What is your genre? This is the first question we will ask you at the Art of Writing retreat in Florence. How I found mine came up in my last blog on Maria. By interviewing Aunty Maria, by gathering her story, I knew what I wanted to write about, and why. Aunty Maria’s story helped me know exactly where my new book would sit with publishers and agents. That’s the first question agents and publishers will ask you too. It’s a constant query -- genre, genre, genre. And if you don’t know your literary category on the first day of your creative writing retreat with us, you will know it on your last day. With hard work, deep thinking, and tutoring, you will know your genre.
Genre is a particular type of literature that is considered a ‘class’ because it has special characteristics.
To explain, agents and publishers buy and sell genres. That is the nature of their game. Agents pitch specific genres to publishers. Then publishers take on precise genres to sell to readers. People who love reading have their favourite genres. And if they don’t get the genre they bought, they will be really disappointed. (That’s a nice way of saying super pissed off.) Genres sit on shelves in bookshops under signs saying Young Adult, Horror, Romance or Science Fiction,or Historical Fiction. Everything boils down to the moment a reader shops down the aisle of what they like.
If you can’t nail down your genre you won’t be picked up by an agent. Sure, maybe your novel is ‘literary,’ so your genre is harder to pinpoint. But at the very minimum label, your work initially as Women’s Fiction. Then it would be grouped into Women’s Literary Fiction or Women’s Commercial Fiction. Every book, in the interests of marketing, promotions, pitches and sales (in other words – business) must have a genre.
Now, just to really shake things up, I recently chatted with a group of successful writers who talked about how the best books nowadays (meaning the biggest sellers) are a mix of genres. Crime worked into romance. Historical worked into horror and romance. How television now has the most incredible writers who weave all sorts of genres into story. Think Game of Thrones = action, romance, thriller, suspense, adventure, fantasy. Think Breaking Bad = dark comedy, suspense, crime, thriller, drama. Think The Handmaid’s Tale = Science Fiction, Dystopian, Tragedy. TV is really mixing up the genres.
But even in TV or the written word, a primary genre must be chosen. Especially with books, as they are still heavily mired in genre. But in many ways, books are catching up to TV. The biggest sellers have multiple genres. This will absolutely do your head in if you are a beginner/emerging writer. It’s hard enough finishing your first book, let alone trying to merge multiple genres into it.
But think about multiple genres and genres in general. Know what’s happening in literature and TV. Understand why you like HBO’s White Lotus – maybe because it’s a mix of genres? Thriller, satire, dark comedy, family drama, and general drama.
Think deeply about your genre. I’ll write more about it in the coming weeks.
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If you’d like to share any comments or thoughts, I’d be happy to hear from you. Email me directly at lisacliffordwriter@gmail.com.