Once Upon a Lifetime....
The Genres
Select a genre for the tale and the broad sub-genre that you want to appear in. Choose ‘horror’ for example and then pick the style of horror tale you want to see yourself take part in. There are no limits in the fictional world…
Science Fiction
Space travel, computers, a dystopian future, a flooded world, the return of the Triffids, everything available as a pill, unexpected wormholes, forcibly limited lifespans, time travel
Horror
The usual cast – vampires, Frankenstein and Igor, werewolves, zombies, Freddy and Jason, suddenly rabid pets, the very human serial killer, the very inhuman serial killer, suddenly intelligent babies
Urban Fantasy
A shy guy/girl and his/her coming of age, an influx of traveller types, a mystical once-a-year fairground, the old recluse and rumours of his/her skills, buildings (dis)appearing overnight
Romance
Classic boy meets girl, families clashing, the gallant knight, the (truly) hopeless romantic, differing musical styles and tastes combining (new romantics and punks), hero worship on TV or film or radio, dreams come true
Erotica/Adult
Twenty-five Shades of Grey, first timers, exhibitionism – direct or accidental, submission and dominance, spanking, stripping, role play, masks and ties, blindfolds, orgies, unplanned entry into the sensual world
Faux-factual and Biography
The career commentary, romance and marriage commentary, the hero or heroine’s story, a century of memories, ‘on this day’ historical facts, full-on non-fiction biography or similar as a ghosted auto-biography
Thriller/Detective
Closed door mystery, the annoyingly lucky private eye, the bank job, hijack, ransom, computer fraud, remote castles, a day in the life of a washed up detective, a cat burglar
Murder Mystery
A different closed door mystery, where there’s a will, everyday person solving the crime, an apparent accident, a thousand suspects, a very public execution – with no apparent culprit
Humour
Bumbling characters in one of many roles (student to retiree), ‘how to’ guides, comedian, ludicrous coincidences, hopeless wannabe, embarrassing circumstances
Fantasy
A world of fantasy and adventure, elves, goblins, sword and sorcery, a doorway from our world, dragons, knights and jousting, talking pets, a space haven
Children
Magic, dragons. swords and sorcery, friends and teams, sports, junior detectives, growing up and aims in life, mystery men and women, goosebumps