Reading Genre Fiction
You can actually learn a fair deal about genre that way. I’m not sure how much crossover there is (can anyone describe an amish romance spine for me? I’m not sure I’d know one to see one), but I think at least in sci-fi and mystery, there’s something to the method. There are certain features visually and stylistically that indicate that you’re reading the genre you’re reading. I doubt if it’s even intentional on the author’s part, but it’s almost like they do certain things with their opening chapters that make you go, “Oh yeah, sci-fi.”
I think I first started to notice some of this when I was endeavouring to read through a list of “must read” sci-fi that Orson Scott Card had put forward. I’m cross that I can’t find that list now — it was an interesting six months. Then I gave up I think. I made it through Asimov, Herbert, and zig-zagged through a few others. I circled around to Robert Heinlein (I think) and gave up. But, it was informative. There’s a reason those books are classics… I learned a lot.
So, if you want to write in a certain genre, go out and read it. A lot. It’ll be good for you. You’ll learn what you should be doing and aren’t. You’ll also — if you read widely enough — learn what you shouldn’t be doing.
