'm not interested, it's a lot harder to make it interesting for someone else. That said, I don't (can't) write in all the genres I'm interested in. I read a lot of non-fiction I'm totally unqualified to write.

Yeah, I definitely write what I'd want to read. I also write the way I want the world to be, which is my version of fantasy.

I read an interview on a blog by an author recently (and her book sounds really good--can't remember her name right now), and she was saying the same thing. She said she was looking for a certain type of book (with perticular elements), couldn't find one, so she thought she'd write one of her own. Her book has gotten rave reviews and I'm putting it on my to-read list.

I like to write within my comfort zone, but I'm being pushed beyond self-imposed barriers. I'm very grateful to my mentor.

I really like to read Science Fiction books, but I am not a great writer in the genre. I would like to believe I have a great imagination, but I have struggled with creating other worlds, which is essential to a good plot.

Jesska6029 wrote:I really like to read Science Fiction books, but I am not a great writer in the genre. I would like to believe I have a great imagination, but I have struggled with creating other worlds, which is essential to a good plot.

OMG, you need to read the book I mentioned before your post, when I was talking about an author I read about on a blog... I still don't remember her name, but I know where I came across the blog... hold on... OK. The book is called Akarnae by Lynette Noni.

The reviews say the author is great at world-building, and the author says she created it because she wanted to find a book like it but couldn't. I bet if you read it, it will inspire you to create beautiful worlds!

I like late night writing.

Jesska6029 wrote:I really like to read Science Fiction books, but I am not a great writer in the genre. I would like to believe I have a great imagination, but I have struggled with creating other worlds, which is essential to a good plot.

This depends on whether you're talking about "real" SF or maybe fantasy. In SF, you don't necessarily create another separate world, but instead you invoke certain fictional things within the real world. For example, a human Mars mission in which the astronauts face physical perils, like a dust storm or a rocket failure. There's very little "other world" in that "hard" SF novel. Or maybe they uncover a previously unknown alien culture that's long dormant but now awakens (whether via robots or suspended animation aliens) then this pushes the envelope further but is still within the real of "hardcore" SF.

If you're writing such a story, you mostly encompass your novel in the real world with maybe a few advances in technology but still not fantastic. I don't know whether you're considering such a "realistic" SF world for your stories.

If, on the other hand, when you say "science fiction" you're instead talking about fantasy, such a LOTR, then you indeed must create a unique universe that stands alone and has its own rules of existence. This is quite difficult.

Or you can invoke fantasy into a real world scenario, like a mystery thriller in which the homicide detective discovers "real" vampires. This would be a mixture, in that the bulk of the novel's scenario fits within our real society with the single addition of that one supernatural element. This isn't SF but fantasy, but in this case, unlike LOTR, you don't have to create a totally new world but instead just create one supernatural element into the mix of an otherwise realistic world in which we now live.

Remember the difference: Science fiction is about what has not happened but could happen within our own "real" world and universe, such as "2001" or "Forbidden Planet" or even "Blade Runner". Fantasy, on the other hand, is about what cannot happen in our real universe, such as LOTR or Interview with a Vampire or Supernatural (to mention TV and movies instead of books).

moderntimes wrote:
Remember the difference: Science fiction is about what has not happened but could happen within our own "real" world and universe, such as "2001" or "Forbidden Planet" or even "Blade Runner". Fantasy, on the other hand, is about what cannot happen in our real universe, such as LOTR or Interview with a Vampire or Supernatural (to mention TV and movies instead of books).

I've never even thought about that, but I've also never been into those genres personally. Interesting definitions, though!