How much do you consider categories when you write?

Maxinquaye · Nov 13, 2009

One of the things I've seen here on the boards is how novel writing is split into categories. There are many categories, from erotica to childrens literature.

For me, I don't think about it at all. What I'm writing now COULD be said to be an edgy YA story, but I think that for me I would possibly start to limit myself if I started to think in terms of categories. There would possibly be scenes and subject matters that I would unconsciously not write about.

I don't say that categorisation is bad or good - i have no opinion on it. However, for me a 19 year old is no different than a 33 year old when it comes to writing fiction. They are both undefined adults.

I am curious how much the rest of you aim for categories.

backslashbaby · Nov 14, 2009

Well, the inspiration for my WIP was years of love for a certain genre, combined with some nifty personal experience. So I do try not to veer way out of the genre while brainstorming.

But, if the story would be better, definitely, done a different way as I wrote it, I'd do the best for the story.

I might currently be veering into that territory where an agent won't know what to do with mine. I hope not, because that's the story I'm telling

eyeblink · Nov 14, 2009

Only to the extent that my characters are 17-18, so I'm writing YA and older (14+) YA at that. Apart from that, I'm with Aidan Chambers, a writer of YA (now in his seventies) who I respect enormously. From his first YA novel onwards (Breaktime, published 1978) he made a policy decision never to write down to his readers and never to censor anything difficult, edgy, controversial and so on. And that's what I aspire to.

For example, his second novel (Dance on My Grave, published 1982 - it and Breaktime are available in the UK repackaged in a single volume) apparently attracted some controversy by dealing with a love story between two boys. They have sex - not explicitly described, but we're in no doubt that it happens. That puts Chambers way ahead of his time as far as British YA publishing goes.

This does mean that Chambers's novels have "Not Suitable for Younger Readers" printed on the back covers, but that's fair enough.

On the other hand, I've been reading YA (and some MG) quite systematically over the last couple of years, so I expect I've absorbed a lot about style and approach that way.

Caitlin Black · Nov 14, 2009

I cross genres all the time.

My current book is a thriller sci-fi romance...

My previous one was a fantasy sci-fi comedy...

It's not that I try to break genres, it just sort of happens with the stories I wind up wanting to tell. I mean, comedy and romance can fit in pretty much anywhere, so I'm not too fussed about that, and SF/F is a fast-growing realm that can mix and match... in the end, it's just a story, not a pamphlet for that genre.

Wayne K · Nov 14, 2009

The book I'm being considered for a true crime memoir, and I'm one chapter into my follow up, an erotic romance.

Every memoir writer follows up with another memoir. I'm going to go left.

kaitie · Nov 14, 2009

Not particularly. I know I probably should, but I don't really think about anything like that on a first draft in particular, and only give it minor consideration on edits. Granted, most of what I write would probably be classed as either mainstream or suspense, so I figure those are pretty big categories.

My favorite books tend to be ones that cross genres, so I think I've picked up a bit of that myself. My last one is pretty straight up suspense, but the early parts tend to be somewhat lighthearted and humorous. The next one is more actiony, but also funnier, and truth be told I have no IDEA what to call it. I'll probably call it mainstream lol. I figure if I ever find an agent and publisher I'll probably have to give a bit more consideration to this upfront, but again, most of what I write tends to be in the same realm, so I'm probably okay.

Fredster · Nov 14, 2009

I try not to think about it.

I'm already worried about how to classify mine. I considered it a thriller because the basic story is about a man trying to save his son from people trying to kill him. Seems like most people seem to think thrillers are crime-type novels.

Then one of my test readers referred to the "science fiction elements", which threw me for a loop. When I think science fiction, I think starships and such, not genetics research. Maybe I'm just limited in my thinking.

I think what I'm working on is influenced by the early works of King and Koontz...and they were considered HORROR back then.

So, I'm all confused. I figure I'll let my agent decide how to pitch it.

Toothpaste · Nov 14, 2009

Having not thought about it in the past and having a great deal of difficulty selling my recent novel, the one I am writing now is all about writing to a very specific market.

I know it's all about just writing, and seeing where the cards fall, but you also have to realise the more you cross genre lines the harder a sell it's going to be. I don't regret having written my book, and deep down I still think it could sell, but when you get a lot of rejections with publishers not sure where to place it, telling you it's too risky etc, it isn't any kind of stroking the ego that you happen not to fit in a box. By the end you kind of wish you did.

I think it is important to keep genre and age in mind for what you are writing. If for a second you think that means I think you should talk down to any audience, well then you haven't read my kids books which have a more sophisticated vocab than many adults books - oh and violence and torture and death. But even in writing those I knew I couldn't swear or show any kind of sexuality (my first two books are for 8 - 12 yearolds).

In the end I always advise, especially if this is your first book, when you are writing that first draft, just write whatever. The most important thing is getting the words onto the page. But when you decide you want to sell it, then you have to take stock of things outside yourself. You don't have to write anything you don't want to write. But being currently in this fight, I can tell you, it's exhausting, frustrating, and not a lot of fun. Sure if the book sells it will be an awesome victory, but at this stage, I'm truly not sure it will.

YAwriter72 · Nov 14, 2009

I write mainly YA. Its where my voice is its strongest, but I don't ever suppress or omit simply because it is YA. The characters drive the story and if there is something they need to do, I let them.

Freelancer · Nov 14, 2009

I cross genres all the time. Few days ago we just counted the cross genres in the present WIP and it's containing 16 main and subgenres at once. In my case I never determine what it should be. The flow of the story determines what to it will become.

gothicangel · Nov 14, 2009

I'm writing a psychological suspense novel, which is a sub-category of crime. It's not something I thought of. I love crime novels, so I write crime novels. From day one I made sure I studied the conventions of the genre.

Sevvy · Nov 14, 2009

I write speculative fiction, so I have to think about the different genres and what separates one from another. I don't think it matters if you're aware of the genre of your story while you're writing, but it's helpful to know something about genres when you're revising and figuring out where to market your story.

ChaosTitan · Nov 14, 2009

Toothpaste said:
I know it's all about just writing, and seeing where the cards fall, but you also have to realise the more you cross genre lines the harder a sell it's going to be.

QFT.

For writers who are still getting their feet wet and writing their first novel, it's better for them to just write and not think too hard about the market. Don't get too hung up on genre, but don't be completely ignorant of it, either. Get the story out, polish it up, learn from it.

When you're ready to seriously consider publication, it's much more important to keep genre in mind. As Toothpaste says, something that is too outside of the box of genre tropes is going to be very, very difficult to sell. Genre classifications are for booksellers, and if an agent/editor don't know what to call your book, they won't know what to tell a bookseller it is.

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 14, 2009

I write fantasy. Its just how I'm wired.

Tink · Nov 14, 2009

Shadow_Ferret said:
I write wired.

*giggles*

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 14, 2009

Well, that went without saying.

Tink · Nov 14, 2009

Shadow_Ferret said:
Well, that went without saying.

Jamesaritchie · Nov 14, 2009

If you don't know genre and subgenre before you start writing, the liklihood of writing an unsellable novel is pretty high. I think knowing what you're writing going in also makes the writing itself one heck of a lot easier.

Other than the occasional good novel in a dead genre, I think the only well-written novels I've seen go unpublished were ones that simply didn't fit anywhere, into any category.

Claudia Gray · Nov 14, 2009

I think about it from the very earliest stages. Either I need to sell in the genre where I am already published (YA paranormal romantic adventure) or in a genre where I plan to dedicate a lot of time and energy over the next few years to establish myself. I have one historical novel I might indulge myself with, but otherwise, right now, I have to think like a businessperson as well as a writer.

Kalyke · Nov 14, 2009

Generes are important for sales-- It is useful in marketing.

Maxinquaye · Nov 14, 2009

Use Her Name said:
Generes are important for sales-- It is useful in marketing.

True. My thoughts wasn't so much about genres though as categories. I make a distinction.

My WIP is a general contemporary thriller, as far as genre goes. I was just curiuos about what i call categories, which is based on the categorisation on this board.

In the SYW section you see what i mean - Young adult, erotica, and so on.

I suppose my book would be hard to categorise, but that it would be in the general thriller department, or in general fiction.

Oberon89 · Nov 14, 2009

ChaosTitan said:
For writers who are still getting their feet wet and writing their first novel, it's better for them to just write and not think too hard about the market. Don't get too hung up on genre, but don't be completely ignorant of it, either. Get the story out, polish it up, learn from it.

When you're ready to seriously consider publication, it's much more important to keep genre in mind. As Toothpaste says, something that is too outside of the box of genre tropes is going to be very, very difficult to sell. Genre classifications are for booksellers, and if an agent/editor don't know what to call your book, they won't know what to tell a bookseller it is.

Absolutely. My first book was bloody awful. I couldn't classify it, couldn't write a decent query letter for it, and couldn't get anyone to look at it because it was just all over the place. It had Ecoterrorists, a treasure hunt, the Russian mob, a deadly love triangle and a tense moment with the Amish. I learned so much by writing it and it was great fun—a completely invaluable experience—but it's never going to be on the shelves because it's just too far out there. :Shrug:

Second book was epic fantasy. I think it had potential and it got a good look by a publisher, but it's a tough sell right now and there's all those cliches to contend with. I might revisit it if the market improves, but it's going to be years before I get back to it.

With my third book I specifically chose to write urban fantasy, looking at what was already out there and doing my best to fill what I perceived to be an empty niche within that category. That one sold, PLUS it was a blast to write. :hooray:

If I'd ignored all genre tropes, I doubt it would have sold; I broke a few of the rules, but followed enough of them to make sure the bookstores knew where to shelve it.

Stijn Hommes · Nov 14, 2009

I rarely think about genre categorization. Sure, I remind myself not to put an atomic detonation in children's picture books, but other than such extreme things, I don't censor myself. I write the story first, then I start to think about its sell-ability. Besides, the best stories cross the genre boundaries.

ishtar'sgate · Nov 14, 2009

Maxinquaye said:
One of the things I've seen here on the boards is how novel writing is split into categories. There are many categories, from erotica to childrens literature.

For me, I don't think about it at all.

I am curious how much the rest of you aim for categories.

I didn't aim for one but I was drawn to historical fiction so that's what I write.

cwfgal · Nov 14, 2009

Maxinquaye said:
For me, I don't think about it at all. What I'm writing now COULD be said to be an edgy YA story, but I think that for me I would possibly start to limit myself if I started to think in terms of categories. There would possibly be scenes and subject matters that I would unconsciously not write about.

I don't say that categorisation is bad or good - i have no opinion on it. However, for me a 19 year old is no different than a 33 year old when it comes to writing fiction. They are both undefined adults.

I am curious how much the rest of you aim for categories.

If you plan to try to sell your work, I think it's smart to consider category, audience, etc. And what's wrong with not writing certain scenes or including certain subject matter? If you are writing a middle grade YA novel, you don't want a lot of erotica in the story. If you are writing erotica, you probably don't want a bunch of child characters in your story. If you're writing a military men's adventure story, your audience is going to be different than it would be if you're writing a classic romance. To me, a 19 year old male reader and a 33 year old female reader are very different--in fact I think there is a significant difference between many 19 year old and 33 year old males. Age affects one's interests. Gender affects one's interests. Personality affects one's interests. I think having an audience in mind helps you keep your writing tighter and more in control so you don't end up with a crazy mess of story that's all over the place and has no real identity.

Do I consider my potential audience when writing? Yeah, I do. Do I let it dictate my story? To some degree, yes. Right now I'm writing a cozy mystery series so I'm not going to include a lot of erotica, or a lot of blood and gore. Why? Because that's not what my audience wants. That doesn't mean I can't write other works with lots of erotica or blood and gore, just that I'm not going to put it into this series work.

Some topics or stories will have broader appeal than others. For instance, I think Jurassic Park had a very broad appeal across readers. It's the type of topic that interests people of all ages, genders, and walks of life so awareness of one's audience is probably less of a concern. On the other hand, a Karen Robards romance has a much more specific audience.

So I think it is important to varying degrees.

Beth (aka Annelise Ryan)

How much do you consider categories when you write?

That cheeky buggerer

~~~~*~~~~

Barbara says hi

Wild one

With great power comes

Village idiot

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

someone let me off this crazy ride

Toughen up.

Spec Fic Writer

Around

Court Jester

Just soaking up some R&R...

Court Jester

Just soaking up some R&R...

That cheeky buggerer

The Druid you're looking for

Know what you write...

living in the past

On the rocks

*