Genre: This or That?

Some people believe writers should stick to one genre only. To that, I say ... 

Heck, no! (Unless a writer wants to do just that, of course)

Over the past 13 years, when I started taking my writing a little more seriously, I've written 6short stories, 7 immersive POV pieces, 19 poems, 2 novels, and collected many more ideas waiting to be written or finished. All of which fall into fantasy/speculative fiction or historical fiction.

Over the long weekend we just had here in the UK, I found myself really thinking about those genres and how they actually work for me as a writer. 

Growing up, I loved both. 

I was always fascinated by history - through school, trips with my family, and shows like Time Team (which, fun fact, aired its first episode just six days before I was born). But, I was also completely absorbed in fantasy stories like Harry Potter, The Farseer Trilogy, and The Spiderwick Chronicles.

Most of the books I had access to were fantasy, passed down through family or bought for me, so naturally they outnumbered the historical non-fiction I read. And because as lot of fantasy books back then were set in medieval-style worlds, many of them satisfied both sides of my interest at once. 

It's no surprise, then, that a lot of my early writing leaned heavily into fantasy. 

As I grew as a writer - especially during my university years - I started experimenting more with historical fiction. I discovered that I really enjoyed it, particularly the research side. There's something incredibly satisfying about learning more about the eras that already fascinate me. 

But, I also started to feel its limitations. 

Historical fiction, at least in its more traditional form, comes with a certain pressure. The facts need to be accurate, and the fiction is often expected to support those facts rather than challenge them. There's less room to move freely - or at least, that's how it felt to me. 

Then, when it came to write my undergraduate dissertation, something shifted for me.

I was inspired by reading The Road (Cormac McCarthy) inbetween playing Skyrim on my computer and decided to experiement. I set a story in 1351 medieval England and introduced a post-apocalyptic 'what if?' element.

That's when I found my balance. 

Alternative historical fiction gave me something I hadn't quite found before: structure and freedom. 

The historical elements could still be accurate where I wanted them to be - clothing, food, landscapes, daily life - but the events themselves could be shaped more freely. I didn't feel as restricted by needing everything to align perfectly with recorded history. 

And, interestingly, I realised something else along the way: fantasy, for me, can feel limiting because it's so limitles.

There are so many possibilities - worlds, systems, characters, rules - that it can become overwhelming trying to decide what to focus on. Whereas historical fiction can feel limiting because of the pressure to get everything 'right'.

But, alternative historical fiction sits somewhere in between. 

It gives me enough structure to stay grounded, while still allowing space to explore, question and create. 

I won't ever stop writing across all three - fantasy, speculative, and historical fiction. But, understanding how each of them works for me has made a huge difference.

It's helped me feel more confident in the kinds of stories I want to tell, and more at ease when I sit down to write them.

And, honestly, that feeling is just as important as the finished story.

What genres do you like to read and/or write? Let me know below 🙂

Keep your eyes peeled for more news on my writing here and on my Instagram!