fiction

Guest Post! Lessons Learned with D. Emery Bunn

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Today I’m happy to post a first on Dcafwriting: a guest post with another author!

First, the background: Last fall I attended a concert in Denver (Within Temptaton; they’re awesome, and everyone should check them out). While waiting in line at the merch table after the show, I became engaged in a conversation with a gentleman about writing—and found out he had just published his first novel. We had a great conversation, exchanged emails, and have kept in touch. Recently, the idea surfaced to do a little cooperation between our blogs. He interviewed me over at demerybunn.com, and I asked him to do a Lessons Learned post here, about his writing process and his experiences with his exciting first novel, Darkness Concealed.

And now, the post, by D. Emery Bunn!
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Cup of Dcaf: The Other Side of the Coin

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My last post was a big rant about the lack of respect given to genre fiction, especially science fiction and fantasy. I stand by what I wrote in that post: genre fiction can absolutely have literary value.

But over the last couple of days,  I’ve given more thought to the issue, mostly in the context of academia. I was a creative writing major; I dealt with the stigma of genre fiction during my years of writing workshops and literature courses. I chafed against those strictures, pushing the lines whenever I could, because I love science fiction and fantasy. I love the things that those genres can do.

But I can honestly say that I would not be the writer I am today without the boundaries placed on me in my advanced writing workshops. Continue reading

Cup of Dcaf: Literary vs. Genre Fiction

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Whoo boy. This is going to be a bit of a rant.

Now, as anyone who follows this blog knows, I write a wide range of genres. I write a lot of epic fantasy, of course; I also dabble in horror and science fiction. And I write a lot of shorter literary fiction. It’s sort of the foundation of my writing.

Where to start? I just found myself in a discussion with a very rigid gentleman. He was of the opinion that all genre fiction is not literature.

Needless to say, I disagreed. The idea that all fiction of a certain genre—and literary fiction is a genre—is inherently superior to all other writing is a joke.

I don’t curse on this blog, but I really want to right now.

This idea that so-called “literary” fiction is somehow better than any fantasy, sci-fi, horror, mystery, romance, historical fiction, or what have you, is unfounded and willfully ignorant. Genre fiction is a veritable treasure trove of think-pieces and artistic talent. Is there a lot of crap out there? Yes. We have our Twilights and our 50 Shades of Greys; we also have the Odyssey and Lord of the Rings and Ender’s Game and Foundation. All of these things have merit; all of these things have things to say.

Any fool who thinks that a book is trash because it features magic or spaceships is limiting his experience with the written word. Genres allow writers to explore themes, criticize norms, and comment on anything at all—and they allow a freer rein of these exercises than literary fiction ever could.

Genre allows imagination to flow. It lets marginalized voices have a say. It lets men and women express themselves and their joys, their frustrations, with contemporary culture in a way that isn’t heavy-handed and blunt. Genres allow storytelling and criticism to go hand-in-hand, weaving a subtle tapestry that not only entertains, but also teaches.

Now, literary fiction absolutely has merit as well. It merely addresses things in different ways. Some of my favorite short stories are “literary”. I wouldn’t write in that genre if I didn’t think it was worthwhile.

And, since I won’t curse, myself, I will just let the estimable Patrick Rothfuss say some more on the subject. Some light profanity is present in this video. A student was told she couldn’t write a paper on one of his books because it was fantasy, so she had him record a reply.

Cup of Dcaf: Being a Writer

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Recently, I’ve been posting a lot about some struggles that a lot of writers face, but one post has been nagging at me to be written: my own rules for being a writer.

Of course, these are my personal views on the matter, but I really think they apply universally. The thing is, I find myself talking to a lot of people who call themselves writers, but after talking to them for a while, I realize that that might not really be the case. They don’t do one or both of two things:

1) You have to read to be a writer. Continue reading

Cup of Dcaf: Momentum in Writing

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It’s no secret that writing a novel is a tough thing to do. There are a variety of difficulties that many people, including myself, encounter on that rocky and twisting road toward completing a manuscript, but one of the most common is the simple fact of motivating yourself to actually put those words on the page. Continue reading