Have you ever wondered what makes different writers choose different genres? Why does one writer embrace fiction as his medium, others lean strongly toward nonfiction and still others only want to produce books for children? And then there are those who are stuck on horror writing, humor, spiritual works or strictly business books.
I’m not a psychologist or a philosopher, but it’s always fun to observe people and try to get into their heads.
It seems to me that those of us who stick to nonfiction are basically more organized and precise. We have trouble veering far from the truth. Some of us have a desire to teach, to lead, to change minds, even. We’re generally good at prioritizing, multi-tasking and we’re a very curious bunch. Truly diverse nonfiction writers tend to see stories/articles/books in every situation. I think that when we try to write fiction, it is more factual than fiction written by the true storyteller/novelist.
Novelists may have a lot more going on in their heads—imaginary stuff. They find it easy to fabricate and some of them become expert at weaving stories around nearly any life circumstance. Fiction writers typically have active imaginations, of course. But ask them to write their bios or a description of their books and they can become lost in the woods.
What is the make-up of a children’s book author? I think they probably have talking pigs, ferocious dragons and fair princesses living in their heads 24/7. I’ve met many of these authors who also have a strong desire to connect with and to teach children life lessons as well as character values.
Certainly, I’ve only barely touched the surface of what’s in the head of authors. I’m going to leave it to you to add to this. What type of writer are you? What inspires or motivates you to write in this genre?
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