How do you know what type of fantasy you are writing?

Angelique · Sep 8, 2009

There are so many types of fantasy out there, how are you supposed to know which one you are writing?

What's the difference between Urban fantasy, contemporary fantasy, paranormal, and the zillion of others?

geardrops · Sep 8, 2009

I don't know what genre I write.

Doesn't really matter for my needs, though. I write the story, then when I'm working on the query, I just decide if it's "science fiction" or "fantasy" -- the agent/publisher will know what niche it fits in better, and in the end, they're all on the same big fat shelf.

Kitty Pryde · Sep 8, 2009

Angelique: go read this article and then report back: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasy_subgenres

But yeah, write YOUR story and see where it fits. Or else proclaim that it fits nowhere at all!

Angelique · Sep 8, 2009

dempsey said:
I don't know what genre I write.

Doesn't really matter for my needs, though. I write the story, then when I'm working on the query, I just decide if it's "science fiction" or "fantasy" -- the agent/publisher will know what niche it fits in better, and in the end, they're all on the same big fat shelf.

You know that's a smart way of looking at it. I was trying to think of what to put in the query, but titling it fantasy would probably work just fine.
Thanks.

Angelique · Sep 8, 2009

Kitty Pryde said:
Angelique: go read this article and then report back: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasy_subgenres

But yeah, write YOUR story and see where it fits. Or else proclaim that it fits nowhere at all!

That was my first resource. I read it and slept on it, and then decided it fit into a lot of them!

I guess it's just a misfit!

Mr Flibble · Sep 8, 2009

My editor told me

It made me grin inanely to say to my hubby 'Hey, I'm epic. But you knew that, right?'

Straka · Sep 8, 2009

I wrestled with the genre for my current work for the query letter. After reading around it actually sounded a lot like Sword and Sorcery. Smiling Ted made a good point that I could just call it "Fantasy" and be alright. So I did. I'll let those much more knowledgeable in marketing make that call.

Juliette Wade · Sep 8, 2009

You might want to look less at existing genres and more at how the agents you're targeting describe their interests. I always figure it's a good idea to judge genre placement relative to a specific person, so as to consider how relevant I would be to that person if they wanted to represent me. That's another way to approach the problem.

MargueriteMing · Sep 8, 2009

Angelique said:
There are so many types of fantasy out there, how are you supposed to know which one you are writing?

What's the difference between Urban fantasy, contemporary fantasy, paranormal, and the zillion of others?

Just write it, let someone else pigeonhole it.

Higgins · Sep 11, 2009

MargueriteMing said:
Just write it, let someone else pigeonhole it.

You could start some low, suburban fantasy and see how it ends up.

MGraybosch · Sep 11, 2009

Angelique said:
There are so many types of fantasy out there, how are you supposed to know which one you are writing?

I prefer to write the fantasy first, and then label it. I think that my own WIP straddles the line between science fiction and fantasy, so I just call it science fantasy for my own convenience, since I use a futuristic hi-tech setting and also bring preternatural abilities and events into the story.

Angelique · Sep 11, 2009

MGraybosch said:
I prefer to write the fantasy first, and then label it. I think that my own WIP straddles the line between science fiction and fantasy, so I just call it science fantasy for my own convenience, since I use a futuristic hi-tech setting and also bring preternatural abilities and events into the story.

that's pretty catchy--science fantasy. I like it.

MGraybosch · Sep 11, 2009

Angelique said:
that's pretty catchy--science fantasy. I like it.

Thanks. I didn't invent it, however. Rod Serling describes science fantasy as "making the impossible plausible".

How do you know what type of fantasy you are writing?

Angelique

A Walking Contradiction

geardrops

Good thing I like my day job

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue

Angelique

A Walking Contradiction

Angelique

A Walking Contradiction

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

Straka

Bored Fanatic

Juliette Wade

Interprets for aliens

MargueriteMing

Higgins

MGraybosch

Lunch Break Novelist

Angelique

A Walking Contradiction

MGraybosch

Lunch Break Novelist