Well in case you are coming late to the party and missed some of the posts this week here is a list of the posts. Enjoy 
Well there are the posts for this week. Make sure to subscribe because there will be new posts starting tomorrow morning.
Humans have a habit of organizing things into categories. We see this with music, telivision,
media, and of course, literature. Now in fiction literature we have two polar playing fields- literary and genre. The common definition of literary is fiction that it is serious and critically acclaimed (Saricks). Genre on the other hand posesses a much less vague definition- this is where most commercial fiction lies in the vast wonderland of horror, mystery, romance, fantasy, science fiction, contemporary, and the endless other sub-categories. It has become common place within the writing community that literary is superior to that of genre fiction and that even genre fiction is mediocre at best. NO!
Of course, we know that this bias is ill placed right? Genre fiction possesses some of the most amazing writers of the last century like Tolkien, Lovecraft, King, and Gaiman; writers that have entertained millions and still utilized precise word play and literary composition. Until I attended the 2012 AWP conference in February I had never witnessed as much disdain for my most beloved genres. In my post 10 Things I Learned from AWP, I mentioned that there is a crusade against genre fiction and that what I find it is. Popular disdain for silly fiction or even fantastical universes so intricate entire textbooks could be devoted to their texts like the Lord of the Rings are assumed to be beneath that of literary fiction.
Now of course I know there is a difference between the two, but the way some of these writers look down their nose at certain fiction just due to its genre is foolish. We see this same idiocy in music as well as many people mock genres like hardcore or punk rock without properly listening to the astonishing lyrics or melodies of such music. To be frank its plain old lame and too old school for the new school- feel me? Of course, countless magazines and anthologies call for “literary” fiction, but in that same notion can’t genre fiction be serious and critically acclaimed?
I guess we’ll have to wait and see what the future holds for genre and literary fiction and perhaps one day they will be held under the same judgement.
What do you think of the differences between genre and literary fiction? Is one better than the other?
Damian
Saricks, Joyce (2009). The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction (2nd ed.). ALA Editions. pp. 402.
Nanowrimo- National Novel Writing Month. Starting November 1 and ending November 30th. Writers from around the world dedicate the month to beginning and completing an entire novel.
Hello blog friends and readers, yesterday I registered on Nanowrimo and drafted a 150 word summary for my planned novel. Last year, I hoped to join this awesome contest, but I got lazy and didn’t write a fucking word. This year, I’m ready to trek through a perilous journey of 50,000 words in a mere 30 days. I’ve vouched that I can write 1.5-2k words daily,which would allow me several days of break time during the rough stretches of the month.I make one promise: to draft the sloppiest novel the heavens have ever laid eyes upon. Are you ready????
At this stage in prewriting, the novel will be a psychological horror/thriller with subtle yet powerful themes. As per the rules, I have just begun to pre-write and design characters, yet won’t touch the prose until November 1st.
Heres my summary:
A man sits in death row convicted of many crimes except for one: the abduction of a young boy almost twenty years now gone. The only man who can solve this crime is a troubled man, Mark Seele, who discovers death is not the end, but sometimes it is only the beginning. Mark must confront the sins of his own past, in order to find the boy who haunts his dreams and chases him in the After. Sometimes however, the sins of our past are far more destructive than we can ever imagine and the secrets between the lines are just as shocking.
On aside yet slightly related note, a writer buddy of mine from the twitter-verse Mark Lidstone is planning his own 3 Day Novel contest. Check it out and give his other work a read as well.
So who else is participating in Nano this year?
Hello readers- ladies, gentleman, and those of the third kind how has everyone been? I’ve been busy with writing and college life which is actually very worthwhile (in my humble opinion). Upon my return to The Gray Pen I have decided to review a book of a fellow writer I from twitter Michelle Franklin. I wrote this review last night on Goodreads, but I figure I’ll post it on here as well. Hope you enjoy and definitely take the time to pick this one up guys!
Rating: 5 out of 5
I’ve been lucky enough to have read the Tales of Frewyn from the outstanding blog to her two amazing ebooks. The Commander And Den Asaan Rautu is the first in the Haanta series, it begins with an explosion of romance, action and beautiful, clear, and entertaining language. It begins with a giant being freed to fight along the borders of Frewyn and leads to a deep romance which comes off realistic and alluring enticing the reader into the world which is being depicted. I have always been a fan of High Fantasy and The Commander And Den Asaan Rautu ranks high in my list alongside such great authors as Christopher Paolini, N.K. Jemisin and even the legendary Tolkien.
Michelle Franklin didn’t just create a plot and litter it with characters and settings, she created an entire world filled with individuals and vibrant settings which make the tale immersive and appealing.
The Haanta Series is a shining beacon in today’s fantasy and should be used as a milestone for other authors within the genre to strive for.
Find it on:
So I’m today I’m taking a break from The Harry Potter Effect which you can find the last article post here. The next article in the series will be up by tomorrow 5pm Eastern time on parallels between the Wizarding World and the world of our own.
The novel has always been an aspiration of mine, but I was almost afraid of it. I find myself penning short-stories and other shorter works because they are in my comfort zone. Sure, I have tons of prewriting and other planning for longer works, but when it comes down to it, I pull my punches. Why? Maybe I was scared. I once had a plan of how I was going to break into the writing world: I would write tons of short works and sell them to magazines, until I built the courage and audience to try a novel. I have learned that plans are merely guidelines and are meant to be broken.
I’ve been playing with an idea in my head for a while now involving a detective. Originally, it was to be a normal detective saga as told in Unlucky Sevens, but I have changed the formula to one of paranormal proportions. This will be a novel, and I am busy writing and researching everything I possibly can on the subjects involved. I’ll keep all you lovely people posted.
Thanks for reading,
Damiann
 | Robin on Camp Nanowrimo |
 | mjgriffor on Camp Nanowrimo |
 | Damian Rucci on Dreams Scapes |
