Uncovering Genres
By Karen Gross
What do they mean by "genre"? There are two distinct lists that cover the area of genres, writing genres and fiction genres. The first describes what the writing's purpose is and the other describes a targeted group of readers of specific fiction. You won't find an Expository section in your local bookstore; Romance and Horror sections are more likely to be displayed. When a publisher asks if your memoirs are Descriptive or Narrative he's searching for the category that best describes your writing, not the story.
Let's take them one by one. First the Writing Genres:
Descriptive writing appears almost everywhere and is often included in other genres, such as in a descriptive introduction of a character in a narrative. This genre attempts to describe a person, place or thing in vivid detail.
Expository writing appears in and is not limited to letters, newsletters, definitions, instructions, guidebooks, catalogues, newspaper articles, magazine articles, manuals, pamphlets, reports and research papers. The goal of this genre is to give explanation or directions to the reader.
Narrative writing appears in and is not limited to novels, short stories, biographies, autobiographies, historical accounts, essays, poems, and plays. The goal of this genre is to tell a story of an experience, event, or sequence of events while holding the reader's interest.
Persuasive writing appears in and is not limited to speeches, letters to the editor, editorials, advertisements, award nominations, sales letters, petitions, scholarly writing, and opinion pieces. The goal of this genre is to give an opinion in an attempt to convince the reader that this point of view is valid or tries to persuade the reader to take a specific action.
Poetry appears almost everywhere, and examples include haiku, couplet, quatrain, limerick, ballad, lyrics, sonnet, etc. Poetic writing is a written art form that helps the writer express an imaginative awareness and is arranged to create a specific emotional response, sometimes employing the use of repetition, meter, and rhyme.
The goal of technical writing is to clearly communicate a select piece of information to a targeted reader or group of readers for a particular purpose in such a way that the subject can readily be understood. Examples of technical writing include, warranties, contracts, blueprints, etc.
It is now readily apparent that Writing Genres describe the purpose of a piece of writing.
Now we'll look at the fiction genres. These determine certain elements that readers have come to expect.
Mystery/Suspense/Horror is a fiction category for stories, usually realistic, about a mysterious/horrible event that is not explained or a crime that is not solved until the end of the story to keep the reader in suspense. Detective and Crime Novels fall into the Mystery/Suspense genre.
Poetic writing is a written art form that helps the writer express an imaginative awareness and is arranged to create a specific emotional response, sometimes employing the use of repetition, meter, and rhyme. Books of Poetry are frequently published with a theme that all selected poems share.
Fantasy fiction contains elements that are not realistic, such as talking animals, magical powers, etc. The Hobbit and The Dragon Lance Chronicles are classic examples of fantasy genre.
Science Fiction stories include futuristic technology -- a blend of scientific-fact and fictional elements. Star Trek is an example of the science fiction genre.
Historical Fiction stories take place in a particular time period in the past. Often the basic setting is real, but the characters are fictional. Historical Fiction can cover any time period. "Memoirs of a Geisha" falls into the Historical Fiction genre.
Myths are stories that explain something about the world and involve gods or other supernatural beings. Although, myths are fictional stories, in most libraries they are found in the non-fiction section of the library in the 290s.
Writing Genres
1. Descriptive
2. Expository
3. Narrative
4. Persuasive
5. Poetry
6. Technical
Fiction Genres
1. Mystery/Suspense/Horror
2. Fantasy
3. Science Fiction
4. Historical
5. Myths
6. Poetry
So there you have it...writing genres describe the purpose of the writing and the fiction genres describe a targeted writing market with pre-supposed elements.
About the author: Karen Gross is an article writer for the Affiliate Work Home resource web site. Please visit our web site for more information and advice on work from home!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Gross
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Showing posts with label Genre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Genre. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Friday, September 15, 2006
What About Genres in Creative Writing?
Genres are often a mystery to beginning writers. Check out what Sophronia Scott has to say about the issue:
When Does Genre Matter?
By Sophfronia Scott
Thinking about genre is one of those places where writers can get stuck. They don't submit their manuscripts, or worse, they don't finish them because they feel the story "just doesn't fit" with any particular genre. If you think this way, then you're missing out. Genres can be limiting but they can also make your job easier if you understand them and how you can use them to help sell your book. Here are a few points to keep in mind.
What is Genre?
A book genre is a way of grouping books that have similar characteristics. The best known genres are considered their own markets as well: science fiction, romance, mystery, Westerns, thrillers. And many writers have made their names by specializing in a particular genre: Octavia Butler (science fiction), Danielle Steele (romance), John Sandford (mystery), Larry McMurtry (Westerns) or John Grisham (thrillers). A genre can even have it's own formula--for instance many romances start off with the potential lovers hating each other. If you aspire to write in a particular genre, it's best to know as much about it as possible--what's selling, what isn't, who's breaking new ground, where the best opportunities are, etc.
Genre is a Choice, Not an Accident
Instead of wondering what your book might be, make a choice about whether or not you want to write in a genre. There are good points for either choice. When you decide to write in a certain genre, your job is made easier because some decisions are made for you: target market, plotting elements (if the genre is formulaic) and who you try to sell the book to, since many agents and publishers do specialize. But it's best to make this decision before you start writing. Do you want your book to be firmly placed in one genre? Do you want to blend genres? You could run into trouble if you start writing without thinking about where you want your book to fit in. It's like building a house then deciding you want an elephant to live there and trying to push it through a too-small door! It rarely works because you end up with a tag that doesn't quite fit. You also have other people trying to push your book into a group and why should they get to do that? You're the one writing the book! Which brings me to...
Better None Than the Wrong One
When you haven't been clear on what your book is, you run the risk of sending it to the wrong agents and publishers who will reject it simply because they don't handle that type of material. That's a waste of your time and money. Now, this doesn't mean you slap a tag on your book just so you can send it to a particular editor. Don't be afraid to say your book is simply fiction and leave it at that. At most, you might want to specify literary or commercial fiction. (FYI, think of "commercial" as mass market and a possible money maker. Think of "literary" as a possible book award winner. Sometimes a book can be both, but it may be easier for you to think of your book as one or the other.) Some agents only represent novels. Some will say if they have specific genres. If your book doesn't fit the genres, ignore those agents and only pitch to the ones who handle novels in general. If someone asks you to categorize it, just give a brief, note BRIEF, story synopsis and say it's fiction. Again, be clear so you don't waste your time or theirs.
Does Genre Matter?
The answer is "yes", but the good news is you get to choose how much and in what ways it will matter to your book. So think about it up front and don't let someone else make the choices for you.
© 2006 Sophfronia Scott
Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah" TM. Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and book publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com
Sophfonia is also author of the bestselling novel, All I Need to Get By. If you liked today's issue, stay tuned for more because The Book Sistah also offers FREE audio classes, FREE articles, workshops, and other resources to help aspiring authors get published and market their books successfully.
The Book Sistah
230 South Main St.
Ste. 319
Newtown, CT 06470
203-426-2036
Info@TheBookSistah.com
http://www.TheBookSistah.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sophfronia_Scott
When Does Genre Matter?
By Sophfronia Scott
Thinking about genre is one of those places where writers can get stuck. They don't submit their manuscripts, or worse, they don't finish them because they feel the story "just doesn't fit" with any particular genre. If you think this way, then you're missing out. Genres can be limiting but they can also make your job easier if you understand them and how you can use them to help sell your book. Here are a few points to keep in mind.
What is Genre?
A book genre is a way of grouping books that have similar characteristics. The best known genres are considered their own markets as well: science fiction, romance, mystery, Westerns, thrillers. And many writers have made their names by specializing in a particular genre: Octavia Butler (science fiction), Danielle Steele (romance), John Sandford (mystery), Larry McMurtry (Westerns) or John Grisham (thrillers). A genre can even have it's own formula--for instance many romances start off with the potential lovers hating each other. If you aspire to write in a particular genre, it's best to know as much about it as possible--what's selling, what isn't, who's breaking new ground, where the best opportunities are, etc.
Genre is a Choice, Not an Accident
Instead of wondering what your book might be, make a choice about whether or not you want to write in a genre. There are good points for either choice. When you decide to write in a certain genre, your job is made easier because some decisions are made for you: target market, plotting elements (if the genre is formulaic) and who you try to sell the book to, since many agents and publishers do specialize. But it's best to make this decision before you start writing. Do you want your book to be firmly placed in one genre? Do you want to blend genres? You could run into trouble if you start writing without thinking about where you want your book to fit in. It's like building a house then deciding you want an elephant to live there and trying to push it through a too-small door! It rarely works because you end up with a tag that doesn't quite fit. You also have other people trying to push your book into a group and why should they get to do that? You're the one writing the book! Which brings me to...
Better None Than the Wrong One
When you haven't been clear on what your book is, you run the risk of sending it to the wrong agents and publishers who will reject it simply because they don't handle that type of material. That's a waste of your time and money. Now, this doesn't mean you slap a tag on your book just so you can send it to a particular editor. Don't be afraid to say your book is simply fiction and leave it at that. At most, you might want to specify literary or commercial fiction. (FYI, think of "commercial" as mass market and a possible money maker. Think of "literary" as a possible book award winner. Sometimes a book can be both, but it may be easier for you to think of your book as one or the other.) Some agents only represent novels. Some will say if they have specific genres. If your book doesn't fit the genres, ignore those agents and only pitch to the ones who handle novels in general. If someone asks you to categorize it, just give a brief, note BRIEF, story synopsis and say it's fiction. Again, be clear so you don't waste your time or theirs.
Does Genre Matter?
The answer is "yes", but the good news is you get to choose how much and in what ways it will matter to your book. So think about it up front and don't let someone else make the choices for you.
© 2006 Sophfronia Scott
Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah" TM. Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and book publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com
Sophfonia is also author of the bestselling novel, All I Need to Get By. If you liked today's issue, stay tuned for more because The Book Sistah also offers FREE audio classes, FREE articles, workshops, and other resources to help aspiring authors get published and market their books successfully.
The Book Sistah
230 South Main St.
Ste. 319
Newtown, CT 06470
203-426-2036
Info@TheBookSistah.com
http://www.TheBookSistah.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sophfronia_Scott
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