Margie starts off another blog chain round with this fabulous question:
“How do you get in the mindset of your genre? Do you research people or facts? Do you just reach into the recesses of your mind for events that would make a good story? Something else?”
I write paranormal and dark fantasy in both YA and adult. Listening to music is one of my favorite ways to get into the zone. But reading other books in my genre is my favorite way to get into the right mindset. Not only does it help me keep in touch with what’s out there, it helps me know if my ideas are new and if not, ways to tweak them so they are fresh. As far as research is concerned, I love finding pictures of my characters. For my completed manuscript EDGE OF TRUTH, I found having a pictures of the setting extremely helpful. The internet is a wonderful thing.
How do you get into your genre’s mindset?
Be sure to stop by lbdiamond’s blog to see how she answered this question.
Writes By Moonlight 
You’ve got some great strategies for tapping into your genre!
Reading is definitely key – or just skimming. Seriously, there’s no way for me to read every single book I want to in my genre, but I at least have an idea of what the books are, who the authors are, what kinds of themes are making the rounds. At least, I try to…
I like to read in my genre to get me in the mindset. Music sounds like a great idea, too.