Genre and Creativity: A reader survey

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Tina Dubinsky

Genre and how it influences a writer’s creativity intrigues me. In 2015, I produced a research proposal for an exegesis and artefact investigating genre and creativity, as part of a university Master’s assignment. While I’m not required to produce the exegesis for my Masters, the production of the artefact forms part of my assessment later this year.

The research proposal addresses the rewriting and revision stage of my draft novel, Fractured (the artefact). The fictional world building for fractured and the imagining began at the turn of this century, almost sixteen years ago. Two years ago, I started drafting my first science fiction and fantasy novel that uses this world for its setting.

Genre and creativity, can the two work together?

The research paper titled, Genre vs Creativity: a proposal for a practice-led research inquiry into the application of the New Adult genre during the reshaping stage of a creative writing practice (2015) outlines a number of research stages.

One stage involves collecting information through a reader survey and using this information to inform my writing. Through this survey, I hope to gain an insight into the science fiction and fantasy reader’s thematic likes and dislikes.

Originally, I aimed my novel towards an adult audience. Through reflection, I have decided to widen my audience to include a younger reader. While the Young Adult (YA) genre looked appealing, I did not feel that it suited the premise of my story. Writing for this genre would involve significant changes to the world, characters and storyline.

During my early research and reflection, I came across a relatively new genre, New Adult. New Adult (NA) appeals to me as it borrows characteristics from the YA genre.

Protagonists of NA are also between the age of 18 to 25 years, similar to the age of the target market. This characteristic also suits my story’s heroine who at 18 years of age, seeks an apprenticeship.

A relatively new genre, NA presents an opportunity for exploration. Romance and college based drama dominate the genre, with fewer science fiction and fantasy cross-genre stories.

If you read science fiction and fantasy stories or speculative fiction, I would like to invite you to complete this reader survey. While the survey looks at the likes and dislikes across all genres and age ranges, it focuses on the science fiction and fantasy reader, or speculative reader.

Though I am not expected to complete a practice-led research paper, I intend to finish the proposed research and make this knowledge available to my peers.

Your input into this survey will also help with the experimentation and development of the artefact (my revised novel) in term two, later this year.

You can fill in the form below, or if it’s easier open the google form page in a new tab: http://goo.gl/forms/DukwN4CtjH

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