Is this actually Western?

[Use Her Name]

Hi Western people. I've been writing a book and kind of wonder if it might actually be a Western. No six shooters involved. At this point I am still writing and trying to figure a way to market it. It takes place in the late 60's I feel it has a modern narrator, a man in his 70's, in a dark country western bar. The story involves big city racetracks, a cattle ranch, a mustang herd, and Hollywood. No six shooters to be found in the lot. I'm a New Mexican writer trapped in the Midwest regionally. Still a bit confused.

[dpaterso]

"It depends."

I'm not seeing any Western themes, yet. Everything seems pretty civilized. :)

-Derek

[PatriciaB]

Sounds like it could be a contemp western...but a straight shooting western...I'd need a bit more details than that....though I can point in you the direction of some pubs who have an excellent definition of Westerns

[alleycat]

To me it sounds more like something Cormac McCarthy would write; in that case it wouldn't really be considered a western. You're probably better off with it not being considered a western; that's a tough genre to publish in these days.

[Shadow_Ferret]

Which 60s? 18 or 19?

[Susan Littlefield]

Hi Western people. I've been writing a book and kind of wonder if it might actually be a Western. No six shooters involved. At this point I am still writing and trying to figure a way to market it. It takes place in the late 60's I feel it has a modern narrator, a man in his 70's, in a dark country western bar. The story involves big city racetracks, a cattle ranch, a mustang herd, and Hollywood. No six shooters to be found in the lot. I'm a New Mexican writer trapped in the Midwest regionally. Still a bit confused.

I think the only way to find out if your story is considered western is to read as many as you you can get your hands on.

Westerns are generally set during the 1800's. Read Louis L'Amour, Zane Grey, James A. Ritchie. They all wrote wonderful westerns.

As for your description, it is set in the 1960's and 1970's? I think that would be too modern day to be considered a western, but I could be wrong.

[Itobias]

The year would help.