My tastes in literary genres

In terms of literary taste, the best advice about writing is this: write what you’d normally read, or watch on TV or in theaters.

Much of my poetry can be described as “dark, with some snark” (yes, I just made that up). That stems from my literary and media tastes, which lean toward dark humor and fantasy. My favorite writers are Edgar Allan Poe, Dorothy Parker (a woman well renowned for her caustic wit) and Emily Bronte (Charlotte’s sister). Some of my favorite novels are Wuthering Heights (by Bronte), Animal Farm and Frankenstein. A few of my favorite movies are The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, Heathers (one of Winona Ryder’s earliest films) and Sunset Boulevard.

It’s okay to have eclectic literary and media tastes. As a matter of fact, I encourage it. Even though I often like it dark and bitter, I also like old movie musicals, Disney films, spiritual self-help books and the occasional chick lit. An open-minded exposure to different genres not only enables you to understand different writing styles and ways of storytelling, but also fosters your creativity. Your mind will come up with a series of “What if?” scenarios when you cross genres.