The One-of-a-Kind(?) Club

[lunagraves714]

Have you ever written something or created something that doesn't quite fit in with the comics and novels on Tapas? Like maybe you write a certain genre or a certain style that for some reason just stands out?

Well, I decided to try something new with this mini series I'm working on, and as far as I know, there's nothing quite like it on Tapas. The way I'm writing this is in several different formats, depending on what type of episode I want to release for the week. The genre is BL, and it's written from the perspective of one of the characters from my main series, Super. What sets it apart from other novels is the fact that it's written as a series of letters and other things that don't follow the rules of your typical novel.

So I guess I was wondering who else is writing or creating something that doesn't quite fit in with the other novels/comics here? Is there a genre you write that isn't on Tapas's list or some other element that makes your work one-of-a-kind?

[WillowTree]

Ah! I experimented with epistolary writing before! I had a novel set during the Korean War and a doctor fell in love with a solider who was going home. The letters between them took up a good middle chunk of the novel!

[lunagraves714]

Nice! I always thought letters were cool, but it can be tricky figuring out how to integrate them sometimes

[WillowTree]

Yeah, I was lucky with that in the sense that as soon as the soldier was home, the letters started and they ended when the doctor wrote and told him 'I'm coming home.'

I also ended up doing a lot of research into cameras and photographs from that time because I wanted the solider to send him a regular picture to keep close... Then I was like, 'did people exchange naked photos back then? Would it make sense for him to send a nudie photo too?'

[lunagraves714]

Good question...it's a definite maybe. If they did though, it probably wasn't nearly as common as it is today.

[WillowTree]

Lmao! Definite maybe was the answer I came to as well... Then I decided to go with it because it was my novel and I could

[cherrystark]

My series is written episodically. It's still in "novel" format but each story is essentially it's own episode of my dreamed TV show.

[lunagraves714]

That's pretty cool! That kinda reminds me of "The Twilight Zone" where every episode is a different story but they're all connected by the same thing

[cherrystark]

Right? haha. Initially, it was supposed to be a full-length novel but every rewrite of Part 1 of The Museum was short story/novella length

[domisotto]

My current story has not a lick of fantasy/speculative/paranormal of any kind. Maybe it's not unique per se, but it's pretty rare on here.

[lunagraves714]

Yeah I'd say fantasy and paranormal are definitely the majority here

[IntoTheTempest]

My story is vampire/paranormal and I had to chuck it in the drama category, because I didn't know where else to put it.

[carreonaiwille]

As I didn't care about genre in reading, I couldn't care less about it in writing. It's biting me back with a story I couldn't place in a genre XD. I've accepted that my story will not be really mass-friendly (people mentioning that the writing feels Classic maybe because it sounded old, but really I think I have a problem with my prose) and I don't ride trends. (Tried it before, I wasn't satisfied and I didn't get views)

Romance is second to none and there are no fantasy elements. Also, I have a wimpy, kind of stupid, damsel as a protagonist when most MCs are badasses.

[carreonaiwille]

I think users are trying to have new categories be added in the site.

[lunagraves714]

I too lack in the romance department! I'll have dating and relationships come up later, but my story is definitely not romance-centered (as I'm sure you've probably noticed by now ) But that reminds me, a lot of people seem to think when they read the first chapter of my story that it is a romance (girl meets K-pop star and falls in love) but that's not really the case. It's just hard to promote stories that don't really have fantasy, paranormal, or romance.

[rifftiff]

I think to an extent we all want to believe our work is one of a kind. But most art is inspired by something that already exists.

That being said, I also believe that there's nothing here quite like my comic. I have medium length single shot episodes that introduce Korean food and culture (and dating) from the POV of an American/Korean couple. And the style isn't very common either. I'm not a great artist, but I think my style is unique enough to be memorable?

I think it would be "informational" if such a genre existed here, but I put it under "slice of life" and "comedy". I also put "Romance" since it's about a couple, but it's not really romantic.

Bbangbab: Bread & Rice | Tapas

[carreonaiwille]

All the stories I've encountered before with a K-pop star and an ordinary person are always romance-centered. So, the assumptions are not surprising. (I'm from a country where all stories need to have a romance) Ah yes, It seems hard to promote without any of those genres, maybe because they're the oldest genres around? Just a reach.

[lunagraves714]

I think romance is just popular in general, but I don't know... I've never really understood the craze

[carreonaiwille]

I've come to the conclusion that Romance is either an illusion or overrated in my teens. Romance is really popular. Classic local literature taught in schools here would either have fantasy or romance or both. It's easier to get teens to listen to a story if it has a romance than if it was purely social commentary.

On the other hand, Epistolary might have not yet gained much traction here, but one novel in another site was written in purely Facebook chat style. It was from an established author from that site and the story gained enough views (the story is centered on romance still, though) to be offered a traditional publishing contract.

(is it too long? I might have overdone it O.O)

[artemficta]

I had to label mine as slice of life because of how dialogue heavy my story is, but I don't think it actually fits within the genre as it's more plot focused. But it isn't dramatic enough to be considered drama either, it exists within an in between I think. I also don't think my story follows common trope structures as well as more popular comics do, and it's a lot harder to define as any one thing story wise.