As so many things with artists, it's most likely a subjective thing. I think reading all sorts will probably make you a better writer by a process of osmosis, but I don't think it is the
only way to go about it.
My preference is for supernatural horror but I read all sorts. I think the biggest benefit for us is that we get to see a diverse range of characters. Each genre has its own archetypes and as our stories' success depends on our characters, it's clear to me that this is a good stimulus to have as an author.
The only genre I avoid is fantasy - can't abide it. I appreciate it has a robust pedigree and so on, but I just don't get excited by it. Massive cast lists and declamatory speaking styles (esp those faux medieval ones) really disengage me. I can appreciate them academically, though.
At the moment I am thoroughly enjoying
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. It's way out of my writing arena but so is Raymond Chandler and E M Forster but I'll happily immerse myself in them.
As
HB or
Toby says above (sorry, can't recall), the likelihood of original genre-writing is going to come from perhaps a fusion of other styles or influences. I'm not saying we're all aiming for genre-busting works - I'm quite happy to buy a book if I know it is about (for example) a haunted house. That could take the form of
Burnt Offerings,
The Elementals,
House of Leaves or
The Haunting of Hill House. All very different but arguably only
House of Leaves does anything new (and the reason I love that book is not for the meta side of it, but the underlying story of the house itself).
The biggest points for me are:
- Write the story you'd want to read, regardless of genre
- invest in character, not genre.
pH
