What genre should I write in?
This is one of the most frequent questions I get asked from aspiring authors. New authors feel unsure of where their writing belongs. For some authors it seems to be a real concern, almost to the point of stopping and starting their writing as they work out how their writer’s shirt will fit.
It isn’t until you start writing and finding your voice that you begin to understand where you might fit in the writing arena. So take your time to read in a few genres. ‘I don’t have that much time,’ you say.
Okay, let’s start with what you love to read. When you go into a book store, what section do you head for: romance, science fiction, crime, thriller or somewhere else? Perhaps nonfiction?
If you like crime fiction, this is the place to start your writing career. You will soon know if it’s right for you. The words, the plot and the characters will come fairly easily and you are always keen to get started on your writing every day. If the writing in that genre is jarring, move on to another genre.
I suggest start writing in the genre you love to read. Again, let’s assume its crime. You are used to the format in which the book is written. You understand the plot, you know the characters may not always tell the truth and you know there is a good guy and there is a villain.
Knowing these elements of the genre, enables you to study the work of your favorite authors in greater detail so that you understand the genre. When you have read a lot of novels in your preferred genre, your writing you can feel as though it is enveloping you like a cloak, or you might be feeling secure as if you are in a cocoon.
Suddenly, you are enjoying the story and the characters and how your story is unfolding and there is a knowing, as the writing is sitting comfortably in your heart. This is what I call, having your writer’s shirt on and feeling it fits well. Every time you sit down to write you slip into an alignment of your mind and heart that sets you up for a writing session.
Once you have chosen your genre, there are a couple of other points to note. If you are hoping to be published by a traditional publisher, it’s important to take note of the style of the book that the publisher has published. Every publisher comes at their different genres in their own unique way. So study books published in your genre by different publishers.
Study the style of writing, the type of characters in the story, even down to their behavior. Does the protagonist have a side-kick or is he working alone? What is the length of the manuscript a publisher wants? When are you given your first clue that a particular character is the villain?
Generally publishers will have a ‘formula’. Publishers know what they can sell. This doesn’t mean copying one of their author’s work. It means writing something fresh and new that fits the publishing guidelines of that publishing house.
This can take a bit of research, but if you are reading in your chosen genre, this won’t feel like work. In fact, it is great fun. For every book you read, your subconscious stores a little more information for you about how writing in that genre affects your reader, and what that particular publisher expects for their specialist imprint.
Time spent reading is time well-spent. Make use of this valuable step in your writing career and you will be more informed of the market you want to write for.
The most important thing you can do is read widely in all genres and see which one impacts you the most. This is probably the genre you will be most tuned to for your writing.
Good luck! And most importantly, have fun! I’d love to hear what genre you write in. Leave a comment below.