My current Battle of the Bands has a Halloween theme. Please visit this post so you can vote for your favorite songs and costume themes between ghosts, witches, and vampires. Get in the spirit for Halloween!
The Insecure Writer's Support Group
Join us on the first Wednesday of each month in Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group--a forum of writers who gather to talk about writing and the writer's life. For a complete list of participants visit Alex's Blog.
The co-hosts for the October 5 posting of the IWSG are Tonja Drecker, Victoria Marie Lees, Mary Aalgaard, and Sandra Cox!
October 5 question - What do you consider the best characteristics of your favorite genre?
All the Time in the World (or Wherever)
As I've mentioned in past posts, I've grown more drawn to non-fiction than fiction. Most of my reading these days is non-fiction because I prefer reading about reality rather than fantasy. This also goes for my writing goals. If I were going to write something these days I might be more inclined to stick with non-fiction--most likely memoir. However this is not to say I'd never write fiction. There are still a lot of ideas for fictional stories in my head.
When it comes to fiction, my favorite go-to genre is time travel. There is so much that can be done with time travel and stories in this sub-genre can fit into many other categories such as sci-fi, fantasy, romance, and so on. The possibilities with time travel are endless which is the first big plus in writing, reading, or watching such stories.
What I especially like about the time travel genre is being able to tap into and speculate about real events and people in history. I enjoy research and when writing about reality from a fictional perspective it is imperative to get the history right if the writer hopes to gain credibility with an audience. Time travel can contain the elements of non-fiction while allowing the writer or reader to take a story into realms of imagination.
Personally, I'd love to be able to travel through time, and imagining and speculating about the experience can be almost as good as doing it without any risk or having to leave ones safe place. Fiction is all about the what-if factor and since it's unlikely we'll ever be able to actually travel through time then imagining the experience is as good as we can ever probably do.
Maybe someday I'll be able to time travel, but more than likely it's going to be through my writing about it and stretching my imagination to far-off places and times. Probably the best part of the time travel genre is it's versatility. Like space, time is limitless and the story potential never ends. Time travel is truly a genre that can encompass all of the other genres.
Do you enjoy time travel stories? What are some of your favorites? If you avoid the time travel genre, why?
With time travel, you'd get to experience real events and write about them - it's a double win.
ReplyDeleteAlex, time travel can take you anywhere in the universe and in any time.
DeleteLee
I like time-travel stories, but one of the gals in my critique group hates them. I had to cackle to myself as I wrote my most recent short story because it had a time-traveler in it, and throughout the whole thing, I kept saying "Dani's gonna hate this." And, sure enough, when I submitted it to my group, she said "LONI! You did this on purpose, didn't you?" I cackled aloud at that point and confessed that yes, I did and I knew she'd hate it.
ReplyDeleteLoni, a great time travel story is the one that everyone likes, but that might be a difficult accomplishment.
DeleteLee
I love anything having to do with Time travel. I wish they would bring back The Time Tunnel...such a great show. From Star Trek to the Simpsons, I love it.
ReplyDeleteBirgit, Time Tunnel is one of my favorite shows. I'd like to see a reboot, but I'm sure they'd screw it up with all sorts of unnecessary stuff.
DeleteLee
I think I'd like to travel to the 70's when life was simpler and years before this country went to hell in a hand basket.
ReplyDeleteL.Diane, I'd love to go back to the 70s to see if it was really as cool as I remember.
DeleteLee
H.G. Wells' The Time Machine is the only time related fantasy I enjoy. It's probably because the story starts in reality and branches out from there. Like it could happen. All best to you, sir!
ReplyDeleteVictoria, the Wells story is a great one.
DeleteLee
I just replied to another blogger that I would like to be a time traveler! Ha..I guess I can be if I decide to write a story with the main character being a time traveler. I like the idea the fictional characters would play against a backdrop of historical events. I enjoy research. I wrote a memoir and it is darn hard to write because it has to be true. No making up the character because the main character was me! Good luck with your next writing project!
ReplyDeleteJ.G., I guess being a writer is similar to being a time traveler. But really doing it would be very cool.
DeleteLee
Hi Arlee,
ReplyDeleteI didn’t care much for “Back to The Future” but I do love time-travel stories like “The Time Traveler’s Wife”, and “The Time Machine” by H.G. Wells . I think my first taste of time traveling was “A Christmas Carol” though it didn’t occur to me (then) that was what the ghost made Ebenezer do ;-) My all-time favorite is “A Wrinkle in Time”, but that was back when I thought I might like to travel that way.
Happy October!
Diedre, I love the "Back to the Future" trilogy--have it on DVD in fact. I like that they had fun with the premise and the movie was pretty silly. All the stories you mention are good ones. The possibilities never end.
DeleteLee
Time Travel is a fascinating subject. Also parallel universes. I'm a best selling author in my parallel universe. Heh.
ReplyDeleteSandra, the concept of parallel universes is a lot of fun and can have so much potential. I hear you about the fantasy world, but who knows what can happen if you visualize something enough.
DeleteLee
I've always found time-traveling an intriguing subject of thought. Infinite possibilities and consequences, scary but irresistible.
ReplyDeleteDamyanti, time travel can include all the best from all the genres. All the better if the author sticks to logic and science.
DeleteLee
I love time-traveling stories, Arlee. I have not given up on the idea of being able to travel through time. One clever workaround-time-travel problems novel that I loved was "In the Courts of the Sun" by Brian D'Amato. It takes place during Mayan times, and it was brilliant! Another brilliant time travel book I loved was "Galileo's Dream," by Kim Stanley Robinson. It goes into the past and the future, and Galileo is one of my most favorite historical figures. I would love to travel through time. I'd go in a heartbeat. Do you have any favorite time travel books?
ReplyDeleteFundy Blue, I'd like to think that time travel can be a reality in one day. Going back into the past would be amazing.
DeleteAt the moment I can't think of any time travel books I've read, but I've seen a lot of movies in the genre.
Lee