READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Dragonchilde — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:32:44 -0700

Yes, sometimes picking from a list is tough. You may have elements from one or more of the genres that we list here (which is certainly not comprehensive, just representative of the most popular ones amongst participants). Or you may be breaking all the rules for every existing novel ever written! So go ahead, give us a description and we'll try to help you find the right lounge and name for it. Or maybe we'll put our heads together to come up with a new one! The rest of this forum is a fun place for folks who don't have a lounge of their own to gather. If you're creating a new thread for like-minded genre writers to gather, please give your thread an ID for folks to spot quickly: [Realistic Fiction] [Espionage] [Free Verse Poetry Mixed with Futuristic Fantasy] We've also have a forum for all you folks not writing fiction this year called NaNo Rebels. If you're writing fanfiction, you can either use the general fanfic thread, or you can go over to the Fans and Critics forum to look for a thread specific to your fandom. Special Notice We now have the ability for you to SET YOUR OWN GENRE! Just go to edit novel info, select "Other", and enter the genre you'd like to display!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

CarolinaWriter — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:10:35 -0700

Yes - what Dragonchilde said! Hi, I'm Connie and I'm a new moderator on this forum. I like to write mainstream fiction, leaning towards mystery with a bit of romance thrown in. I am unpublished, as being published requires one to actually have something COMPLETED, but I am enjoying the process of learning and growing as a writer. I figure by the time I learn what I need to know, I'll have retired from the State and be able to write full time. I don't know a lot about other genres but I am looking forward to seeing all ones that come hang out here. I am looking forward to getting to know everyone.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

RionaDaidouji — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:32:15 -0700

So.... I picked YA by default, since it's pretty broad, but thinking on it, my story is a little controversial for YA. Maybe someone could shed a light? Synopsis: Jared and Rose Verona often find themselves needing to tell people that they're just normal siblings who happened to be born on the same day. They don't have any special "twin" psychic link. They don't have their own language. Neither one is the "good" twin or the "evil" twin. And they most certainly aren't reincarnations of past lovers! And yet, a mutual friend seems obsessed with a Japanese myth which implies the later; That if two lovers kill themsleves together, they'll be reincarnated as twins. "Maybe you're the reincarnations of Romeo and Juliette!" she likes to joke to them. It's all harmelss teasing, until Jared starts to second guess himself. What if the legend is true? His worries eventually alienate him from Rose, and the two loose track of what it means to be a family.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

iamwill — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:34:48 -0700

What about Steampunk? Set in the early 1900's? Is it considered "Other genre" or "Historical Fiction?" This is my first time to participate in Nanowrimo, by the way.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

iamwill — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:58:44 -0700

Woops, just found a thread for Steampunk in the Fantasy lounge. I guess that would be my place, then.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

alastor993 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 04:28:59 -0700

Okay, I don't have a very clear idea of what I'm going to write, but I think it's likely to turn out as a fiction memoir very, very loosly based on my life, with elements of horror and fantasy... I think... Where would that fit best, as in genre? Thanks!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kia_Zi_Shiru — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 04:56:24 -0700

vampires? where do we fit those in? I'm nut sure if my vampires are really fantasy or paranormal, but I can't really go to YA since the characters are in their mid-20s.... help?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Gryphonsflight — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 05:23:53 -0700

Oh god, the hardest question I've had to answer for this novel. Basically, if you wrap every genre up into a katamari, roll it around for a while in a library and toss in a little techo-babble. Congratulations! You have my genre!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Tom M. Surname — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 05:59:58 -0700

My genre is currently listed as "adventure/drama/humor/fanfic," as if I am somehow expected to ram a perfectly good adventure yarn into a steaming pot of story already containing a full-fledged drama and a readable comedy. In actuality, apart from being fanfic, it is none of the above. For the most part, it's a magical girl anime pastiche, with elements of both deconstruction and reconstruction, musings on the nature of fanfiction and being a fan, sociopathic heroines, blood 'n' guts galore, and a tone that careens wildly from cheerful (if gory) slapstick to roiling cauldrons of blackest angst. However, that sounds sniffily pretentious--not to mention that it's too long to put in a summary--so I may just call it a "magical girl warrior" story (despite that being mostly unknown as a literary genre--anime, sure, but not in books and not in the West). Hopefully that gets the idea across.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Tom M. Surname — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 06:04:37 -0700

Ack, I just realized that I forgot to include the question and the edit function isn't up yet. Given that I have antiheroes, some urban fantasy elements (black magic and demons), comedy ranging from light slapstick to the deadest of dead baby jokes, a universe-devouring abomination as my main villain, a hopeful ending, a number of action scenes, a Quest for the Pretentiously-Named Plot Artifact (tm), and deconstructive elements, does anyone see a more specific/more familiar genre name than "magical girl"? I've been toying with "dark action comedy," but I'm not sure how user-friendly that is as a descriptor.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

MzHartz — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 06:10:15 -0700

I've been having a hard time figuring out what genre to put my novel in. Someone told me she thought it was Sci-Fi, but I don't think so. Chocolate is illegal. The story is about a woman's life while she comes to terms with her addiction. It's not set in the past or future, it's on earth, and there's nothing different about chocolate than it exists in real life. She gets married, gets divorced, loses her job, sleeps around, falls in love, and gets arrested, but nothing supernatural happens. It's not meant to be humorous. It's just a hypothetical story of, "What If?" I don't think it's even fantasy. Modern Fiction?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

CarolinaWriter — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 06:58:46 -0700

"Chocolate is illegal. The story is about a woman's life while she comes to terms with her addiction. It's not set in the past or future, it's on earth, and there's nothing different about chocolate than it exists in real life. She gets married, gets divorced, loses her job, sleeps around, falls in love, and gets arrested, but nothing supernatural happens. It's not meant to be humorous. It's just a hypothetical story of, "What If?" Nope - this is definitley a horror story. :) Interesting premise.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

When I Met Her — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 07:22:46 -0700

A college student was raised by his grandmother, who is a voodoo mambo (priestess). She keeps it quiet, because she's pretty sure her neighbors would lynch her if they found out, but she raised her grandson to always keep an altar, give thanks to the spirits, etc. Because of this, when the student's appendix bursts on the holy day of his family's guardian, said guardian intercedes to try and save him. Voodoo-related adventure ensues. Would this be fantasy, supernatural, adventure, or horror?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

afrorez — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:06:46 -0700

The story takes place in a "parallel" earth, Where a single race waged war against all others, even the animals. Completely eradicating all non-Aura species. (the race are called Auras) They were slaves who stumbled over the six guardian spirits, beings tied to the planet who were vowed to protect it. They chose to help the Auras not realizing that their hatred was so intense, the auras tricked them and used their powers against each other binding the guardians to their will. They used the captured technology from the other races, specifically the Lorics, robotic sentries used by the more advanced races to fight their wars. After the genocidal wars (dubbed the cleansing) the Auras retreated into spectacular domed cities some as large as entire u.s. states. Each city governs itself reporting to the capital. After retreating to the domes, the Auras realized that they overlooked a genetic mutation in the own biology. The mutation varies from person to person, some appearing at birth, others during puberty. These mutations (referred to as mutates) are immediately "cleansed". The government is strongly class based, nobility and titles are more important than hard work. Everything you have is based around your title. Titles are earned by amassing wealth, or by proving your magical worth. The world is very strongly influced by its magic, sometimes to the point that technology and magic are indistinguishable. The machines are run by magic, and everything is run by the machines The story itself revolves around the son of a minor noble, Micheal Kelpher, who is found out as a mutate. It follows the first six months of his attempts to hide and find a place in a world, mostly scrounging around in sewers and hunting for any other mutates in the substrate of the city. He finds companions, a handful of rebellions and a few shambling cities constantly on the move trying to escape death. Focused on his interaction and thoughts rather than action, though there is enough to satisfy, but there is no real quest or goal he sets himself on. I'm pretty sure it's Sci-Fi but i want to get some opinions. Actually I'm 99% sure its Sci-Fi, however a friend said it was fantasy so I'm covering my bases.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:19:33 -0700

iamwill - Steampunk can fall under a number of broad genres. Fantasy is only one of them -- and only appropriate if your particular steampunk world has fantasy elements like magic, elves, whatever. Science fiction is the typical heading if it doesn't. Or you can just call it "steampunk" and call it good. ;) alastor993 - It doesn't matter if it's loosely based on your life, if it has elements of fantasy and horror, it's not going to be mainstream or just a "memoir". ;) It'll be whichever of those is more appropriate. (Fantasy can be scary, and horror can have fantastic things, so it depends on whether the primary point of it is to be scary/creepy or not.) Kia_Zi_Shiru - Vampires can fall under either fantasy or horror/supernatural, depending. And I'm not entirely certain myself what that might depend on. I'd personally call it "horror" if your vampires are intended to be scary. But I've yet to figure out what the difference actually is between "urban fantasy" and "supernatural" -- a lot of the stuff that gets labeled "supernatural", I would have called "urban fantasy", and a lot of the stuff that gets labeled "magical realism", I'd have called "supernatural"... I'm so confused. You're not the only one, hehe. Gryphonsflight - You said nothing about what your story is actually about, though. :P So I'm just going to blindly slap "science fantasy" in your general direction. :) Tom M. Surname - I'd consider the "magical girl" genre to fall under urban fantasy, myself. MzHartz - Yes, that's science fiction, or more broadly, speculative fiction. Scifi doesn't need to be about the future, or aliens, or spaceships, or what-have-you. Often the main point of scifi is to ask "what if?" You're creating an alternate world that's just a little different from our own in order to explore social/cultural issues, of sorts. You can call it "speculative fiction" if you like, if you really feel that uncomfortable putting it as scifi. ;) When I Met Her - I'd call that "urban fantasy". But see my comments to Kia_Zi_Shiru about "urban fantasy" versus "supernatural".

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

whimsicaldreamer — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:42:06 -0700

I have no idea what genre my story fits into. I have already attempted to go and find but it just ends up with me more confused. I am thinking somewhere along the lines of science fantasy but would like some help. Here is my synopsis. Jamie an unlucky new recruit, who only wants to study history, gets his paperwork mixed up and ends up in a special unit where he finds a world beyond his own. His new teammates include a superstitious ghost who used to be a goddess, an android plagued by philosophic questions, a possessed person with a thing for catch phrases of doom (and narm) and a kid mechanic who also happens to be the traveling shovel of death. So, while he works to straighten out his paper work, and after growing to like his new place in life remix it up, he has to do his new job. From the time he signs the nondisclosure agreement Jamie’s life is in the hands of an author determined to write 50k in a month and the random button on TV tropes. If you have any questions please ask them. This is on Earth.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

korikatamarisan — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:05:04 -0700

I think mine falls somewhere between literary fiction, mainstream fiction, and thriller. It's the story of two young men, Isaak and William, who meet as college roommates and eventually develop a very close (and eventually physical) relationship. William considers it just a fling, but Isaak is in love. Each assumes that the other is on the same page. Things get complicated, however, when William meets a young woman named Rose over the summer and decides to pursue a relationship with her. Isaak does not take this well, and begins plotting revenge. His methods are quite unorthodox, and in the end, ill fated. His plan goes awry, resulting in lives both lost and ruined. It's very much a character-driven story and psychology plays a big role.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

juicycapoochie — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:47:13 -0700

Hi there! The novel I'm writing is a crossover of so many genres that I have absolutely no idea how to classify it coherently. I don't want to delve into the plot in too much detail because I don't have the thing worked out to my complete satisfaction as of yet, but it centres around a young woman in her early twenties who, prior to the beginning of the story, came to possess super powers through, doesn't want or enjoy them but feels obligated to use them, which leads her into a life as a masked vigilante that she despises (it all sounds very tired and clichéd, I know, but I considering the plot I have worked out I think I've created a story that differs from the norm as far as superhero stories are concerned, so I'm really excited to write it). She is not the only superhero in the novel but she is the only one who masks her identity, and aside from this there is also a VERY prevalent love story and some extremely dark and disturbed elements. It's kind of a hodgepodge of action, adventure, sci fi and romance, and even a little bit chick lit, so I have absolutely no idea how I specify a single genre and help would be greatly appreciated!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:30:49 -0700

whimsicaldreamer - Certainly sounds like science fantasy to me. And possibly comedy/parody as well. korikatamarisan - I think "character driven" vs. "plot driven" is a poor method of trying to determine genre. It doesn't really sound like literary fiction to me. Lit fic tends toward being "deep and meaningful", I think. juicycapoochie - Less of a hodgepodge than you might think. We can, for instance, throw out all plot-based genres right here -- they're not applicable with setting-based genres, which supercede them. :) The minute you start including non-real elements, you're immediately in some variety of speculative fiction -- scifi, fantasy, and/or horror.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

WrittenWord — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:34:19 -0700

I'm not sure where to classify my project. Here's the summary: [quote]Highly individualistic Jefferson Adams receives yet another diary for his fourteenth birthday. Politically astute, he begins keeping a meticulous record (in haiku, just to be odd) of the world around him, both his local community of Arlington and the greater United States. He avidly follows the events of the 2000 Presidential Election and believes, when Bush finally emerges victorious, that he has just witnessed the most monumental event of his life. He is wrong. Mere days into his sophomore year of high school, Jefferson's world is shaken, literally and figuratively, when he is forced to evacuate his school because a plane has crashed into the nearby Pentagon. Frightened and confused, suddenly plunged into a new world, Jefferson must struggle to re-establish himself in a world stood on its head, growing up too quickly and trying to maintain his identity.[/quote] I kind of tried to shoehorn it into Historical Fiction, but I don't think it really fits there. I could call it political fiction, but I honestly don't know. Help? Maybe? Please?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

DMarie84 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:18:53 -0700

I'm not sure where mine goes. It's basically supernatural (I think?) but it doesn't fit the category description about being graphic. It's creepy at parts--OK a lot of parts--but I can't write a sad/tragic ending no matter how hard I try, and so it has a bit of hope at the end, despite having a lot of darkness throughout. It's about a girl who gets possessed by the spirit of a body found in a bog. It's set in Germany in the Middle Ages. The spirit makes her do all sorts of things--most of which she doesn't remember, or only remembers bits and pieces. However, it has a good ending so I don't think it quite fits in the horror/supernatural place. Is it historical fantasy? Or what? :P Normally I just write historical or historical fantasy but I'm not really sure what this is.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

melomania — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:34:59 -0700

Ok, my novel is set at some point in history, but not in any country that we've known on Earth (mostly because I'm too lazy to do research to find countries that fit my story, or historical figures to base my characters on). I've got a royal family (main character is a princess) and no elements of magic or anything else supernatural. I'm leaning toward Historical Fiction, except, like I said, I'm not actually basing it off anything in Earth's history (to my knowledge). On second thought, it could fall into the Romance category, except there's this whole cool political plot that has taken over my story as I've been planning it out.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Annie.Fiction. — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:40:19 -0700

So, my story contains both Fantasy and Adventure. The Fantasy is that there are tons of dragons, unicorns, and many more made up creatures to come. But the Adventure side is that she goes on a giant adventure, in which she encounters the creatures, and the adventure is the majority of the book, even if it has made up creature stuff. So i'm not really sure where to put it.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Diane38 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:10:21 -0700

My story is a conglomeration of Cyberpunk, Shadowrun, and Goth. I'm starting out with a recently blinded woman who takes care of the rescue and rehab of miniature horses. The Cyber comes from agreeing to an implant that will allow her to 'see' in cyberspace, but not in the real world. Enter a man who is a dark elf... who is a shaman... and introduces her to a Scottish Fold who is a runt of the litter. This is her eyes in the mortal world. The fun part is that her place is now called Sanctuary, which is Neutral ground... under the theme of "Come in Peace, Leave in Peace, or leave in Pieces!" I love this idea... hehehe

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Chasemoose — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:30:09 -0700

A pair of teenage boys who can't quite get along (and, in fact, are complete opposites), must work together when a crazy pyro kidnaps their friends and families. The government is of no use, because they have matters o their own to take care of, their hands too full to help a small town...

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

StacyRenee — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:21:59 -0700

This will be my first time attempting NaNoWriMo and also my first time trying to finish any novel so I definently need help figuring out what genre my story fits into. It is set in 18th century America but I am not going to include any of the major history elements that went on in those times such as slavery or war. I am avoiding adding anything that happened in real life at that time but I know I want my story to be set in the 1700's (I am also unsure of any specific year or decade as of yet.) I am sure that I don't want there to be electricity or plumbing and things of that sort. I am unsure if my story is still considered as historical fiction if I don't include that it was set in a specific historical town in whichever specific year or include any actual history besides the hardships of life during those times. My story has murder, thievery, bandits, betrayal, some suspense, some mystery, madness, family fueds, and possibly a ghost or two. There is also romance but I DO NOT want to categorize my story as romance. While searching for a genre to choose I came across Gothic Fiction which alot of this seems to fit into but I am completely unsure of whether my story is gothic fiction, historical fiction, or even if Gothic is just a sub-genre of historical fiction. Any help would be much appreciated!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kaister_Azira — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:14:04 -0700

Oh thank skies above. Okay, I'm rather confused on what genre my novel will be in. It's a somewhat loose retelling/remix/based on "Psyche and Eros' Greek Mythology story. So on just that alone it focuses on Romance but my idea is to concentrate more on Psyche during her marriage-Married to a stranger, isolation in her new 'home', homesickness, naiveity, questioning herself and her 'husband', dependency, losing herself to 'love'. THEN after the 'betrayal', losing her love, her home, the remose, guilt, confusion, losing the will to live, not knowing who she is without Eros anymore, depression. And MAYBE having her learn to live again, move on and grow. To find some joy in the world around her, find herself, make a life that is not dependent on another in the same way, a) a reconciliation with Eros, b)have her reject Eros, 3) the inability to move on and have her kill herself, 4)reincarnation (still trying to figure out where I"m ending up). The thing is that since this is in greek mythology there is the whole mystical element-gods and goddess, pegasus, fauns, elementals, oracles, 'magic users', etc.-that I have no idea where this really fall. So spiritual? Introspective? Romance? YA (coming of age)? Fantasy? Magic? Adventure (the quest to find herself)?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

SecondLinnet — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:27:39 -0700

First time writer here and I've no clue how to classify what I'm writing. I'm using several years worth of daily messages written to my daughter's various teachers as source material to write a fictional 'diary' recording events and personal development for a person who has a severe learning disability and severe autistic spectrum disorder. I'm trying to give an insiders perspective on what it's like for somebody with different needs and development to try to be part of the so-called normal world. It's not as heavy as it sounds; there are lots of funny, trivial, bizarre and triumphant moments included which (I hope) make it a slice-of-life from a perspective that's rarely available. Hopefully somebody here might be able to help me with picking a classification?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

CeeCeeMee — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 07:20:36 -0700

Let's see what others think - (grabbed from Adopt-A-Thread last year) My 30-something MC buys a really old house in Massachusetts. After he moves in he finds out that it's being haunted by two people who once lived there. He's reliving pieces of their lives (especially their love lives) in his sleep and trying to solve the 100+ year old mystery of their deaths while awake. His helper is the adult child of the realtor who sold him the property. (Felt guilty for Mom not telling the new owner the whole story.) I'm thinking that they will fall in love during their research and their happiness (and solving the mystery) will allow the ghosts to finally rest. So is this suspense, mystery, romance, all of the above, what? Thanks for the help!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Koppur — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 07:30:06 -0700

Is there a genre for personal creative non-fiction? By that I mean this: it reads like fiction and is written like fiction, with plot and characters and everything you'd find in a fictional novel, but it's all 100% true. And not historical, as in not a big event from the past, but rather it's my own personal story. I don't want to write it as a memoir; I don't like that structure for this particular story. It's the type of thing where after I write it, if I use fake names, it could be presented as fiction, and nobody would know the difference.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Koppur — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:40:09 -0700

That's what I was thinking. Thanks keolah! :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

i_have_more_fictional_boyfriends — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:53:02 -0700

For a dystopian novel, where would you place it as a main genre?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

jblanc — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:39:50 -0700

The best genre name I can come up this year with is "Fiction Kitchen Sink." Help narrowing it down would be a kindness. It's mostly based around a non-government organization that polices timelines and maintains alternate universes--meaning while there's a strong sci-fi bent, it has equal parts magic, supernatural, and police(sort of) procedural plus a dash of spy-thriller and out-and-out horror. The setting of my NGO is about twenty minutes into the future, but given the timehopping, a bunch of other settings play a role. Sci-fantasy? Adventure-by-way-of time travel? Sufficiently analyzed magic?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

littlemeganannie — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:22:47 -0700

I'm unsure where this would go, I know it's YA but I'm not sure where it's fantasy or paranormal. Here's the synopsis: A young graffiti artist finds an old paint set in his grandfather’s attic and discovers whatever he paints becomes reality. He and his friend get sucked into a world of his own making, making friends with fantastical characters and enemies of brooding evil. The paints are stolen and they must find them in order to go back to their world again before they're used to destroy the world they created.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

psych_girl — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:28:31 -0700

So I need a little help figuring out which genre my story will fall under. The basic premise is of a girl who wishes to be an astronaut and discovers that there is life on the other planets in our solar system. Each planet is like a state in the country that is the Milky Way Galaxy, but they generally ignore Earth as the human race is far behind them scientifically, mentally, and technologically. This girl thinks she's the only one who knows about the life on other planets, but she isn't. There is a secret organization of humans bent on destroying the entire solar system (kind of like a 'if we kill them first, they can't kill us' thing), but they pretend to be diplomatic and kind to the other planets, fooling them into a shaky sense of trust. In actuality they are stealing tangible energy from the planets that could allow them to create and control a black hole that could take out the other planets. So this girl along with two other Milkies (a snarky boy from Venus and a stoic, impassive enigma of a young man from Saturn) must travel to each planet and try to unite them in a war against Earth. Sorry, that was longer than I expected it to be. But anyway, yeah, that's the basic, very basic premise of the story. I just didn't know if it fit sci-fi or fantasy. I read somewhere that sci-fi is about making the implausible possible, while fantasy is making the impossible possible. But since it has to do with space and humanoid aliens, it kind of screams sci-fi. However, I'm no science expert, so most of the elements of this story (like all the technology) are made up.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Katgirlxx — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:56:11 -0700

Well alright--I've been puzzling over what genre my novel would fall into, so I might as well ask for some opinions here! My story centres around the first girl to be drafted--and actually play more than one game--in the NHL. It basically deals with the repercussions of that, and [i]hopefully[/i] will tackle some feminist themes, although I make no promises. I don't think it's Chick Lit, definitely not romance, not nearly deep enough to be LitFic...Mainstream fiction maybe? I just want to know where I belong!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Wisagii-Mahigan — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:47:10 -0700

Ooh, this thread is handy for a little newbie like me! Well, I guess I have to write about my plot. It is basically a trio of characters struggling with various problems (from schizophrenia to loosing a child with a stop at drugs addictions). They will never really meet and their only link is a character who is some kind of spirit, fact that none of the others will ever know. There's quite a high number of Native American tales used as metaphors because spirit-character like to tell them as she was part of some. And... I can't think of anything else relevant. No protagonist or real goal. Mainly -probably poor- attempts at philosophy about madness and fears, I guess. Please, a little shove in the right direction?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

immortalwitchy — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:26:00 -0700

well let's see multi or mega series xover. fanfic alt uni (alternate universe)/ scifi action/adventure/drama romance telepathy/ telekinsis/empathy (well ya get the point) prophecy magick/spells/ witchcraft slash/femslash safe to say that it falls under would be my guess OTHER.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Weebonilass — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:47:27 -0700

I'm still very vague about what is going on in my story for this year... still have a couple of weeks to go :) It will involve a woman entering her middle years and the introduction of a horse into it. The horse has a take no prisoner attitude and she has to convince him that she's worth his trust. Might now, I'm thinking mainstream, but not sure where these animal related tales fit.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kore-of-Myth — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:14:56 -0700

Still not sure, though I know there will be elements of drama/humor/romance with none as a specific focus. It's a realistic setting, as far as I know, with nothing extraordinary: Milo Jansen is a drifter, never able to settle into anything and always seems to be moving places. The only thing that's ever been constant in his life is music and his love for it in the context of performance. It's not a personal thing for him, but a social one - and one of his sole social outlets. He has a background of familial issues which have left him in this embittered state. Coming through New York City, he finds a theater for sale and strikes up a conversation with a gawky man in a nearby bar, who manages to convince him that if they split the cost and put the theater into it's old splendor, they could make it big - money wise as well as fame. The team up is unlikely, but the two learn to balance each other out as they work from the bottoms up, doing most everything from scratch to find their dreams.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

izzyapayne — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:39:23 -0700

I feel that my story fits into a much of different genres yet, at the same time, none at all. Does that make sense? Anyway, here is my premise: a group of people from different eras and cultures live on a ship in an alternate universe called 'the lost shore' and are forced to deal and cope with their differences while trying to find their way home. Help please?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jennie Mars — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:56:55 -0700

Post-Apocalyptic? That's what I'm saying. My story is taking place in what pretty much equates to an abandoned town (my hometown, actually- thought it would be easier and more realistic) after a plague wipes out everyone in the world over the age of 21 (and continues to do so). Ironically, in the universe of the story I would be one of the first to die... I'm going to be 21 the year the plague wipes everyone out. O_o... didn't really think that one through... ; ) So what's my genre? I'd say realistic post-apocalyptic fiction.... : P

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

JezzyHatesJazz — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 01:35:03 -0700

Given its setting, it would be sci-fi but there's still a lot going on so I'm not sure if something else would suit it better? I have... What do I have? I have a post-apocalyptic world that has been rebuilt on two sides of the U.S. (the desert southwest and the northeast) by two very different camps. The southwest camp, the Federal Republic, isn't much more than a cult and the northeast camp, while not perfect, is a bit more grounded. Basically, I'm following a doctor from the northeast into the wastelands between the camps and a high-ranking treasonous member of the Republic who's made it his goal to overthrow their current king before leaving the Republic altogether. The doctor had agreed to help with whatever he needed once it was over. Unfortunately one of the Republic member's closest friends had his own plan for the camp, turning it into a war-driven collective. So, basically, we're dealing with a traitor and a psychopath and a doctor left to train civilians to fight since it's their only hope of keeping the Republic in check. They don't want a war but they don't have a choice. So kind of sci-fi, kind of action, kind of political, kind of war story.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

kellyaziz — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:55:39 -0700

I need help identifying my genre for sure; should I be in Fantasy or Supernatural? My story is basically set in present-day Japan but the scope covers ancient Japanese history; from the founding of the Imperial family up to the Sengoku Jidai (Warring Period) that started in the 1400s. There are "youkai" (demons) and plenty of onmyoujitsu flying around (the Japanese magic/divination system of yin and yang). Heck, my main character is a youkai who was formerly human. In this Japan, youkai are known to some humans who work closely with/against them and by the government as well. There's a whodunit element, plenty of murder, family betrayals, drama and some good ol' romp in the hay if I can get away with it. So...Fantasy or Supernatural? :(

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Prof.Becket — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:24:07 -0700

Not sure where this would go... Have you ever seen the old TV series, 'Up Pompeii'? If not, it was a series set in ancient Rome but that, according to the Wikipedia article, "was little more than a backdrop for an endless series of double entendres and risqué gags." My idea for a plot is somewhat similar - it follows a postman on his round in a neighbourhood of single women, bored housewives and a lone gay man and has that sort of content. However, I wouldn't say it's a comedy novel - it has funny moments, but it's not really a hoot and a half. Much like what I remember of the Up Pompeii, there's no actual sex or physical activity, so it's not an erotic novel. There's no more exploration of character than in the standard novel so it's not literary fiction. It's not got a whole heap of plot, so it's not mainstream fiction. I'm tempted to just shove it into comedy and accept that it'll be one of the least funny novels in the genre, but can anyone think of a better place for it?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

khailibowen — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:58:18 -0700

I was thinking my story would fit into adventure, but my husband is thinking humor, maybe it's neither? A psychotherapist is called and asked to assess a person who claims to be a super hero, it is evident that he is having delusions of grandeur and is not a real super hero. The "hero's" alleged super powers come from a secondary diagnosis s/he has. So a Kleptomaniac would steal all the weapons to protect the city. The psychotherapist would find a niche for her private practice helping these people, so we would see a person who has delusions of grandeur and think he is a super hero, but his secondary d/x of OCD means he "cleans" the streets by using highly toxic cleaners to kill the bad guys. It would go on from there. I was thinking adventure because the person truly believes they are super hero's so I would write about all the ways the try to save the city. My husband sees it as humor because he sees some funny lines and scenarios that can come from mentally ill people trying to fight crime, which I can most certainly see myself adding. This is my first Nano and I only just start writing a short time ago, and generally read non-fiction, so I'm not really aware of what all the different types of genre's entail. Thanks in advance for any help.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Myxini — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:02:18 -0700

I can't decide which genre would best describe my (slightly half baked) idea. I'm hovering somewhere between fantasy, adventure and historic fiction, I suppose. The story takes place in geographic and cultural circumstances, which are completely made up, yet based on historical conditions, rather than the more typical fantasy. There will be no magic, made up races, or anything else "out of this world". I don't think historic fiction would be appropriate, since I am not setting the story in real historic circumstances, yet my "realistic" made up world seems somehow fantastical enough for fantasy, either. Would be interesting to hear what people think.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

big-little-sis67 — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:07:10 -0700

Hi, I'm Gabrielle and I'm writing suburban/fantasy. It's about a fairy, but it takes place in earth with him living a normal teen life.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

MaeYasha — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:06:01 -0700

I really really have no idea what mine is. Fantasy/romance I think. It's about my MC (stating the obvious), she grows up in a fantasy world, and then she goes to NYC, falls in love, e.g, then goes back. So... I have no idea.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

EmeraldX — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:12:50 -0700

After giving up my attempt to write some literary fiction, I've formulated a rather new general plot. I've had difficulty narrowing down my genre though; now, the problem is not that I don't know what genre it is, I just don't know what genre to MAKE it. Basically, the plot goes something like this: A man (named Arcade for now, but I'm looking for another name) is completely obsessed with lightning - a "pure", perhaps even divine, form of electricity. The plot begins with his research and his discovery of/desire to obtain an extremely rare material he believes has the power to capture and store this pure electricity. Eventually, he becomes caught up in some sort of larger quest that has absolutely nothing to do with him, but has everything to do with those he eventually began to travel with. I haven't quite decided what this quest will be, as it depends on the genre. The goal is to use this quest to highlight Arcade's isolation, and his attempt to hide this loneliness by focusing on his research, while also focusing on the divinity and raw power of the natural world and deep(ish) ideas of creation and origin of nature (most likely an exploration of Plato's forms, though less on their moral/abstract implications and more on their physical ones). I'm stuck between making it into a fantasy, some sort of historical fiction, or even science fiction. This is the biggest question: is the "divine" lightning's electricity compared to an electric source derived from industry and fossil fuels (Historical fiction, Sci-fi) or some sort of magical electricity, harnessed by wizards or something (Fantasy)? If I can figure out what sort of genre I want to write in, I can figure out the specifics of the plot and characters. Any help/inspiration? This is my first year doing NaNoWriMo, and it's honestly a little stressful. :P I really want to do well!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

miss_technicality — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:10:43 -0700

My plot isn't fleshed out very much yet (I tend to start with a one-or-two-sentence-long plot idea and make up the rest as I go), but the basic idea is that Lucy, while staying at her aunt and uncle's house in a little Canadian town in the mountains, discovers an abandoned film studio hidden in the mountains, accessible from her aunt and uncle's basement. She and a friend start exploring and find a skeleton. They are then confronted by the great-great-grandson of the skeleton who turns out to be Lucy's cousin and is the caretaker of the hidden studio. I think they may get the studio operational again, but I don't know... There isn't really much action/conflict in my head so far and it's really throwing me off.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

AlDoug — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 09:40:37 -0700

I am another lost soul trying to find my place amongst the genres. It's a *young-adult* story (the 2 MCs are 18), set in an *alternate history* 1953, with a heavy *steampunk* theme (which is in fact vital to the plot). Cousins Liam and Lyle are trying to convince investors that Liam's father's inventions/research deserve funding. The inventions depend on physics that is either still not found IRL, or on physics set up for the story, thus *science fiction*. So.... :P So any ideas? What genre do you make of that?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Miss Bells — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:08:40 -0700

Is anyone else doing short stories? After winning the last two years but ending up with a manuscript I'm too intimidated to do anything with, I've decided to do shorts. The stories will be tenuously linked but will also work on their own. I'm going to write quite a few of them in the second person, which is my new favourite thing to do. I'm also going to give myself license to experiment, so some of the stories will be historical, some modern, I want at least one crime story...I'm planning a pretty mixed bag. I've read some amazing short stories recently and really want to push myself. Most of my stories end up around the 2-3000 word mark, so I want to try and get a couple over 5000 words. Whatever happens, I'll start December with a collection. Well, tha'ts plan A, anyway...

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

slauderdale — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:30:06 -0700

I'm writing an alternate historical fantasy/horror novel in which Victorian London is occupied by Demonic Forces after someone (still hammering down the particulars) sold the soul of Great Britain. I don't have a main plot or characters yet, but I think a lot of it will be world exploration: taking the premise as a given and looking at different vignettes/stories that happen within it. So some elements might might be more "horror"-iffic (the creepy things one sees on the street, dramatic encounters with the occupying forces) but others may be more social/cultural (like the kvetching of contemporary atheists, who object to the idea of the supernatural, or angry theologians rejecting the idea that nations have souls). I'm wondering which genre "most" defines this story.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

commander.saavik — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:58:27 -0700

I have the beginnings of a world, a character concept, and the start of a novel, but no identifiable plot. I was going to classify it as "fantasy", but after reading descriptions etc. for fantasy, sci-fi, and adventure, I'm really confused. So far I don't think there's magic; I know there needs to be a quest to tie it all together; and I originally thought of it as sort of swords-and-sorcery, but without the sorcery. So where does that leave me, genre-wise? And where would I go for plot help?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Maddie Hydde — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:57:06 -0700

I honestly don't know what genre my novel is. Basically, there are three teenagers who live in a average-sized town in Ohio. They all have had some terrible events in their lives, and they don't wany to admit it. People are disappearing right, left, and center all over the US, and all of them under the age of 30. The three MCs eventually learn where all these people are disappearing to, because they have also. In different ways, they each fall into a maze, filled with strange rooms, and mirrors in every room or hall. Stepping through a mirror either means you get transported to another point in the maze, or back to the "real" world. There are people in this maze that are just like the MCs, lost and wanting to get home. And, naturally, people who don't want them going anywhere. Help?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

im_a_riting_rebel — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:33:10 -0700

I have no idea what mine is. I figure it goes under the broad label of YA, but I'd like to narrow it down a little bit more. Thoughts? Here's my synopsis. "You're going to be the next Devil's Apprentice." When the psycho tells Lilith this in the coffee shop, she laughs in his face and leaves to her boyfriend in the crowd. She doesn't believe in the Afterlife, and she certainly doesn't believe in the Devil. Next thing she knows, she’s road kill. Upon her awakening in Hell, Lilith learns that the psycho, an angel named Pace, was telling the truth. Within a day, she is forced to juggle a new job as Hell's princess, a new world, and a new life. All she wants is to return home to her family and friends. The Devil insists that she stay. Desperate, Lilith turns to Kalypso, an In Betweener with the power to grant her a day on Earth. But this power comes with a price. During her escape, the Devil is attacked and left with little chance of survival. The end of the Devil means the end of balance. The end of balance is the end of the world. Lilith never expected death to be more chaotic than life. It's not fantasy, but I'm thinking MAYBE supernatural? I don't really think it qualifies, though.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

JoleenFrances — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:46:16 -0700

So, if what you write is more character driven, and reads like a diary or memoir, then it is likely "literary fiction"? Even if it involves a ghost as the main character? Even if you are oh, so amateur, you can still claim Literary fiction, (with a big "L")?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

yellowjelo — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 22:57:29 -0700

I've been trying to think up a genre for mine for while now. It's a serial killer life story, so the genre is kind of confusing me. -- This is the story of Lance, a troubled young man who finds his escape from reality in the pain and suffering of other human beings. The story begins in the interrogation room of a police office. The officers, not knowing what to do with him, brought in a psychologist whom they are hoping can get Lance to confess. After some persuasion Lance dives into his life story and slowly the psychologist, and the officers, become aware of just who they are dealing with. -- Got any ideas?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

theycallmeAlice — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 17:44:13 -0700

I have no clue what mine would be. Here's a short synopsis: 1000 years into the future, voices have been taken out of the human race. A group of people that managed to escaped the surgery are on the run while simultaneously trying to unlock the key to why the voices were taken so that they can get them back into the world. They get caught right as they find the key, and are tortured in an attempt to make them say they know how to fix the voices. ..And that's all I have so far. So. Any ideas?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Blue Lily — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 05:39:29 -0700

Mine is about a 16/17 year old girl, the last year or two before she becomes an adult and half a year to a year after turning 18, with flashbacks to her younger years, probably in the format of journal entries, although possibly in a 1st or 3rd person format. It's a combination of romance, horror, religious topics (although not as much as the others) and a little erotica. The story also focuses on her school life a lot, her depression and her thoughts and reactions to family life and her friends. I got five different genres here. Not sure where to go. Could someone please enlighten me? Would be much appreciated :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

kidincrutches — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 13:57:23 -0700

I /think/ my novel is Mainstream, but I'm not sure. The basic idea (not plot- that is somewhere else at the moment) is that a group of people from across the world are selected to be part of 'Humanity mk. 2'. This group consists mainly of older teenagers/young adults, with some children and some older people thrown in the mix. They are sent on a wild goose chase across the planet to prove that they are humanity's best hope for survival, eventually ending in [insert remote locale TBD here], at which time the rest of the humans on the planet are eradicated. And the whole time, none of the people selected even know what's really going on. The story is going to follow a few members of this group as they travel to [insert remote locale TBD here]. There will be sex [probably], smoking [definitely], drugs [maybe], and cursing [lots], which makes me feel that this won't be a YA novel, even though it does have some coming of age themes in it's present state. I want to call it 'pre-apocalyptic' and shove it under sci-fi, but I dunno. Help?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

AccioFinalHorcrux — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 15:53:54 -0700

Okay. I honestly don't know what to classify mine as AT ALL! Take a peek...: It's place in the future (2276) during World War III. It centers around a 17 year old girl named Ella who is on the run after her and her father, a secret serviceman for the President, who are classified as "spies" for the Japanese (who bomb the white house during the State Dinner). She finds her way to a secret underground military base camp that trains soldiers and prepares them for the battles of the war. Meanwhile, throughout the world country after country have been closing it's doors and locking them away from the rest of the world. When the Base needs information on the war and their allies, they seek out the only place they know that can give it to them: the notorious United Nations. However, it seems they aren't the only ones who think of it. How much is Ella willing to risk for the Base, a unit she's only just come to know. And is she willing to suffer the pain and sorrow along the way? --Thanks...:)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

greyfox310 — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 17:04:22 -0700

This is my first attempt, so I'm not sure where this would go It follows three groups of people the officials of the ALF, which is made up of 6 people 5 "Higher-Ups", two of which are Patrick and Vincent, and the President, the GFR officials are 5 people, 4 "Elites" and "The Superior", and then there are the assassins Dante and Virgil. The ALF is at war with the GFR and Dante and Virgil were hired by the Higher-Ups to kill the president. Their attempts to follow their goals and give orders make up most of the story. When following the ALF officials, it shows the hatred and distrust the people have for each other. Patrick and Vincent are the only ones with a common goal, and that is to change the ALF into something more than just a war machine, but they each have their own ideas on how that should be done. When they finally get the power they need to accomplish their goals, it changes both of them in different ways. When following the GFR officials, we see the trust but also the unease they feel for each other. The reason behind this unease is the fact that H should be ruling the GFR not D, but H gave up his right to rule to his friend. It shows H's attempt at guiding the others to make the necessary decisions to help with the war effort, whether those decisions are right or wrong don't matter. In the end even the smallest decision starts to take a toll on the members, due to them finally stopping to think what their orders and decisions actually mean for those who have to carry them out. For Dante and Vergil they're just two unlucky guys given the chance to make history. They kinda show how the ALF and GFR really are. Vergil makes up the ALF, he's always living in the shadows, afraid to really interact with people because he knows if he shares to much with anyone, it's only a matter of time before he's betrayed and killed. Dante represents the GFR, despite anything that may happen to him, he always has a smirk on his face. He tries not to let any one thing from his past define him, and he doesn't bend to those who would attempt to use force on him. However, if he's not careful and continues to reject those who want to help him, he will end up subcoming to the darkness of his past. Sorry, that ended up way longer than I intended.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

metteius — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 19:35:59 -0700

Hi guys. I don't know where to place my novel. Please help? :) Synopsis: Kara's life is turned upside down when her girlfriend of 8 years tragically dies, leaving Kara alone to take care of their two daughers; 4 year old Emily and the newborn Sophia. As she is building up her life again as a single mother of 2, mysterious letters, seemingly written by her late girlfriend, seem to be following her everywhere, and Kara is afraid someone is playing her a cruel trick until she one day stands face to face with her girlfriend again, only to find out everything she thought to be true, isn't.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Fixed-dot-dice — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 02:18:34 -0700

I have no idea; Survivor-Centre follows what happens when the Government releases its human experiments back into the population. After eighteen months of hundreds of thousands of young people going missing, mass graves were found and most of the missing were identified. Not long after this was discovered, Survivors were found wandering the streets of their hometowns; lost, scared, confused and couldn’t remember a thing that happened while they were missing. The Government created Survivor-Centres so these young people could meet others in similar circumstances, and help each other heal. After a few months of attending the compulsory S-C meetings, a group of the Survivors started to realise that they couldn’t remember anything more than vague images and feelings of what happened when they attended the meetings.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

bekkiii — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:00:38 -0700

I've thought a lot about what genre to place my novel in and I can't decide what it is. Maybe some kind of magic realism? The story follows a girl named Madeline who goes into hypnosis and we get to follow her there. There's this whole world inside the hypnosis that she gradually explores, and it's meant to be different metaphorical versions of people and places from her real life. The world inside her head is surreal and twisted, and pretty dark, but the world outside her head is noir and steampunk. I'm quite confused where this places me - is it fantasy? There's not exactly any elves and dwarves, just a warped mind and a lot of symbolism.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Robin Child — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:19:50 -0700

Ok, here's my synopsis for the novel I'm going to attempt this year ("Hench Women") "The super hero always wins. Why? Because good always conquerors evil? Because villains always underestimate hero who follows his heart? Because heroes really are that good with their super strength, laser eyes, and arrays of mind-boggling gadgets? *snort* No. Villains always make one mistake, the same one, over and over and over: They double-cross the Hench Woman. Stupid thing to do really to the person whom you've given access to all you assets, passwords, heavy artillery, and plans. We see it as an opportunity." Basically it's about an organization of con women (and a con man or two) who always perform the same con because it always works (seriously, in media today I don't know why no one can ever seem to get away from this plot device): they get in, become the super villain's most trusted Hench women, wait for him to double cross them - because he always does -, sell him out to the super hero, and make off with ledgers, assets, etc all while escaping jail time because "they did the right thing in the end and helped the hero." So any idea where this fits? This is one of the very few times I've done nanowrimo without a fantasy story so I'm going to need help. I have it under satire/parody/humor b/c I'm basically making fun of the super hero - super villain - Hench-woman triangle (all the heros and villains are going to be parodies of trademark ones), but I'm not sure...

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

CraezieLady — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:15:22 -0700

Anyone want to take a shot at a genre for my novel? I kind of don't want to use just "mainstream fiction", but I'm not sure what else to call it. I don't have exactly a synopsis (or character names, etc.), just a general overview. My novel is about a married couple in their late twenties (undecided whether or not they have any kids, leaning toward not, but open to suggestions), who decide that they want to venture into polygamy. They take on another wife, the realities and ramifications of which overwhelm them and spread out of control. A part of this is that the new wife has a baby, bringing about the realization that they (the original couple) love each other immensely and exclusively. Now they have to figure out what to do about the new wife and baby, if anything. Ultimately, though, they realize that they can't undo what they've done without hurting everyone involved, so they must now figure out how to live the life that they created. There are no religious themes, they don't choose polygamy for religious reasons, they don't belong to a cult/sector/church, they don't do any massive research about the history of polygamy or lifestyles of present-day polygamists. They pretty much just become taken with this woman (who was in no way seeking out either the husband or the wife), so much so that they become passionate in their love and commitment to her and to their vision...until they realize how many consequences they could never have foreseen.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

whitefeather — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:01:23 -0700

hi my novel is about a couple who adopt a young girl from an orphanage and employ a chauffeur at their mansion, the girl and the chauffeur fall in love and the ending is horrific, should I class this as horror?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

JazzRee — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:17:50 -0700

No clue what genre I should put mine in! I'm thinking either Mainstream or Young Adult. Though I currently have it under Other - Sports. Any suggestions on what genre to make it would be much appreciated! Thanks! Synopsis: Ever since Evalyn moved to White Chapel, Michigan all she has wanted to do was wrestle. So what if there's never been a female state champion in Michigan's High School wrestling championship? So what if the odds have been against her from the start? She's been practicing for years, and she's not going to let some boy get in the way of her dream. After all there's always got to be someone who accomplished something first, right?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

thousandenemies — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:42:47 -0700

Ugh, I always have trouble with this - my project this year is just making it more difficult. It deals glancing blows to Historical Fiction on the most technical and spurious criteria, but is definitely Fantastical in nature (as is true of many wuxia/martial arts stories, though I'm not sure exactly how fantastical), and the core plot seems more Mystery/Suspense or possibly Adventure. Rough summary: In an intently bizarre parallel universe, the early Tang dynasty and Wu Zetian apparently made some gigantic leaps in tech level, lending the rebuilt dynasty an almost steampunk ('gunpowderpunk'?) feel... and getting it airships. And American colonies, considering people apparently smoke tobacco. The story is nominally set in the early 900s, though. An ex-Bondian superspy type who's retired and run off to the Nanzhao kingdom to be inconspicuous and masquerade as a private detective/small-town oracle gets caught up, via the daughter of a mysterious third party, in discovering the identity of several assassins bent on killing the current Emperor (and who have already taken out several of his inner circle). ...there may also be some sort of B-plot dealing with a space race between Bizarro Tang Dynasty (China) and Bizarro Heian Period (Japan), but I'm trying to exorcise that bit. It somehow stands out as being even more ridiculous than the rest of this.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Hermit Witch — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:22:44 -0700

Really not sure where my plot fits. I keep thinking humour, but maybe not. Fantasy? Supernatural? It's too light hearted to be horror... My main character, Molly, is a witch (in a real, pagan sense not pointy hat, warty nose sort of witch). One day she stops to help an injured (dying) animal and Death, who is a woman, turns up to collect its soul. Death takes quite a shine to Molly and follows her home. With Death and her crow living in the back bedroom Molly has a lot of trouble explaining the various goings on to do to her non-pagan, very down to earth husband. Especially when Death falls in love with her brother-in -law Dan. When Dan breaks the news that he has cancer, Molly thinks Death has caused this so they can be together and banishes Death from the house. With Death now living in the garden and trying desperately to re-build her friendship with Molly it turns out Dan has fallen for Death too! Will he survive and break Death's heart, or will he die and 'live' happily ever after? What do you think? Where on earth does that fit?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

mariposa_blue_morpho — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:23:29 -0700

Hello there! My novel is about Elisabeth Sand, a 20 years old lady. She lives with her father and sister in a remote villa close to nothing but a forest. She has everything a girl her could want. She know nothing of the ugliness of the world. She know only of the beauty of the nature. Her father being very protective of his two daughters no male were to come in contact with them. Only girls were to work in their house. They knew nothing of love, or so their father though. Elisabeth had two flaws : she was too curious and naive. It lead her to discover her housekeeper secret : she would go out every night to meet with her lover in the forest. Her lover was a clan leader, a clan unknown of her father and of most of the towns. They live in the forest hiding in the trees. Elisabeth then fell in love at first sight with one of the member of this clan, Avenel. Sadly he was in love with their priestress, Carissa. She was obessing him in such manner that he wouldn't touch any other women, he wouldn't even look at them. This love drove Elisabeth mad, so mad that she tried to kill herself in their sacred source. It result in her besoming another priestress, a priestess they feared. Before my explanation as to why she was feared, I need to explain how a virgin was to be made a priestess in this culture. A virgin would have to put her two hands in the holy water, then immerse their head in the water, they would have to breath underwater and drink some of it too. Now, Elisabeth sank all of her body in this water. She broke a taboo and made their worst fear come true. They had a prophecy which told them that the day would come when a virgin would dive underwater and bring forth their doom. She came out of the water with the knowledge of everything that has been, that is and that will be. She had the power to control that and to change the future. So it is fantasy/historical/romance/YA kind of novel. Yet I want to make it a bit darker than any of thoose kind of novel...

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

RunningWolf — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:01:57 -0700

My story is about a boy (about 16-17 years old) that survives a pandemic that wipes out all of the human race except for those that have a particular mutation that renders them immune to the virus. I am thinking there would only be 150 people left (we could say that they were able to fix other mutations in order to genetically 'purify' those that would survive so that a smaller number of people can still repopulate the planet). After the pandemic wipes almost everyone out, the boy finds a girl that was thought to be one of those doomed to die from the plague but turned out to be a survivor like him. The two of them have to flee to the wilderness in order to get away from the deserted cities and towns so that the virus does not adapt to them and take them too. Eventually they get set up in the wilderness and meet more of the 'Remnant' (the remains of the human race). I have wondered if this would be called sci-fi (the story takes place in the year 2241), but I'm not going to be focusing that much on technology, I thought it fit 'Adventure' well enough, but that didn't seem to do the idea justice. Would this story be classified as Apocalyptic Fiction?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Melizzlee — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:49:30 -0700

Hello there~ So I just got this idea recently (read recently as an hour ago!) for NaNo, finally! I'm super excited about it and, even though it'll involve quite a bit of research, I think I can do it. Problem? I have no idea what it'd be placed under as far as genre goes. I'm thinking fantasy, but here's what I've got so far (ignore the choppiness - like I said, I just figured out that this was what I wanted to do like.. an hour ago!) War is on the horizon between the Olympians and the Titans. Zeus has ruled for many a year, but the Titans wish to be at the throne once again and are going to great lengths to sabotage and take over the Olympians. Eurybia is a minor sea goddess under the dominion of Poseidon and it is her job to overthrow Poseidon and rule over the seas and over Poseidon. That's all I've got so far because I don't know which way to go after that ~ either have Poseidon and Eurybia fall in love and end up having them end the war (at least for the time being) or have one pretend to fall in love with the other to trick them into giving up the fight or have it as a love/hate relationship or something else. I'm still working out the kinks, but I don't know where exactly to put it for genre. Like I said, I'm thinking fantasy, but I'm not completely sure. |; Any help at all would be appreciated (especially if you know tons and tons about Greek Mythology - send me a nanomail if you do happen to know loads about it and would like to share the knowledge. :p )

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Mikita5510 — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:12:08 -0700

ok not sure where in the world I should go very brief description of my story.. the part of you that holds all the anger and resentment that you have not wanted to voice over the years ans somehow it gets out and the two of you have to battle to see who remains dominant in the outside world. that side of you is strong and wants revenge on all those who had wronged you over the years and the list is long starting with your own family and its up to you to save them and yourself and to figure how to get that side of you back where it belongs without dying along the way

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

midnight_abyss92 — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 09:12:13 -0700

I'm pretty sure my novel gets classified as a Gothic novel. Does that mean I'm still part of the "other" genre or "horror and supernatural"? I don't think it's the latter because there is a forbidden/destructive romance in it, true to Gothic; and, as of now, there is no mention of the supernatural planned out for my story (which is often an element of Gothic literature), though I might decide to incorporate a nightmare to foreshadow or move the plot along if necessary. My plot centers on a priest who was once engaged to a young woman eight years prior to the story. She called off the wedding because she was raped by a friend who was in love/lust with her, and became pregnant with his child. Since it takes place in the late 1940s/early 1950s, she fears her fiancee Dave wouldn't want her to be his wife if he knew of her condition, and she soon marries the other man so her child will be raised by its father. She loses the baby, however, in a miscarriage, and she soon regrets her decision of choosing the other man over Dave, and is (and always was) unhappy with her marriage. Eight years later, Dave returns (he left after she became engaged to the other man) ordained, and after a few months of rekindled friendship, they resume their romance, and the woman becomes pregnant with his child after a night of passion and farewell (Dave means to ask for relocation since he doesn't want to jeopardize their reputations with their past and now brief affair). The woman's husband knows his wife still loves Dave, and suspects the baby isn't his since they were told she couldn't have children after the miscarriage and he knows she doesn't love him. He doesn't love her either, but is possessive of her, and out of jealousy he beats and kills her when she refuses to say if she slept with the priest. The baby, however, lives, and, from first sight, the husband knows it's not his child, and he frames Dave for the murder, in addition to making the broken vow public (an implied motivation for the murder). So, long story short, there's religious hypocrisy, murder, and self-destructive brooding characters and romance.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Melizzlee — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:36:36 -0700

Ah, thank you a ton, Keolah!! :D

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

G.B. Walker — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:24:00 -0700

Where would Post-Apocalyptic (NOT SciFi) go?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

jenp_write — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 09:30:18 -0700

Novels in Verse? This thread was just locked out of comments in the Rebel section (as still being a novel and thus not rebellion) without giving those interested any idea where to recreate the thread or where it best belongs (a shame moderators don't have the ability to move a thread instead of just locking it). Should it be here or is there a better place for it? I'm not actually doing it myself but others said they were and I'd like to check out their efforts.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

EchoRains — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 10:45:15 -0700

Not sure where I fit can someone help me? MC- Zylinn –F-22 Time- around the year 3000 *This is what pops in my head whenever I think of my untitled novel* Zylinn had scattered memories of what the past was like. How the light trickled through the trees and warmed her face as she played in her backyard. Who would have thought that everything could have changed so quickly? How her once perfect town could become abandoned and empty. It wasn’t just like this in her home, but rather the world. *stock market crash* One man somehow managed to rise above the devastation. His power grew as more and more people learned of his riches and strength. People started turning to him for answers. Fuelled by greed, he soon became the ruler of the world. Zylinn knew that in order the save herself and her family she would have to embark on a journey that would not only test her wits and strength, but would also test her will to survive.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Mikita5510 — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:11:16 -0700

ok first i had one topic in mind but now my characters have decided they did not like that topic nor did they want to be written about for his NANO so now I am writiing another story... this one I am totally clueless where it goes I only have the start of it because well to be honest the characters are writing it as I go along.. I am writing the outline and i dont know much of anything atm.. so far all I know is my MC wakes up in a hospital room after a major car accident with massive head trauma and amnesia and a broken arm she does not know her own name, who any of the people surrounding her bedside are etc.. i am guessing the story willl be abotu her finding out who she is etc but I really dont know for sure.. should I pick a genre or wait?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Mikita5510 — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:48:16 -0700

kk i just had no clue where to stick it lol

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

ceramiccoconut — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 08:37:25 -0700

So, I'm not quite sure what genre or category my novel falls under. It's written in a literary style with a more character-driven story. However, there are some fantasy elements to it, mostly brought on by strong religious ties. It's about a boy who, for all intents and purposes, "dies" during a major event (which he subsequently loses memory of). He ends up in a village in the middle of the woods which is apparently run by ancient gods and spirits. He has to basically learn the error of his ways while reconciling with the events that brought him there. Meanwhile, he begins a forbidden love with a young woman he knows he cannot be with (hence... well... forbidden). There's a lot of focus on multiple religions and/or religious principles, and while there is that "fantasy" element to it, there's also the real-world drama that is shown from when before he ended up in the village. My best description is kind of like saying... Spirited Away meets The Last Samurai. Thoughts?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

HunteroTheGreat — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 11:04:08 -0700

Hey, I'd be obliged if someone could put a name on the genre I'll be writing in- It's sorta like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and The 13 and 1/2 lives of Captain Bluebear. It's about an Almost Immortal guy that is traveling across the universe on the quest to find the perfect sphere. (I'd like to make it clear, there are not really any sci fi threads, though, despite the story's intergalactic nature.)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Christopher Fritz — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 14:03:01 -0700

Normally the stories I write are very easy for me to classify, but for my upcoming NaNo story, I'm at a loss as to the genre. The synopsis in my profile probably covers the plot best: "A mishap with her psychic powers and a broken relic transforms Ashley into a child. In order to return to her proper age, she believes she needs to find the person who fled with the other piece of the relic. Hiding her true identity, claiming to be Ashley's niece, Alexis, she moves in with her childhood friend, Nicholas. "With a playing card as her only clue to the person with the other piece of the relic, Alexis soon finds herself entangled in the thievery of an underground group of psychics called Cards."

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

RJK — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 14:19:59 -0700

I'm also having a little trouble with what genre I'd fall into. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world in the future, and I'm thinking there might be some futuristic technology involved, but besides that I wouldn't really call it science fiction. The story is about a crime syndicate and it's members and their conflicts with the law/society/morals in general. And the struggles of a law enforcement officer who is part of a failing and corrupt system. I'm planning it to be very character driven, but we'll see how that goes. A little description on the main character/plot: James was always an enterprising kind of guy. After the Pandemic, he knew in order to survive they would need to profit, and in order to profit they would need to rule, so he started the Syndicate. Sure, he’d prefer a little legality as well, but look how that’s worked out for other people. He’s not about to feel guilty for providing for his friends and family. What’s left of them, anyway. Ideas on the genre? Any suggestions are appreciated!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

TheFluffyOwl — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 16:43:44 -0700

I'm pretty sure mine is a Family Saga

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Animal Arithmetic — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 16:59:06 -0700

I'm really not sure where mine would fit in, because it almost has just a little bit of everything. Basically it will be told in the prince's point of view who is next in line for the crown. However, he does not want the title of king because a) the kingdom is corrupt from his father's influence and b) because he does not want to marry because the women presented to him hold no appeal toward him. Then he finds a male lover, which is frowned upon, some plot stuff happens which will be determined later, and he tries to fake his own death. As for the time period, it's not exactly middle-age, but not exactly steam-punk either. It's more set in an alternate dimension, I suppose. Though I don't believe there will be fantasy-like elements in it.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

63N1U5 — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 20:26:54 -0700

I identified this as "pre-apocalyptic", but that was just made up randomly. Where does my novel go? The United States government has a president and a vice-president. The vice president takes over if the president dies. If they both die, the succession goes to the president pro tempore of the Senate, then the Speaker of the House, and then to the president's cabinet. The order there is determined by how long their executive department has existed. The succession is defined down to a total of eighteen people; it should never be necessary to go that far. But what if it was? What if a terrorist attack, in the distant future (year 2060 was arbitrarily chosen) killed the first seventeen? A bit of irony is added when one considers that the most recently created executive department is Homeland Security. Robert O'Dweard has his work cut out for him. Please give me a hand here, thanks.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Hobson Blackwater — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 22:27:31 -0700

Lost Mountain The Story in Brief: Paul Carter, his wife Linda and son Tom move to a new home in Lost Mountain, Georgia where Tom is later drowned in a freak accident. Paul and Linda are arrested for child neglect. While awaiting trial, Linda commits suicide leaving Paul to face the charge alone. Paul is found not guilty by the jury, but the trial goes on in Paul's mind. Tormented by guilt, loss and an increasingly menacing, and possibly spectral, officer of the law, he struggles to find a way to continue his life. This story will have way too much plot for literary fiction, and will be too character driven for mainstream fiction. It won’t really be supernatural horror because what seems supernatural at times is most likely happening in Paul’s mind. The fact the story is taking place in the South is only incidental so it can’t be called Southern Gothic. Perhaps it is American Gothic? What do you think?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

xfearlesslykiki — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:55:10 -0700

For one short, sweet summer, Angel and Sam were a couple. One relaxing July day at the beach together leads to a surprise photo of the unsuspecting two of them. Anna never asked if she could photograph them. She had been assigned to take a photo of something to use as an inspiration for a coworker to write a song with, and she had done as she'd been asked. Diana had thanked her and a song was created from next to nothing. Whoever knew it could lead to this. Seven years later, the song has become a legend. "Forever" is one of the most listened-to songs in the world. When songwriter Diana Walters is interviewed about her inspiration for this song, she refers the interviewer to Anna. Anna shows the simple photo from years past that she'd taken. Now, Sam is in postgraduate school, and Angel is a fashion designer halfway across the country. They have not been in touch since their break-up, and Angel's current boyfriend, Mark, is all Angel wants at the moment. But when the photo goes viral, everything changes. Will they be reunited? If so, how? Or will they realize that it was just a summerfling, and they should move on? What is this? I think, I think it's chicklit. Or what is it?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

writersbane — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 07:43:26 -0700

I would like to be able to browse as many genre forums as I can for help this year so... why not? First and foremost, yes, this is a fanfiction, based on the movie 9, which is a stitchpunk related movie (apparently now a sub-genre of the sub-genre steampunk, thanks to The Steampunk bible). Not much is needed in the way of info about it, as I'll try to explain it. J used to be a human... at least his fractured memories seemed to hint at such things. Now a stitchpunk, a mechanical doll-like homunculus, his soul has been shattered and he is left alone in The Emptiness. A vast waste land filled with the bodies of the dead and what remains of their civilization... and the machines. Horrible beasts, made of bones and metal and fabric, designed for one thing. To gather or destroy any living being. As the story goes, his finds more of his own kind and discovers more of his past, mind and soul shattering farther and farther as he descends into madness, and he starts to gather his own group. A "family". Whether they like it or not.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Barranco — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:28:26 -0700

My story is about a young woman with mild learning disabilities who lives a humdrum life with her rather dour, overprotective widowed dad. Then her dad takes up with an attractive, vivacious woman who seems to promise to bring warmth and life back into their dreary existence. Things take a twist for the girl when her new "mother" goes from being caring to being over-controlling. The girl has to fight to get a life of her own, and dad just can't see the problem. I would have called this mainstream fiction, then read that mainstream is plot rather than character driven. This will definitely have a plot (not quite worked out yet), but will be very character driven. I don't think I could call it "literary". I see the story as being quite dark-- a kind of power struggle story that asks if the seemingly weaker person can win. But again it's (hopefully) fully fleshed-out characters, not abstract ideas that drive the story. Just from these details, what genre, if any, would people put this story in? Barranco

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Applepine — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:32:48 -0700

I'm identifying my novel as fantasy for now, but I'm still not qui-i-i-te sure. The story takes place in a generic small town in the present day. It involves different races, almost but not quite human, who have super-powers. The normal humans are unaware of their existence. The main character is a teenager. So it has elements of fantasy, sci-fi, YA, and maybe a touch of horror. Here's the summary, which I don't think really says much: Cooper Brindle is not who he says he is. He is not a quiet, solitary kid in high school. He is not a dutiful son or a loving brother. He is not even completely human. He is a guardian. He is an assassin. He was sent here to guard seven-year-old Amberly Brindle - or, more accurately, to guard his people from her. And, if necessary, to destroy her. It's only a matter of time...

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Applepine — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:52:54 -0700

Okay, sorry. The plot outline itself is still pretty vague. Here goes: There are seven kinds of humanoid beings in the world. Each of them has a different set of super-powers, varying in strength, like a scale. I haven't decided yet where these powers come from. Some examples are that the Second Kind would be able to control gravity or weather, and the Third Kind would just be very strong and fast. I don't really care to go into all of the races right now, but normal, powerless humans are the Fourth Kind, right in the middle. The other races are very disdainful of them and keep them shut out of the loop. Then they find out that a little girl with the power to heal herself is being raised by the Fourth Kind. This is a new superpower and they are all very alarmed and disturbed by it. Some of them begin planning to kill her. Others want to steal her and keep her as their own, and use her. The MC is one of the First Kind, who are the most powerful. They find out about this girl's powers and decide to make their move before any of the other races can get their hands on her. They send in the MC, brainwash the girl's parents into believing that he's their son, and settle back to wait. The MC acts as a bodyguard for the girl, keeping her safely away from any of the other races. However, he has been instructed to kill her if he thinks she might become dangerous to the First Kind. Unfortunately, he begins to become fond of her. So there it is. Sorry for going into blurb-ese, and I hope this clears things up a little. *squints suspiciously at ill-defined plotline*

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

FemaleWriter — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:40:58 -0700

I have two ideas that I may combine (a story within a story type novel). I think I know what genres these are, but would like some help...just to be sure. First idea...a newly elected government wants to do away with the First Amendment, causing an uproar. Someone claiming to be from a freethinking group firebombs a government office, but many others simply protest. Time passes. Unable to ignore the protests any longer, the new government has to do something quick. Then the megachurch that the President attends is bombed, killing thousands, but the President "miraculously" survives. The government claims to have found evidence that point to the same freethinking group that firebombed the government office. In what appears to be a rash decision, the government rounds up members of that group and similar groups. There are protests, causing the government to round up those protesters, claiming they are acting before anything bad happens again. It's like the beginning of a dystopian society that happens in the very near future. The point of view of this idea is from a "freethinking" couple. The story would be of the couple's reactions to various things; whether or not to protest; getting arrested because they happen to be members of a group that opposes the government; being separated, etc. Second idea...A happily married couple finally buys a house together. Things are fine until the wife starts having nightmares. Within a week, the wife is attacked in their home by an armed intruder. The husband, sensing something wrong, rushes home. He is shot and killed. Not able to deal with the attack and the loss of her husband, the wife ends her life in less than a year. Years later, similar events happen. But, will it have a different outcome? The major themes of this story are true love and reincarnation. I don't think it would fit the traditional romance genre (there's a significant age gap with the first couple, plus the couples are not "attractive"). And the reincarnation theme will mostly focus on modern and future lives and not as much on past lives. Anyway, those are my ideas for this year. Thanks for any input you have.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

animeHrmIne — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:48:18 -0700

I'm not sure what my genre is exactly. It's YA, but only because I'm 18 and "write what you know" is my modus operandi. My big issue is that it's between Horror/Supernatural and Fantasy. It's plotted similar to Urban Fantasy -- normal world, only there are werewolves. "Werewolf politics" are an issue insomuch as the only pack my characters know of have a loose hierarchy. But because there's no magic, pretty much no fantastic elements whatsoever, I don't know how much of a "fantasy" it is. In general, werewolf novels are under Supernatural, but my novel isn't in any way scary -- it's more concerned with /finding yourself/ and trite moral lessons. My big concern isn't so much what I label my novel as it is where I look for help. Any questions I have about the mechanics of my world, I don't know if I should stick them in fantasy or supernatural, and that concerns me. As for labeling my novel, I'll probably just go Other: Supernatural Young Adult.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kader — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:54:46 -0700

My story is about someone who can use his imagination to kill the people he imagines in real life. Main character is sixteen and it will be set in the year 2013. Any ideas?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Lisa.Vail — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 05:15:26 -0700

I'm so confused as to what genre I'm writing... I'll post my synopsis, so can someone pllleeeaaase help me? Following Merrill Rothschild, the son of Lord and Lady Rothschild. Merrill is an unhappy soul, ignored and underappreciated by his weak-willed mother and overbearing father. He seeks comfort and solace from the servants and his horses, but still begs for something to happen to change his world. Luckily, the Manor house's serving staff set out an elaborate plan to free the unwitting young man and allow him to start his life anew, as he always desired. By faking his death, housemaid Clee and kitchen hand Ewan allow him to taste freedom for the first time. They grant him a single month of enjoyment before he has to make a choice - return, miraculously alive, to his parents - or run away with the serving staff and begin a new life. Given this Ultimatum, Merrill embarks on life as a servant, with all the work, conversation and cheap alcohol that it has to offer. He soon discovers part of himself he didn't know, including his loud, raucous laughter, silly grins, and romantic feelings. However, running away is never as easy as it sounds. When his mother discovers the truth and his father falls ill, what will Merrill decide to do? Will the Poor Little Rich Boy run to happiness, or fight another day with misery?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Suburban_Wulf — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:00:16 -0700

I think my novel is Literary Fiction, but I'm not too sure. I'm trying to avoid giving it a specific time or place, mostly because I don't feel like it is important to the story. Synopsis: Every human being has a breaking point. What makes each of them different is when and how that breaking point is reached. There are countless ways to get there, and it can be done in an infinitely variable amount of time. This is only one journey to that breaking point; the threshold of the tolerance and endurance of the human psyche.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Nick_Scully — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 23:47:32 -0700

If anyone could help me try to categorize my novel I'd really appreciate it! It's about a young woman, Katelyn, who dies in a car accident. She goes to heaven, but she doesn't meet St. Peter at the pearly gates. Instead, she finds herself on a path laden with images from her life before meeting with her aunt, who died about a decade ago. Her aunt guides her around heaven, where everyone lives in homes which sizes are proportional to how they lived their lives. So, somebody who was a criminal and a bad person lives in a cramped apartment, but someone who led a good life lives in an average-sized house. Also, people are grouped by religion and those similar to them. "Hell" is not a separate place, but resides on the outskirts of heaven, and the more terrible you were, the worse your situation. The better you were, the closer your adobe is to the center of heaven, Elysia. Elysia is a gated community where only the best of the best live. If you don't live in Elysia, you can work to earn your way up, but since everyone is there for eternity, you have to work a whole lot to move up. And in reality, practically no one actually moves up. They say God gives hope to everyone, even those in "Hell," but nobody seems to see any results. Katelyn struggles with why a so-called merciful God could give its people false hope and segregate them. She finds many others who share her views, and with their help, Katelyn attempts to change the way heaven itself is structured. I know that's pretty long and kind of confusing, but I feel like its necessary to understand why I'm having trouble. It's not purely a religious novel, although it will look at many religious views of the afterlife, and it touches on some pretty heavy topics I guess, but I don't know if that makes it literary fiction, since I want the characters to be important. Maybe it's kind of sci-fi, but maybe it is a religious/spiritual novel. I guess in the end, I'd love any and all help categorizing it!!! Thanks!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

RoeCocoa — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:53:52 -0700

My genre is a bit of a mess; please help me sort it out. Because of a dare, my novel centers around humanoid dolphins that become rock stars. My instinct is to classify it as Humor/Parody out of necessity, but as I write my synopsis I'm treating my subject matter as seriously and realistically as possible-- so more like Sci-Fi or perhaps Fantasy. I'm also focusing primarily on my human characters and how they are affected by the humanoid dolphin rock stars. Most of my viewpoint characters are teenagers, so YA, but then my most important viewpoint character is forty-eight years old. Also there's a love triangle with the teenagers, and my non-teenage central viewpoint character is motivated largely by his desire to reconnect with his former lover, so there's a lot of Romance in the plot. Furthermore, the vast majority of my characters are female and I think my story will appeal more to a female audience, so maybe it's Chick Lit. What order should I put these categories in? Or should I list the genre as "Other: Humanoid Dolphin Rockstar Lit"?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

RNichols14 — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:00:55 -0700

I am writing a religious young adult fantasy novel. Should I select "other"?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jello Monarchism — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:09:59 -0700

I've been wandering around the forums and can't seem to find a home. Help? Plot Basics: Set in near the near future on Earth. There is a slightly blended culture due to globalization, but technologically and historically it remains equivalent to our current time period. However it is set in a fictional location, a large metropolis built on the sea, so it is indeed slightly science-fiction related at the moment. Then there's the main plot device, the presence of a goddess in the classical Greek style. This presents some fantasy/spiritual vibes. Magic certainly isn't heavy at all, and the goddess helps shape the city's and alters events in the novel in a very distant way. Basically the setting remains modern although in a slightly fictional/futuristic place, with the addition of some magical plot elements. Too normal for full-on fantasy or sci-fi? Too strange/magical for just plain old fiction?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

redsamurai — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:19:32 -0700

writing a type of comic type superhero set in my own made up city set in a England but one when super powers and super heroes/ villans are the norm and normal people have learnt to dealt with it lookign as it from the eyes of a new hero / villan as they enter the city and try to make a name for themselves and encounter both heroes and villans what do people think - ??

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Mudley — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:10:18 -0700

I don't know what genre this goes into My story is a mix of horror, mild romance and adventure (at least that is what I can depict from what I written). It's about a girl who was in an asylum a number of years ago, escaped and is now going to college, leading a normal life etc. however there are a number of horrific murders taking place (all commited by her) due to her unstable mind set. then theres a man who is extremely depressed and wants to find the murderer because he doesn't want to die DIY, he wants the murderer to do it for him. the girl and the man meet when she is visiting one of her old doctors from the asylum who is now in jail. the man finds the girl interesting and talks to her etc. after a time the man upsets the girl when he tells her that he wants to die by her, the murderers hands, she freaks out because she didn't think anyone actually wanted to die. (he finds out that she is the murderer because she was about to dispose of him) she runs away and with the doctors help the man goes to find her only to be kidnapped by her. the doctor tries to look for the two of them as he is concerned for the man. then the girl and the man go to Ireland with the doctor, thinking it will help the girl. while in Ireland a lad falls deeply in love with the girl, she doesn't feel the same way about him. the lad sees the girl and man together and decides to try and kill the man. he doesn't, however the lad gets killed by the girl because he had tried to kill the man. wow, i didn't realise this story was so long and complex. X/

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

futbol4 — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:16:11 -0700

Title: BOOT CAMP Plot: 3 boys and 2 girls are going to Napanee, Ontario, Canada in the cold, harsh winter to (maybe) change and grow. All the kids are high schoolers KIDS: Sky- boy: Southern boy who appears innocent. Star athlete, has been expelled 5 times Hinda- girl: Urban girl who is Satan, literally. She likes to run people over with a car, and has been arrested. James- boy: Is a normal kid, just socially awkward. Mario- boy: Freshman who thinks he will run the high school because last year he ran the middle school. LOTS OF ID. Emma- girl: Really dumb New Yorker who needs to wake up to the real world. Can't wait to start writing!! what is the genre?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Pherione — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 07:17:50 -0700

I need some help determining my genre if someone would take a look at my synopsis? Story is set in the far past (starts in the beginning of existence). The story is fantasy in that it has magic, legendary creatures and so on. On the other hand, it's a bit sci-fi with supercomputers, custom created life, space travel. Again on the other hand, it's very psychological, dealing with madness, nervous breakdowns, angst,... Thanks in advance :-)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Rubber_ducky — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:23:08 -0700

Hello, I'm totally confused as to which genre my novel is...I might just put it under 'other'. It is a fictionalised and stylised version of real-life events but is mostly psychological (it is set in a mental health ward), then again it is not one of those tragic angst novels since it is to be funny. Maybe a tragicomedy then? Or maybe a Satire since it is criticising the mental health system? Or a comedy of manners since it features an ensemble cast talking? On the other hand as the story progresses and the main character becomes more and more detached from reality it moves into near fantasy/magical realism, so maybe it’s one of those? I'm so baffled! :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kader — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:03:37 -0700

My story is about someone with an imagination that can kill. And Ive no idea as to what to classify it to. A little more information would be that the main character is 16 and its set on our planet in the year 2013. Any body have any ideas.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

montyw — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:23:47 -0700

Experimental fiction? What I'm doing is a little weird in couple of ways: Setting: almost modern and almost real. It will have the feeling of a fishing culture around the mid 20th century. No email or cell-phones changes how people interact. The setting is not "real" though. Plot: I will tell the story from two perspectives between two people who have never met. One MC will die early on and we will see the events that lead up to that death. The other MC will investigate the death by interacting with other characters. The MCs will act in parallel. While I've worked out the outline, I'm free to mess with the environment. Names will be almost normal (for English speakers), giving a sense of "otherness" to the story. I could allow for magical realism, but I'm not that worried about it. This isn't a mystery in the traditional sense; the characters know the cause of death. The mysteries are more about the person than anything else.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Mylantha — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:36:49 -0700

Ok, my book is set in the modern world, but on a made up island/country. The main characters are superheroes/villians. However, my female main character is a profiler who is trying to catch a serial killer. I was leaning towards fantasy because of the superheroes/villians and the battles which make up my sub plot, but was unsure about what to do with the mystery/suspense aspect of my novel. Anyone have a genre sugestion for me? Thank you in advance for your help! =)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Lexi.T. — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:22:33 -0700

No idea how to categorize my story ... but that the point of posting here, eh? The time and place of my story will never be quite specified, but there is no electronics. The story is in English, but a few characters speak other languages and that will be incorporated (not that it really matters.). My main plot is my MC, Alpin Glen, attempting to revenge for his murder from beyond the grave. He does this through appearing to other people in the town and influencing their actions. Anyway, I would say it's a murder mystery except for the fact that there is no hiding of who the culprit is -- it's not said outright for quite a while, but, short of the reader being completely oblivious, there no mystery. So, any ideas?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Ginger Writer — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:05:15 -0700

What would you call fictionalizing artifacts from your life?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

meltingstars — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 23:52:24 -0700

I think my novel has elements of many genres, so I'm having trouble placing a label on exactly what it is. It takes place 70 or 80 years in the future, but technology has taken a step back because of a computer virus that destroyed anything connected to the internet, which at this point (10 or 20 years from present day) was a whole lot. Now people have reverted to simpler lives, just focusing on rebuilding what was destroyed by the virus and the war that followed. The main character lives in a country that occupies much of what was once the US, where a lot of freedom and individuality is suppressed "for the greater good". She's completely apathetic, and seemingly emotionless, but through a string of events she ends up branded an outlaw and has to team up with a band of soldiers from a free country that has rebelled against the Monarchy of Atranne she once called home. They're trying to get her back to their base, Haven. So so far, the background seems a little science-fictionish, but the present time of the novel is actually less advanced than our own present day for the most part, with only sparse glimpses of salvaged technology. And the travel they have to do to get to Haven almost leans toward adventure, but it's more just their mission rather than a journey for the heck of it. Plus, the character interactions and development are going to be a huge part of it, driving the plot more than the actual journey they're on. And there's also supernatural/spiritual elements, with revelations later on that angels and demons have been manipulating many of both the backstory's events, and the conflict the characters face in the novel.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Dj_Tigeress — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 09:59:58 -0700

I'm writing a story about a woman who woke up from a 13-year coma to find out the family she had in her dreams don't actually exist. As well, her two older siblings are dead and her younger sibling is paralyzed

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

ephant — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:34:35 -0700

My story takes place over 3 generations of a family and them having kids, falling in love (usually in that order) etc. Five main characters. Things are mostly going to be told out of order to save up the big reveals. There's a lot of angst. Basically Gillian is a single mum, bringing up twins in the 70s/80s (I have lost my notes about what year everything happens and need to find them again). Alan Sebastian and Michelle grow up, fall for the same bloke. Angst ensues. Michelle falls pregnant to Scott, who's falling for Alan Sebastian. Oh the angst. They all work things out eventually. Manni is raised predominantly by Alan Sebastian and Scott, has his own problems with being a teenager/young adult questioning his own sexuality (and not questioning it) and navigating a relationship with an older woman with kids of her own. There's a lot of angst. And then Shelly shows up. Shelly's a transwoman who had no idea she fathered two children. There's a lot of angst. Is 'angst' a genre?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

S.L Mahon — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 01:08:36 -0700

I don't know where to put my series. Hope someone can help me out. It's about werewolves, but in a normal, already existing world. I've made nothing up for it; there's no magic. Everything is realistically explained in the books. There's no other monsters in the books either, so no vampires or witches[but there is a pagan]. I'm not aiming it for the YA market, it's for a tad bit older market. First it's about the struggle my MC has accepting she's a werewolf, but then it goes into how nobody knows anything about them and how they've been repressed and abused by the small section of the government / people that know about them.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

ConcreteDragonfly — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 07:32:48 -0700

So I've come to sort of a problem in my story. Mostly the genre of my story. I was trying to decide between several stories and just recently decided to go forward with this one. It's supposed to be a modern day retelling of beauty and the beast set in high school with a twist which would fall under YA. Easy enough. However, even though it was going to be nothing like the movie Beastly, I still thought of it whenever I sat down to plan my story. So I decided instead of a regular high school it would take place at the circus. The main girl would be an acrobat and the main guy would work there but as I continued working on it the less it sounded like a YA novel and more historical, I guess. Here's a rough summary of it: Miette is the youngest daughter of Pierre Fournier and one of the most promising acrobats in his circus troupe, The Boutin Fournier Company. Nicknamed Sweet Petite because of her friendly nature and the fact that she is the youngest and prettiest of his three daughters. Ever the optimist, she is seen as naïve and is often underestimated. Nanette, the oldest of Pierre's daughter is the driven Étoile or 'star' of their family of acrobats but is never satisfied with her own success. The intelligent middle child, Charlette, who is neither the youngest nor the oldest, the prettiest nor the most driven struggles to find herself as an acrobat and as a daughter of Pierre Fournier and the late Jeanine Boutin Fournier the famous acrobatic couple. Nanette strives for the excellence and stardom that once belonged to her parents, Charlette dreams of the day she can live up to her Fournier name, and Miette just longs for the freedom and adventure that living in a circus troupe does not provide her. With the arrival of Sebastien, a mysterious and badly scarred loner hired to tend to the animals, the Fournier sisters find their world being turned upside down for very different reasons. Also bringing dramatic change to the Fournier family is the debonair Monsieur Desmarais, owner of the Le Grand Canon Circus Company, who wishes to purchase Pierre's circus troupe.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

sorrygrimmjow — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 14:40:25 -0700

Hi, I'm going to be writing about my three MCs trapped in a facility where prisoners get experimented on and are forced to fight each other to the death. I'm not sure if it would fit into horror/supernatural or thriller/suspense/mystery. Help please?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

The_Squidd — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:48:01 -0700

So, the basic premise of my story is that God has decided to take a human as an apprentice and train him to be a God. What category would that be? It's not Religious/Spiritual, I mean, yes, it will obviously have to deal with a lot of religious themes, but it isn't a religious novel in the sense of sending positive spiritual messages to the reader. It's actually almost assuredly going to offend a number of religions. (I know this about my book, if it ever somehow got published it would immediately go on the banned book list, but oh well, it's a fun concept to me.) Anyway, I don't consider it a religious book, it's not fantasy or anything like that either... So what is it?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

sprackraptor — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:49:26 -0700

Watership Down, set in the Cretaceous era (dinosaurs). Fantasy? Science fiction? Historical fiction? Watership Down usually gets filed under "Literary Fiction" because it's a whopping great classic, but I wouldn't presume to that category (yet).

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

jonsbride1009 — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 17:51:39 -0700

historical fiction/fantasy. i feel like a lunatic.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

stillalive — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 21:22:49 -0700

Ugh, I need help.... My novel is a generally lighthearted/chick-lit-y story about lesbianism and schizophrenia during the zombie apocalypse. There is some drama and adventure and suspense, but it isn't super dark and gritty. Suggestions?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

SavvieCat — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:31:46 -0700

Hello, I just changed my plot and I'm having issues with figuring out what genre it is now. I'm torn between YA or Humor, but here's the plot break down (bit long, I apologize in advance): FMC is a recent high school grad who, while intelligent, did poorly in her Senior year due to boredom. As a result, she's stuck in her small town while her friends head off to college. To pass the time, FMC gets a job as a tour guide at a local amusement park while she gets her life sorted out. Rather than actually learn about the park's history and information, FMC decides to "wing it" and just make up random facts to impress her tour groups. Which surprises FMC when the facts that she imagines become reality, and everyone else can't remember a time when such things didn't exist. This newfound power amuses FMC to the point that she starts to abuse it outside of work, resulting in the slow altercation of nature, and the need to find a way to fix her mistakes before the whole of reality unravels.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Mallory K — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:19:54 -0700

What makes a novel fit into the "Religious and Spiritual fiction" category? I'm writing a novel focused on Lucifer, Eve, and the Garden of Eden. However, religion or a specific belief system isn't the focus of the story at all. The novel is more about a man who is in love with what he can't have; it just so happens to be Lucifer. In my head, I don't categorize it as religious fiction. It's been hard for me to genrify (lovely new word) at all. So what makes a novel religious fiction? Is it who the characters are? If so, in my novel, God is only referred to as Father by the characters. He never has a specific name. Cain, Abel, and Noah are the only other figures to appear who are religious in origin. No one ever professes one religion over another in my novel. Is it that it subscribes to a particular ideology? If so, as stated before, my novel doesn't do that and I don't want to write a novel like that. I'm just drawn to the story of Lucifer and Eve before the Fall and after. I would greatly appreciate any help. I'm stumped!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Adrika Citrus — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:22:54 -0700

Which forum do I go to if my story is urban fiction?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kittenpire — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:16:23 -0700

I'm having a hard time here myself. Currently listing mine as Historical Fiction, though the story it's self is placed in modern day. Basically, it's a modern tale based on an altered history, and the effect the differences in the past have on the current day. Not quite science fiction, and not actually historical. Any tips? My Synopsis is up and may give a slightly better idea of what the book will be about if that helps. I'm just so bad at genres. >>

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Riverfox237 — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:21:54 -0700

Hey all! So where would a story about superheroes that is also Christian genre and geared towards young adults but mostly all ages go? ^^; I dunno if superheroes count as sci-fi or just young adult, and I'm not sure if a superhero story would fit into the lofty label of Religious or Spiritual, although there are definitely gonna be important elements of that if all goes well. =)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

neeorama — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:53:44 -0700

I am new at this... I guess my novel falls into Science Fiction, but I'm not sure. The MC is in her 20s and in her senior year of college; however, I don't think it is YA, and it is not a mystery. The synopsis follows: Upon graduating from the Claiborn Academy, a school for extraordinary children, Samantha Wilkins is given two choices: accept a lucrative position with Claiborn's Secret Society, or accept a meager five thousand dollars to begin a life on her own. Eager to escape from those responsible for her harsh upbringing, Samantha chooses the money. During her twelve years at the Claiborn Academy, only three other graduates dared to venture out on their own. Each experienced an untimely, accidental death. Desperate to live a normal life, Samantha convinces herself she can succeed where the others failed. She can keep her oath to the Society and hide her telekinesis. Years later, fate tests that promise. Faced with the decision to do nothing and watch a young girl die or to expose her abilities to save the girl's life, Samantha opts to break her oath. Within days, she suspects she is being stalked; but is it by the Society? Or is she the next target of the serial killer the media calls The Dragon?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

mpine — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 01:48:46 -0700

Hi! I am a bit confused with what genre my would be. I think it would eventually fall under Fantasy, SciFi, or Mystery, but I'm not really sure. My story would be focusing on the MC and his dreams. Here's the rough synopsis: In a busy society where sleeping and even dreaming was practically considered a luxury, Psy wished never to dream again. Dreaming every night only to wake up exhausted, he started a dream journal to find out what anxieties his subconscious were sorting out, only to find that all of his dreams are connected to one another, and a certain person in his dreams always ends up wounding him, or worse, killing him.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Everything In Transit — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:44:35 -0700

My main character is a free spirited girl who falls in love with a rock star, someone she can never have. She knows it is absolutely impossible to be with him and yet throws herself head first into a world she she doesn't belong in. My male lead is an Andy Warhol type character with an entourage of beautiful people. She completely destroys herself trying to grab his attention. It's too artsy for romance and not empowering enough for chick lit. Suggestions?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

EmileMachi — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:50:11 -0700

I've never been sure what genres to class any of my stories, although all of them end up having some dystopian elements in them at some point. This year [after only just finalizing some kind of plot] I'm doing what I think is a mystery kind of story but I'm not sure and I wanted to know what you guys thought about it ^^ The plot is kind of about a new game coming out and all the kids at this one school getting it to play it together except on kid who can't afford and is banned from playing it by his abusive mother. While he struggles to look after himself and his sister someone starts to attack him in the street [[ who somehow no one else notices ]] and strange things start to happen. In the side with the game however, everyone at school seems to be trapped inside as something attacks them one by one and they all start to turn on each other as it could be one of them. Sorry it's a bit vague and long but I'm not good at summarising my stories ^^; What do you guys think? is it still mystery kind of genre or would it fit into something else better? Knowing my luck it'll end up having some kind of dystopian influence in it somewhere ^^;

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

lolls — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:53:58 -0700

Hi! This is my first time in Nanowrimo, and I have a hard time finding which genre my story belongs to. It's about a 17-year old girl who lost her beloved, older sister almost a year ago, something she obviously took very hard. She went into a depression and has kept to herself since. Now that this school year is over and the next awaits, her parents have decided to send her to live with her girl cousin in the same age for the year, since they feel she needs to spend some time away from her hometown and meet some new people, to try to get out of her depression. While there, the opposite happens. She starts to develop schizophrenia. She starts having hallucinations of her sister, and although she's scared in the beginning, she is so happy to see her sister that she welcomes the hallucinations with open arms. She does know that her sister is dead, but since she can hear her, see her and eventually even talk to her, parts of her kind of thinks she's alive. After some time her cousin realises that something is really wrong, and she tries to help my MC out of her disease. So the story is mostly and basically about how her disease develops, her relationship with her hallucination of her sister and about her relationship with her cousin. I would say this is drama, but I have noticed that category doesn't exist here. I don't want to put it under sci-fi, mystrey or something like that, since it is a real disease and the things that happen to my MC can be real to those who have schizophrenia. I've been thinking it might be literary fiction, but I'm not sure. So what do you think this sounds like? :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

theordinarywings — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:35:36 -0700

I'm having a hard time IDing a genre under which to put my novel. I'm writing a story of political corruption and love, told from the perspective of a teenage girl (who is, by the way, the daughter of the corrupt president). It's in the future, and will have a bit of post-apocalyptic elements near the end. Anyone have any suggestions for what this is categorized as?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Gabriel13 — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:34:13 -0700

What forum should I post in if I'm writing a psychological thriller? If anyone replies I'll give more info, but I'm too busy writing my novel to put anything else, sorry.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

barlowgirl737 — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:11:42 -0700

My novel is about a young girl lives inside her fantasies in order to cope with her neglectful/addict parents. Sometimes the fantasies are cut short by her parents arguing/etc and as things become worse at home her fantasies begin to crumble as well. The fantasies are probably going to consist of mythical creatures like faeries and dragons and such, but the other half when she's not inside a fantasy is realistic. What genre would this be considered?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Hana Rain — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:29:46 -0700

*waves* Hi :3 I'm new here, kind of. Haven't really dared to explore the forums yet. Anyway! If my story is set in the future, after the destruction of north america, where would it go? I doubt it'll have magic in it, and it's about a teenage girl part of a group that's could be described as nomadic. She wants to leave, and so far, the novel looks like it might be about her struggles adapting to staying in one place where she has no experience whatsoever. If that makes sense. No huge romance, no magic (probably), no dragons, so. . . . Help?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

GreenSweatshirtGal — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:44:36 -0700

Hey there, NaNoWriBros! Having a bit of trouble telling what genre my story is. Long story short, it's about a little girl who hires a bodyguard of sorts to supervise the older version of herself that takes control at night. Said older self is fond of partying with monsters, aliens, atypical humans, Gods, etc., which is obviously pretty dangerous. Basically, the bodyguard is supposed to protect older!girl from getting herself killed or otherwise harmed. Also, it takes place in a different universe on a planet that's basically Earth, but more futuristic. And surreal, considering that there's all kinds of different species (not counting animals and such, of course) and magic exists and blah blah blah. There's a bunch of other crazy stuff in there, but this is the gist of it. So, it's part fantasy, part supernatural, and there's even a little sci-fi. It's written with a bit of a humorous tone, and there's definitely some action, adventure, romance, and mystery... Is there anything specific I should file this under, or should I keep it under my so-called Acid Fantasy?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

rawr_im_salamence — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:53:19 -0700

Well, my story involves angels and demons, with a dash of romance on the side...would that go in supernatural or religion? Or maybe even fantasy? Currently I've put it in supernatural. Personally, I don't believe it's religion, but I don't know.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

acebrock — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:57:39 -0700

I'm not sure where mine belongs at all. It's set in our world, but it has telepathy/empathy, which is explained in a way that suggests science. The ability to see into people's minds is carefully hidden, and I'm not sure what genre that fits into.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Vanderushesis — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:58:00 -0700

My story I think falls under surrealism if that would be considered a genre here. Kind of stream-of-consciousness with a lot of surreal and philosophical elements with hints of satire. I don't know what you would call that XD

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

AlanaFlorence — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:59:53 -0700

Hi everyone, I can't decide if mine is chick-lit, mainstream fiction or young adult? Here's the synopsis: It's the summer after high school, and budding photographer Evelyn Tofte has won a contest to photogragh up-and-coming Scottish exports Montague on a leg of their U.S. tour. A quick friendship with band insider Adam and French photographer Elodie results in a dream gig: following the touring Montague back to Europe. While Adam has made his intentions with Evelyn clear, she can't help but find herself falling for Montague bassist Gregor and his inexplicably soft Scottish brogue. The group traipses through Europe in a whirlwind of events that leaves Evelyn questioning her loyalties, her ambitions, her ideals and her preconceived perceptions of the world outside America. It's a coming of age story and the protagonist is 18....does that automatically make it young adult? I don't want to be censored in my writing and thinking of it as young adult feels constrictive somehow. Thanks.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

tyrantswine — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 23:34:08 -0700

Mine's documenting a current event through fiction- in this case the Occupy protests. There's also a heavy Steinbeck influence (note to self: read more Steinbeck) so it does have some historical fiction tones. But since it's present day and really sort of changing by the day, it doesn't have a solid of the solidness that comes with historical fiction. I'm labeling it "Political fiction" right now, aware that it's a terrible descriptor.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

HoneyB — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:47:35 -0700

Any help identifying my genre -- it's "superhero" (think Heroes more than Superman), set in the modern day in a real-world city. The plot is largely character driven with people finding out about their abilities and the consequences both to themselves and the people around them (for instance, it starts off with someone gaining fire-controlling powers but ends up burning to death in the middle of a street because he can't accurately control it; the next morning we see how this has affected people who live locally/those who would travel through that area to work, school or home). The main, named characters I have got range from mid-teens to early thirties, but likely this age range will expand upwards (and maybe downwards). It's not really horror; supernatural [i]maybe[/i]; litfic possibly; too different for mainstream I think. Currently I've just stuck it in 'other'.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Emma Farant — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 07:24:50 -0700

Writing a play which has the working genre of genderqueer historical mystery pastiche. Yay!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

hannahnc — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:05:27 -0700

Hi :) I am new to NaNoWrimo - I have intended to participate for a few years but never actually did it. My novel (or at least the premise so far - I am optimistic about finishing it, but every other attempt I've begun has been abandoned after 10,000 words or so, so I'm reserving judgment for now) also seems to be a mix of genres. The main characters are late teens/early 20s, so that could fit in the YA genre. I've set the novel in the future, but there are really no "futuristic" or sci-fi elements - society has progressed in time but not noticeably in technology. The central action of the novel revolves around a gladiator-like sport, so to some degree there are historical elements as well. There are also elements of typical YA romance- girl meets boy and ultimately needs to choose between him and her career. My concept (and many of the others in this thread) reminds me of the Historism movement in architecture - many different styles combine to produce a brand-new or atypical style. Where exactly might this fit in?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

AlanaFlorence — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:30:29 -0700

Ha. I love how we have all asked which genre but no one has offered any insight. TyrantsWine, I'd say mainstream fiction or literary fiction. You haven't said much about the plot, so I'm basing my decision on the theme of your story. HoneyB, sounds a bit like fantasy to me. Sounds good, as well! hannahnc, I suppose I would lean towards YA or literary fiction. It sounds very intruiging, and on of the reasons I mentionted literary fiction is I think it sounds like it could provide some interesting social commentary as it takes place in the future. Interesting take with the Historism idea. I like it. Regarding your characters' age group-late teens, early 20s-I've seen mention on this site of a genre called 'New Adult', which I think mine falls into as well. Characters have moved beyond the typical YA situations like high school but are still young.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

ladyhadhafang — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:22:32 -0700

Definitely fanfiction for me. All the way.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

rei_nocturna — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:32:16 -0700

Here's my rough synopsis: As a young girl, Vera always listened to her grandfather's stories. Enthralled by their magical nature, she always felt like as though she was constantly pulled in to each one. One day, her grandfather vanishes; the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur. Will she be able to find him before the portal to the other side closes? I plan it to include a few broad elements, adventure, perhaps sci-fi, and fantasy, of course. I'd imagine it belongs in fantasy, sans fairies and their ilk. Although there are also parallel dimensions involved. Hmmm...

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Zovistograt — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:32:17 -0700

I'm writing some sort of odd, purposefully-disorganized piece based more or less on Discordian concepts (in other words, writing a whole lot that sounds like it means something but in reality is a load of bullshit). I suppose that would fit under "absurdist fiction," considering I'm attempting to make it, in some way, obtain something that one could possibly consider the faintest notion of a plot.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Thistlefoot — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:45:50 -0700

Heh. I tried to read up on all of the posts in this thread before asking, but I got bogged down, so here goes. I'm writing from a strong admiration of Neil Gaiman and Tom Robbins. I don't feel that my work (or theirs, really) counts as fantasy, because it is very explicitly set in the real world, but unrealistic beings exist, and unrealistic things happen. Overall plot summary: I'm following two lives as they converge. One, beginning in the 1850s, is the life of a fox who slowly becomes a fox spirit--someone still with an essential fox nature but who has become, for most intents and purposes, human. The other story is that of a fully human girl in the modern day. The fox spirit's story is one of managing the transformation over the centuries, until we reach Modern Girl (well, her name is Sophie)'s day and age. The two meet while dancing, and become entangled in a whole mess of Appalachian folklore, environmental activism, and a good old-fashioned love triangle. I'll be touching on themes relating to sexuality, civilization versus nature, dance and the arts, and myth/legend, but mostly I just want to tell a story. So...what IS this?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

chaostearktisune — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:07:28 -0700

To Thistlefoot, I think yours might be urban-fantasy? You mention it set in current day and age, but it has elements of things that don't really exist? (Like the spirits and like you said, unrealistic beings.) Argh I think mine is fantasy, or urban-fantasy? It's got elements of fantasy, but there's a lot of Technology vs Nature thing, nature being magic. :x Magic is dying out and isn't as common as before, but it's still there in mostly every-day life... Plot summary...let's try to be coherent Terry uhhhh... Basically the Main Heroine was tasked with guarding these seven stones a powerful sorceress once owned, that now rest in her village. After an attack from an Organization, they're lost, all except for one and she's hexed in the process. The first animal she touches,she's supposed to transform into (it doesnt work so she's this well to be blunt, cat-girl thing!) Her village tells her that is she can bring them all back, they can fix her hex. (This is backstory that the Main Hero learns from her explaining what she's doing) He asks to tag along and lots of shenanigans happen! Like being attacked by were-wolves...Lots of meddling from the Organization (that mixes science and magic together)....Am I saying enough to help figure out the genre? S: I feel really stupid, everyone has such interesting plots...

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

itsonlymemories — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:33:40 -0700

I'm not sure what mine is classified as. It's basically a series of short stories called (for now): "Don't Try This At Home" ... All of the stories are fictionalized accounts of events/adventures in my life. It'll be pretty humorous I hope. I mean, does this count, or is it more Nano Rebel? Modern fiction? Maybe it would be better to make them into chapters of the same novel? Any ideas?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Blankenship24 — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:42:04 -0700

How about a LGBT story, with tradgedy, love, laughter, a little drama. Set in 2008 in the present, with a tragic start the to the story, and thus begins another story of how they met, fell in love...etc.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Eastmarket — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:15:25 -0700

Mine is about a war between Fantasty Races in Victorian Times with some randomm elements (Chaos Magic, Motorcyle Cavalry). What genere would you consider this.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

ron P — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:21:17 -0700

. Hello. Outdoors & Nature is my angle. Anyone else out there? . . . .

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

carogenous — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:41:52 -0700

What do you call a story about an all-girl ska band making their way through bars and clubs? I'm sure it'd appeal to a YA fiction audience, but I don't really know how mature I'm gonna go with it quite yet. It'll probably end up adopting a feminist tone without me even realizing it also.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

teckjack — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:28:03 -0700

I'm doing a fantasy/scifi bit here. I have two worlds that occupy the same space. They are feeding off each other, one siphons the magical energy off the other, and uses it as a super-natural "fossil fuel" and the other world is siphoning off life energy from the first world. The only ones that know what is going on are a few scientists in the one world, mages in the other, and some native shamen-like peoples that can walk between the worlds. The action revolvs around a MC discovering what is happening in the science-world, and being chased off, hiding with shamen by walking back into the magic world, where they track down the magic cabal that is destroying the science world. Kind of a commentary on oil-dependance/ excuse to introduce a flying pirate ship that hops between worlds... YARR!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

sirichan — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:59:53 -0700

Sorry! Need some help identifying my genre. I'm writing a story about a boy/girl/person/thing named Teagan. *Using "ze" pronouns to avoid problems with the fact that Teagan has no gender) In Teagan's world before a person dies their soul leaves their body and is replaced with hir. Essentially ze dies in their place so they don't have to experience the pain. It'll mostly be hir experiencing a variety of deaths and philosophizing about hir role in death, how much of an effect ze has on if a person actually dies, about death in general, various belief systems, hir own existence, etc. I really have no idea where this fits in unfortunately. There's not much of a linear plot though I do plan to 'kill' hir off about halfway through and switch to someone else in a similar position and their reaction to hir 'death.' Any suggestions? I'm kinda lost at sea here.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

TurtleMama — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 23:55:13 -0700

I am going to be doing what I call "Random Fiction" because this is my first year and my first attempt at writing for pleasure, rather for an assignment! I am just writing about whatever pops into my mind and seeing where it leads. Day 1 was an autobiographical fiction of sorts and Day 2 was a humorous little short story that I am not sure what it would be classified as! I decided that I will just have fun with this and see what sort of stories I have hidden in my mind. Hopefully I will be able to come up with an idea for a traditional novel next year out of my ramblings.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

HannaGrace — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 08:13:51 -0700

Hello Everyone! I'm aiming for a dark, tragic piece about a woman who's going to commit suicide, but before she jumps retells her life's story, which of course is tragic, because if it were otherwise she wouldn't be killing herself in the first place, and I'm probably going to throw in an LGBTQ twist somewhere, still debating on some violent crime she commits. It's not quite chick-lit, DEFINATLY not young adult. Any ideas?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

OminousPotato — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 10:31:12 -0700

Mine is set in a sort of alternate WWII London and involves a sort of metal disc that gives people enhanced strength but they lose control of their emotions. Is it historical fiction, Sci-fi, dystopian, or what?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

PaperDart — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:03:31 -0700

I think I'm writing YA, but it's such bizarre YA that I think I might be justified in choosing 'other'. Essentially my plot is something like 'girl meets maths via ancient Greek goddess.' The idea is that a high school student could learn quite a bit of mathsy stuff from reading it, but more in a here-are-some-problems-lets-solve-them-and-oh-hey-this-is-called-maths way than a here-are-some-drill-exercises-hand-them-in-tomorrow way. So definitely educational, but a long way from being a textbook or even nonfiction. I have no idea if it'll even work out as a novel (I guess I'm writing it to find out), and less idea of what genre it actually is. Opinions, anyone?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Marian5390 — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:25:37 -0700

I have a story about a cat with magic powers - to a certain degree (It uses up energy to use them) - and strange colours (dark purple and aqua). But it has a lot of sci-fi mixed in - There's a greedy, power-hungry person trying to catch this cat and perform experiments on her to see if he can "recreate" her artificially. (Or even a super-obedient army of powerful, magical creatures!) He has discovered a drug that only affects her - It's like a sleeping drug of sorts. I have no idea what genre that'd be. ^^U

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

andstufftheendness — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:05:21 -0700

My story has some mild allegory, but it's not middle agey with knights or sword fights, and it won't have any wizards or elves who can do magic. It does have a talking animal. I don't know what else will happen yet in the story. I'm saying all this, because I'm wondering if it will fit in fantasy or if it's yet something else. I don't know.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

sebian5465 — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:46:03 -0700

Mine is a first person comedy slice of life (no dashes there... I'm learning) combined with an epic poem set in an ethereal nightmare combined with a third person fantasy. Trust me-- it's just as cohesive as is sounds. But hey, I don't enjoy sense. Or the making of it.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Chantal Brigitte CB — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:29:20 -0700

what about a psychological thriller that has a little bit of magic realism?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

C.B.Pierce — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 06:06:30 -0700

Mine has something of a fantastical element, in the sense that there is an alternate universe involved, but really the point of the story is to explore the human condition &c, so I'm wondering if maybe it is more Literary Fiction?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

murazrai — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 07:51:19 -0700

It's not for this year's Nanowrimo, but here it goes: Every people who play Warrior Card Duels collectible card game has mental ties to the hero card in their decks, which happened to be a fighter in the card game world. A card game duel between two card players happens concurrently with fights between the fighters in the card game world, move by move and turn by turn. Every year, there is a grand tournament for the card game which shall determine the best card player in the world. This ran concurrently with the annual gladiator tournament which will decide the best fighter in the card game world. Who shall be the champion for both battles? The narrative would frequently switch between the card duels and fights between the fighters.

[Autobiographical fiction]

thing — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 10:46:47 -0700

I wonder if there's a call for an "Autobiographical Fiction" genre lounge? Not sure how the "search" facility is meant to work, but the result of searching on 'autobiographical' suggests that's what a lot of us think we are doing.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

NekoChanUchiha — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 12:41:01 -0700

Novel ; nosferatu sapphic Synopsis; The story is about the daily life of a girl, Lilly who struggles at school where she's being bullied. The other kids give her names and prank her alot just because she's a lesbian. A girl who likes girls. She becomes so sick and tired off her life that she's willing to stop it...that is untill she meets one woman, only few years older then herself. This woman is named Kayla. She's blown away by her presence and can't stop thinking about her. But then she gets attacked by another being, which doesn't look human at all. Suddenly a woman is there to save her, but hey it's Kayla and it turns out she's a vampire. How will it go further? more info ; it's about vampire, lesbian love, there will be 1 or more sex scene's, it's also about emotions like she's getting bullied is so depri about it, cause first it's gonna go about how they prank her & make her life miserable and ect. a howl time before she even meets the vampire --> I'm doubting between the genre's ; romance, fantasy, horror and supernatural, erotic fiction,... ---> so please help me out & help me with which genre it is? ^^ thankyouuuu!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Yel — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 19:42:59 -0700

Mine is about a kid who builds a haunted house for a town festival, gets locked up there by accident, then ends up going through a bunch of weird challenges i.E. talking to a pink egg, etc.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

anEXCESSofParanoia — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 20:22:35 -0700

My story is set around 15 to 20 years in the future. My MC is 17 years old when the story starts, and it will progress through all of the years in her life (which are very numerous.) and I at first classified it under science fiction. However, it contains no elements of science fiction whatsoever except one (my character is testing a drug believed to make one immortal.) It mainly focuses on that immortality and how it affects my MC psychologically. I can't decide between mainstream fiction (doesn't seem to match other's plots in that genre) or young adult (my character is only a young adult for a little while in the story), or other.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kinoc — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 20:32:02 -0700

I'm not exactly sure where my novel falls because it's become a framework story since I couldn't decide on one plot to follow all the way through. I feel I have story commitment issues, and therefore writing a novel where I can start a new story every once in awhile will allow for my attention and focus to be held. The summary of the frame of my novel is something along the lines of a group of pilgrimages traveling to the Land of Gnomes, all with the hope of it bringing them some fortune or redemption, among other things. Each of pilgrimages will tell stories to pass the time as they travel (the stories range from a time traveling coffin maker, who travels into the future to learn who will die soon, only to return to the present to take their measurements for their perfect coffin to a story about an obnoxious frat boy who runs around with his newspaper eating wallaby, and everything in-between). The pilgrims will have a travel-related story of their own, but it's the fact that the random tales in-between the plot will be such an important and main part of the plot that makes it hard for me to classify. Any ideas?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Lacey Fay — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 06:38:49 -0800

I think what I'm doing is a subgenre of Sci-Fi, but I'm not sure, and it doesn't really fit in with the other sci-fi stories, so that makes me sad :(. My story takes place in the year 2001 in an alternate Earth where super humans exist. Nobody knows who they are, or that they exist, so it's not Superhero fiction. These super humans have your basic super powers, and they all have the same origin, you're either born with them and gain them later, or you don't get them at all. Think Marvel, but more realistic in the sense that there are a lot of powers that can't exist (like shapeshifting) and there are serious consequences for having them.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

kaya.esi — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 06:43:47 -0800

I am at a complete loss on where to place mine. It's kind of the hand maid's tale meets 1984, with with a twisted love story plot. basically, it's set in a dystopia-type society, the ministry has complete and utter control. Books, reading and writing are completely nonexistent, as it sparks and encourages outside of the box thinking. At the age of 18, boys and girls are matched together based on genetics for prime baby making. A boy, who is has an underground anarchist way of thought meets a girl who is very firm in her societal beliefs, he manages to enlighten her, against his better judgement, and they fall in love. A year passes however, and the girl is paired up with another man (naturally). And the boy get's found out by the ministry, and instead of killing him, they brainwash him and he returns after another year as a ministry official. The gist of the rest of the story is that, the girl is resisting her new mate, and he reports her, and guess who comes to the door? Her old lover. They hook up, and after awhile he disappears for a bit on duty related business. As he's gone, she starts to develop a relationship with her matched mate (this may happen prior to the other guy's second disappearance). Somewhere in this timeline, she get's pregnant with her first lover's child... i don't want to destroy the ending.. but it's not a happy lovestory finish.. pleaase help? (As of now, it's written with a bit of a teen novel vibe. But I'm going to edit that out.. I hope.)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

mundaneepitome — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:25:24 -0800

Hhnhg I tried it on the Literary fiction one because I wasn't sure, but I'm still not sure, so if anyone could help me out in identifying this genre, I would be much appreciative! /o/ Here's what I got: "I'm writing a story in which basically instead of having animals, we have humans in their places. Just think of the animals as just being another ethnicity/race of humans - they are in no way furries or humanized animals - they are just human. For example: You would call someone who was chinese as chinese, but we would call a lion a lion. Basically what'll happen is that in this world, there are lands. And these lands are pretty much different biomes. A different King rules over this land, and the definition of King is not defined by gender - King refers to the ruler of a land, whereas Queen refers to the King's mate. So we can have a female King and a male Queen indeed. But asides from that, they hold certain characteristics above them. Don't think modern - but do think of people living off the land. Before the medieval ages, but think how Native Americans worked their stuff back then before the Europeans arrived and you've got a pretty decent picture of it? Though there are some Lands which are more civilized, that even have a judicial system and everything, but it all comes down to the fact that modern technology is non-existent here. It's mostly going to be a...uh, how should I explain it...political fiction? I don't know. I see something as political fiction if it has politics between factions in it (though the real definition would be different). I want to be able to flesh out the worlds especially since there are countless Lands- like Ocean, Savannah, Volcano, Forest, etc, etc. I wouldn't say that it's fantasy because they're all human and they don't have super powers or anything, but near the beginning of the novel there's going to be a lot of character development for the main protagonist - I say main, but really there's not really a protagonist because the story is about this world as a whole and the characters that live in it, and the effects of one action affecting another until it leads into a 'world war' of sorts."

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Dawnheart — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:38:10 -0800

where would i go for a "gothic" literature story ie from time period of dracula, etc. ? with gloomy mood, weak female characters, fascination with death/supernatural stuff...?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

MarchingMachine — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:05:42 -0800

An atheist dies in a car crash and goes to an afterlife which meets no one's expectations. He must fill out a 15 question survey about his life and death before he can move on to the 'next step' and while filling it out he runs into a cast of characters, one of which he has a romantic attraction to.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

solomonj — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:02:08 -0800

Okay, I've perused the few genres that my novel could fall in and always balk at some component. The two main characters are a father and a daughter (14 years old for most of the novel except flashbacks). The daughter killed her mother two years before the main narrative of the novel. The main narrative is the road trip which the father and daughter take for cross purpose: the father is on the trip to reconnect with his daughter and try to understand the delusions she's having about zombies being in the world, the daughter is on this trip to gain more knowledge from her father regarding the nature of the zombies in the world and work past his denial of what she knows is real because her mom was a zombie. The truth is that medical technology for the wealthy has reached a point that can keep the body alive forever through nanotechnology, but unfortunately the brain has a point past which it just stops working, an expiration date, if you will. Society is calling these creatures zombies, but they are rare and harmless/pathetic (but not easy to kill except by fire/beheading/explosion). Because it's really only the very wealthy that become zombies, there is a hush-hush nature to the problem societally. The thrust of the novel is an examination of the relationship of the father and daughter as they make this road trip; the daughter understands her father more and he also begins to understand his relationship with his own father. The road trip is retracing the route which the father & dead mother took for their honeymoon, though for much of the novel the father does this subconciously. The road trip will end at the grandfather's door where the father is expected to end his father's now-zombie life. YA, sci-fi, horror, lit fic, mainstream... I don't know. I envision a cross between Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Cormac McCarthy's The Road with zombies thrown in.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Gillrd — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:28:17 -0800

My book fits lots of genres. Police woman trying to bust drugs ring. Her boss, doesn't like women, he uses them. There are some quite explicit sex scenes in the book between police woman and her boss. Maybe other later on in book.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

solomonj — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:22:54 -0800

I'm taking it from everyone rushing in and telling me that the genre of my novel is obviously that I have, fortunately or unfortunately, found my tribe in the "other" section.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

solomonj — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:24:56 -0800

I'm taking it from everyone rushing in and telling me that the genre of my novel is obviously [X] that I have, fortunately or unfortunately, found my tribe in the "other" section. Note: I guess the forums don't like the lesser-than and greater-than signs.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

creatorx2 — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 06:56:00 -0800

Right so. what am i. Novel. Huge rambling long-winded tangential paragraphs with randomly drawn-out world-building coupled with action sequences that abruptly start and end. There is magic (one girl can inexplicably do time travel to a limited degree with absolutely no explanation in the slightest) and science-fiction elements (there are hints of a dystopia outside the secluded walls of the Facility, which is a big repurposed abandon parking lot used as the set for a reality tv show, plus some of the technology like the IM-watches and the phone-answering goggles can easily be explained without magic). Since all the characters are teenagers, it could be a young-adult novel, but the style is decidedly non-angsty and seems to revel in wanton violence and naughtiness. There is drama but most of it is superficial, with the over-arching plot taking a much larger role, in theory, to their petty squabbling. There might be biting social commentary but quite honestly there isn't a consistent social message being conveyed at all. Same with satire; it takes itself way too seriously to really be making fun of the absurd lengths I go to make it extreme, but at the same time it's not serious enough that it can really be construed as a critique. And of course the question "critique of what" remains unanswered because I don't know. It could be... a psychological thriller? But that would be silly and pretentious. I mentioned the word absurd and found a link to "Absurdist" genre descriptions, and it doesn't seem to fit the bill there in any way, either. Yeah no, I don't have a genre really. The plot, in case it's impossible to piece together, is that there are a dozen teenagers trapped in a reality tv show. They're split into two teams and meant to bicker and fight amongst each other (fight literally, with huge ridiculous weapons) but secretly they are trying to find a means to escape. Strange stuff happens like a girl with limited time-travel powers, a sciencey whacking-staff that makes kabooms, and 2/3 of an entire chapter devoted to baking nachos which eventually ends in opening a portal to a lovecraftian horror dimension, then an explosion (everyone is sad because the nachos are ruined). I am 25000 words in and one character has died out of the ten that I've planned, right after a fight between a humongous axe and a walking stick. He died by drowning. That's just to give a sense of the shenanigans going on. Is... is "Shenanigans" a genre?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Erecura — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:21:24 -0800

Where would 'conspiracy to overthrow the president of tanzania 25 years ago, secrets kept from the children who had their lives altered by this' go?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

deirdre_ — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:44:54 -0800

Would Dystopian be considered a genre, or a sub-genre of something? Because in my story, it's set a bit in the future, and the society has one flaw. It's not post-apocolyptic, either, which is what people have said that dystopian is a sub-genre of.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

delayra — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:56:21 -0800

Alright, I'm starting late this year... began this morning (11/11/11) and got to 21,835 before calling it a day. This year I'm doing another combo genre - Noir/Mystery/Historical/SteamPunk/Fantasy mixture. I won't be able to write every day this year, sadly, so no "real" mega-noveling like I did in 2007 & 2008.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Booth 12 — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 21:45:34 -0800

Ok, just started yesterday and have only 2540 words as of now. I'm not sure where mine would fut because it seems to have elements of a few. It's about a girl whos dreams are real, but only for her, When she dreams, whatever happens actually happens to her. The dreams are trying to kill her to let demons escape into the world and destroy it. She needs to find a way to get rid of this curse that was put on her as a child before it really does kill her.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kavyle — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:39:40 -0800

Um... I need help. Would an alternate present time/possible future be considered scif-fi?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

arcana07 — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 22:22:36 -0800

Uh, mine's supposed to be a somewhat realistic science fiction thingy with other genres mixed in that, if I were to mention them, would spoil the story (though I suppose the brief description I've got up on my profile would already indicate the "adventure" aspect of the thing). Ok if I leave it at "speculative ficiton"? I looked up the Wiki page for the UK "Life on Mars" (brilliant, brilliant show) and that's kinda the thing I'm going for and under genre it says "speculative fiction", so.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

umitheelf — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:50:34 -0800

This probably is something I should have figured out ages ago, but as you can tell, I'm behind on my word count. Like WAY behind. What the heck would you say my genre is? My synopsis is: A collection of short stories with modern fairytale elements with heroines that follow the Lolita fashion and lifestyle. THE PORCELAIN PRINCE: Sophia is a teenager that lives her life to the standards of a modern day princess born into a common life. As most girls of her age, she hopes to find love someday soon with her ideal "prince." However, when Sophia has a run-in with a witch posing as a carnival fortune-teller, Sophia soon finds her perfect prince, but perfection might come at a cost. --- There's also a second story I've yet to write a synopsis for but it's about a pair of sisters that venture into an abandoned mansion in San Francisco and notice strange things happening one suspects its spirits from another world.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:17:34 -0800

Hi I have been trying to identify the genre my book falls into and, quite frankly, have failed dismally. My book incorporates elements of: supernatural, thriller, Sci-fi, timeslips, paranormal, history (archeaology based), adventure, action, mystery, thriller, philosophy, advanced technology and a hint of romance. Here is the blurb for it (not very good I know but I'm working on it): There are moments in time where everything hangs in the balance. The Fate of the World is now in my hands. I’m supposed to make the ultimate decision that will change the course of evolution, permanently. Only, I have no idea what that entails but I’ve ended up having to running for my life, a lá Dan Brown. There are people out there who will, and have, killed to get what I supposedly have. On the bright side, I have visions to ‘guide’ me, a friendly ‘helper’ and my tag along, Atlantin Russner, is a cop who also happens to be my childhood ex. This all started with a little brown box with nothing but my name scrawled on it a broken crystal that is supposedly the ‘Key to my Destiny’. Don’t ask, I don’t know. All I do know is that I have to go back to go forward. History is the key to saving the future but not just any history, oh no, unknown history. You know, the pseudo-history filled with all kinds of possibilities, theories and not much evidence? Yip, that’s the one. Oh, and if I get this wrong, we’re ancient history. The extinct kind. Thanks JD

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Riesa — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:41:39 -0800

I call my genre "karjakeittiöpsykologinen trilleri", which translates to "cattlekitchenpsychological thriller"... But it does not work in english so I translated it into "agritragedy", for it's about a farmer. And a teenage laestaedian nymphomanic cannibal serial killer. So I could call it a crime thriller... But it's not about solving crimes. I could call it literary fiction, for it's about the psychological development of the characters and their relationship. But still no. I could call it supernatural or sci-fi, 'cause there's a talking milking robot. But still kinda far-fetched. Also there's some parody and irony, but not enough to identify the genre of parody. So let it be agritragedy. My last year's NaNo's genre was gritty postmodern dystopic apocalyptic crazy-scifi. It didn't fit in the genre area.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

retromaisie — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 07:35:39 -0800

I have been plagued by the inability to put my novel in to a genre, so I've bounced the genre forums, but never really engaged fully. Just not feeling sure where I belong to settle in and make it a home. It has bits and bobs of many genres. I'd appreciate any insight into my novels genre. Summary: Netta Porter raises her niece and cares for her ailing father in a town that does not forgive, nor forget what her brother has done to poor Elinor Snow. Young Sarah Porter is the living proof of their premarital union, and can not be welcomed into the town, no matter how innocent of a child she may be. Rolf Johansen had a unfortunate printing that put a politician in an ill-favoring light, as such his editor has sent him to Desolo Harbor to cover the Lobster Festival. He needs to save his new career, and lobsters aren't going to do it. He begins his search for something more, and when he finds that newly buried, Beth Young was afraid of the sea, but died upon it, he begins searching for the story that will save his career. Netta has the answers he seeks, but the price may be more than she can give in a town that holds her livelihood in their hands. --- It's not really mystery, because we witness the murder and know the basics of it at the end of the first chapter. There is some suspense and threatening that goes on, and the town is just all out against Sarah (the child). It's a small town, set in old time ways, and think accepting Sarah (the child) will mean that they are pro-premarital unions, so they go out of their way to teach their children that Sarah is bad. It's basically about human nature, and what people do and don't do, with some suspense, in a historical setting, and some tough decisions, with some bad events, mistakes, and living with them, and hope with forging ahead. Can you plug it somewhere?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

pres1111 — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:44:17 -0800

I honestly have no idea where mine would go- it's about a girl, a witch, and an alien who try to put back everything that escaped from Pandora's Box. It's got elements of Sci-fi, fantasy, maybe some adventure. I really don't know where it would go.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Sapphire2309 — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 20:36:44 -0800

okay, i'm not at all sure what to classify my story as. basically, it's a Harry Potter fanfiction. I ship Draco/Hermione, so that's the main relationship in the story. Draco and Hermione also get tortured quite a bit. Draco is running from a Death Eater (Rodolphus Lestrange) who wants to kill both him and Narcissa. Painfully. Draco adopts a female six year old Muggle who becomes critical to the story. What do I classify my story as? I've currently put it under romance.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

roboticjawa — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 03:28:44 -0800

I currently don't know how I would classify this story/novel I am writing for this month. It is about a 16 year old boy who is recounting what has happened to him. Through the story his best friend convinces him to shoot another kid at school out of vengeance. The boy does so and is caught by the police, he is then told that his best friend died 3 months ago in a previous school shooting (this is revealed at the very end). At the end the reader finds out that the protagonist is writing all of this from a mental ward, and is trying to figure out was it really his friend coming to him as a ghost or was it his own grief manifested.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

PhantomShadows — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:16:53 -0800

I'm not sure what to call the genre of my novel. It's about four people who inherit a ranch from a man they never knew. The four don't know each other at all either. At first they are skeptic about running a ranch in a city so far away from their hometowns; soon they fall in love with the place and decide they would conform to the man's last wishes. They remodel the ranch, start new services, and start a form of academy (I guess you could call it) that the man wanted to do himself but didn't have the time before he passed. I've been told this could be a mystery (how?), Western (aren't westerns about cowboys and indians?), and many other things. I'd just like some more opinions. I've been thinking about calling the genre "Country for young adults" but my question is...does it see like a young adult novel? It has some scarce cursing in it but no vulgar or graphic scenes. So, what's your opinion???

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

vmorr — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:55:52 -0800

I have no idea what genre to put my novel into. I have chosen 'fantasy', but there are realistic elements. It's kind of a realistic novel, set in an different world. A bit like His Dark Materials Trilogy. I would say that the main elements are: -An 'incident' involving a lion -A girl running away from said incident -Her trip taking her around (and across) different worlds -Meeting different people/creatures and experiencing different landscapes/cultures/events -Letting a girl she meets travel with her -Constant travelling (settling a few places for a few weeks) -Finding her way back home and making things right again But there are also themes of religion (not real religions), global warming (from a post-disaster perspective, looking back), talking animals, a witch, lots of superstition, lots of different scenery (think Narnia, then a desert, then a few completely unrealistic scenes, then a few which are real just different - urban jungles etc). There are lots of quotes thrown in (referenced, of course), a few song lyrics and a few dreams. There is also a lot of reflection on the main characters past. It is written completely in first person, and I think (from the lack of adult themes) it could possibly be appropriate for younger audiences too. Any help, anyone?!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

mermaidpotato — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 09:14:52 -0800

I've been classing mine as 'speculative fiction', though it comes dangerously close to meta fiction. Essentially, Superman was never invented, and a comic book artist/writer is down on his luck for ideas. An entire sort of alternate history of the evolution of superheros plays out in his head, and he intermittently gives comments and attempts to direct the plot in a more workable direction, to no avail. He's thinking it in 1932, so everything is set in a weird sorta five-minutes-in-the-future, -Punk esque idea of the future, in which the depression is over but prohibition persists. The slang is, likewise, a sort of amalgamation of what actually existed at the time and whatever comes to his/my mind. Nothing is really drastically different enough for me to feel like it's an actual -Punk or Sci-Fi genre, though. In the end, he drops the idea, deciding that it's too convoluted and unworkable, leaving the poor figments of his imagination to fend for themselves in the vast landscape of his mind and setting up for a delicious sequel I have planned for next year. In the meantime, any more ideas about just what this could be called?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

cleo.yaz. — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 20:41:03 -0800

I hate trying to figure out genres so any and all help would be appreciated. My novel focuses primarily on three people who suddenly have a fourth return to them after taking off for three years which resulted in all sorts of emotional turmoil for everyone involved. Some how or another my characters have revealed to me that two of them slept together which is why the fourth took off. Can any of you help me? Please? Thank you!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

mozzie — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:29:24 -0800

ok, its so far into the future its almost the past with a whole heaps of sifi and fantasy...??? anyideas?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

theoceanisfullofh2o — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 07:24:50 -0800

My novel is a mash up of a few genres D; it's fantasy, adventure, has some romance, and since it's set in the future, I am pretty sure it would count as science fiction? But anyways. I can't seem to define it in just one.. and i'm not sure what else to call it.. Ahh D;

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

mallikawagle — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:06:41 -0800

My novel is about three people who've worked in a corporation all their lives and never seen the world before, and they come out. theres some scifi and romance and the characters are young adults....so what do i do?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

rrc — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 23:16:53 -0800

Mine is basically a story about a crazy guy with Locked-in Syndrome hallucinating, having flash backs, talking to ninjas in surgical masks and sentient, intelligent chimpanzees...What genre does this count as?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

My Different Corners — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 20:42:44 -0800

My novel is a tender sweet tragic love story with some sex thrown in. Okay that's the basic description. Then there is the support, conflicts and involvement of family and friends. (Yes they do have a category for this also) So you start with a basic romance. Then you add erotica...(Which I really didn't write it to be erotic, but found the sex has to be there) Then you throw in the family and friends. And then there was another category that it fell into also, but my lame brain can't remember it right now. So when sending out a query letter, (To agents and publishers) what genre do I put it under?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

sandymess — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 07:43:20 -0800

My novel is set in the late 60s to early 70s and is about 2 girls coming of age. It follows them from when they meet at age 12 to when one of them is murdered at age 20. There's abuse, drug use, sex, romance, lots of music and historical references, and a bit of a mystery at the end. It's slice of life, set in the past, focuses on young people...so, where the heck does it fit?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Vicky_Bolam — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 15:34:36 -0800

Okay, so my novel is set in16th century England, and everything in England as far as technology and relationships with other countries,as well as social situations is the same as what really happened. But I am writing my novel based on a fictional Royal family, and everyone in my novel is fictional, though titles of nobles are real. So would this be alternate history, or just plain historical fiction? There is also some romance involved, so alternate historical romance? Thanks for clarification!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

aliaswriter — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:54:10 -0800

Mine's about reincarnation. I didn't know if that's supernatural, new age, or what?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

XaristosNevmar — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:25:05 -0800

Where exactly would my story fit? It's futuristic fantasy-with several contemporary elements-set on Earth with the following elements: Action/Adventure Superhero Horror Some elements of high fantasy. Post-Apocalyptic towards the latter part of the story Religious elements Sociopolitical concepts Contemporary fiction Mental illness Anime Most of these elements seem to be fantasy based. So would the term futuristic fantasy cover all of these sub-genres?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

XaristosNevmar — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:09:31 -0800

I guess it is a superhero story. The format is a series of novels (as opposed to being a graphic novel or a comic book series). There are also supernatural, comic, tragic, and romantic elements in the story. As I have stated before, the story is set in the future of Earth—in a future where technological advancements have been made, enabling ‘ordinary’ people to rival supernaturally powered people in terms of power, strength, intellect, appearance, abilities, and so on. The story contains three protagonists with supernatural powers, even though they have many quirks, such as stress disorders. Some of the supporting characters also have supernatural powers. The main antagonist possesses both supernatural and technologically enhanced powers, thereby enabling his stamina to dwarf that of the protagonists.’ The protagonists could use this technology as well, though not as skillfully as the main antagonist. Even though I’m writing this story as part of a hobby, I hope I can make the story so that it’s high in quality. I am trying to give my characters flaws and quirks in relation to the story so that they end up being far from perfect and fully three-dimensional. I find it hard to balance things, though.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

MyLifeIs_Music — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 14:49:11 -0800

Hey peoples. I don't know what genre my novel falls under, so here is a synopsis and plot and stuff. World: A city is being slowly destroyed for the entertainment of the world. It's isn't very futuristic or anything. Story: A young teenager (around 14) named Aleyna is tired of the destruction that is ruining her city. She decides to rebel against a force known in her city as The Detriment. The Detriment is a legend in the city and only a few believe in them. They are believed to be the people destroying the city. Aleyna and her friend, Emerson, try to save the city by escaping to America and seeking help. Other: It is kind of sad because her best friend dies and a lot of other people die too. Emerson is being abused by his dad and he is also abusing Emerson's mom. They both find a little old lady named Elaine, but she dies very suddenly from a heart attack. I think that this might be dystopian because the story talks about how people will do anything to have entertainment... Thanks in advance. So, I don't know what genre this is under.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

XaristosNevmar — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:44:49 -0800

Given the information I provided, would my story fit in the Young Adult or Adult section? In the beginning of the story, one of the protagonists is 24 years old. Near the end of the story, he's around 35 years old. A few of the other protagonists are older than that. The story also contains suggestive themes, violence (mostly stylized), and some profanity. I might tone down a few things, though.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

XaristosNevmar — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:19:17 -0800

Alright, thanks for the advice, Keolah and Dragonchilde. I found it to be helpful. Well, the younger MC is a bit immature in the beginning of the story, and he has to overcome adversity. I agree that it is in the fantasy (and superhero and/or anti-hero) genre.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

MicRoNaNoPiCoFemToWriMo — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:10:41 -0800

The novel that I am writing is currently unfinished, and I do not know exactly where I want the story to go. I have a general idea of it. So far, the story is about a little girl named Jane Primley. The first chapter illustrates the time of year: late autumn. It also illustrates Jane's responsibility, which shall be contradicted later in the novel, by portraying her sense of obligation to rake leaves. So, some events happen, and winter break finally starts. Jane wakes up and looks forward to the start of winter break. She and a friend go to a park and hang out, playing fun activities in the snow. The day is getting late, and her friend says he has to go. Time goes by, and Jane decides it's time to go home too. She thinks she can take the shortcut home, but in reality, the "shortcut" turns out to be a confusing, long forest, so at this point she is lost in the forest and has no way out. I want this story to have some supernatural and magical elements to it, yet I also want it to sound somewhat realistic. For example, in Jane Eyre, there is one scene in which Jane Eyre is told by a "fairy" that she should do something -- like put up an ad. One can argue that Charlotte Bronte means "fairy" literally or metaphorically. Similarly, my novel is more on the realistic side with some bits of weird supernatural elements going on. Maybe, in one scene, I can have my character, Jane Primley, pray to God for help, and by sheer luck, God shows her the "light", which turns out to be someone's lantern from a distance. Jane follows this lantern, hoping that she can get out of this forest as soon as possible. OK. What genre should my story belong? It's not really Mainstream Fiction, yet not really Fantasy either. It's more like Victorian Gothic, but it takes place during the modern era.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

MicRoNaNoPiCoFemToWriMo — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:39:28 -0800

In Holes, written by Louis Sachar, there is a scene in which Zero and Stanley look for "God's thumb". There is some unusual, seemingly supernatural events occuring in the book, in my opinion, yet I don't think the book qualifies as a Fantasy.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

onesecondglance — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:01:44 -0800

I'd appreciate it if someone could help me identify the most appropriate genre for my postings. In my novel, an artificial intelligence transfers itself into a human mind. The possessed body commits various murders. So far, so sci fi. But the main protagonists are detectives who investigate those murders. And they are pretty much like any detective you'd meet these days, as we're not in the far flung future. So is this a mystery (because of the detectives) or sci fi (because of the killer's identity)?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

nextabe — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 21:10:41 -0800

Mine is the story of my formative experiences in the submarine fleet, I'm thinking a coming-of-age feel. First person, in the form of journal entries or letters to the wife. I wouldn't call it Military fiction per se, as that makes me think of Jack Ryan novels or "We Were Soldiers" . This is just a guy trying to find his place in the world, but the world is a nuclear submarine. Adventure? Satire? Young Adult?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

YamiAkimotoMayu — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 16:18:10 -0700

Ahh, hello. Now that NaNo's over I've really been wanting to write another big thing, with a particular genre type that I've always been interested in, but I'm not sure how to identify it. The premise is a mind-puzzling sort of thing - it isn't fully worked out yet, but it will involve two people who are both intellectually superior to most of humanity. They are bored with life, and they desperately want stimulation, thus they set each other insane mental challenges to test one another. Their intellectual stimulation is the only thing they care about, and they don't give a damn if people get killed along the way. I'm thinking it might be a sub-genre of thriller, but is there a genre that deals not with physical but rather mental challenges, in the sort of Sherlock Holmes-esque manner of thinking?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

hmltwin — Wed, 23 May 2012 06:00:23 -0700

The story I'm writing for the June CampWriMo is giving me difficulties in classifying the genre. It's set on a made-up world, made-up countries, etc. It doesn't have futuristic technology, rather... it has sort of a 1940s feel - rather World War II in feel. There's no magic or anything that I would call fantasy. Two countries are engaged in a war that has dragged on for about ten years now. The story is centered around a young boy whose parents have been killed in a bombing. He ends up at an orphan's home. It's going to be basically about how he moves on after his parents' death and adjusts to life without them. There are going to be subplots centering around the other children too (one constantly runs away from the home, two were taken from their mother because she couldn't take care of them, two are there because their single-parent father was drafted, three are actually the children of a soldier on the other side whose mother was killed when their home was attacked, etc.) Right now, I'm calling it "Mainstream", but I really don't know what it would be.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

G.B. Walker — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:25:20 -0700

Where would Post-Apocalyptic go? Especially one with no SciFi elements and with heavy sociopolitical themes? (Alternate History)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Dr_Strangelove — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 15:15:05 -0700

Is there anyone else here who has decided to do a Western? That is what I doing this time

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

NerdfighterMary — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:59:23 -0700

My novel is set a couple of years ago (2008 or 2009) and starts ten years after MMC's mother goes missing. He gets depressed and then angry at the world. He kills innocent people, robs banks by necessity, and lies all the time. At first, he's scared of getting caught, but after all this time, it's a game to him that he has yet to lose. Then his mother is found. Everything changes. His mother would die for real if he told her the truth of him being a murderer. Being a guy who thinks on his feet, the MMC makes up a story as he goes along about what his life has been like in the last ten years, all the while trying to get her to avoid all news media so that she won't find out the truth. MMC's mother doesn't remember where she's been in the last ten years, could it be trauma or aliens? (I really don't know. I'm going to let my characters tell me that in November.) I don't know what happened to her. If anyone could help with that, that would be great. Oh, and an ending, too! Anyway, what genre should it be in? It could be mystery or horror or sci fi (if I decide to keep the alien idea). I don't know! Please help! :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

poetica — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 07:23:55 -0700

I have participated in NaNoWriMo for the past two years. In the meantime I published a book of my poetry, and am wondering whether somehow writing poetry (I am fairly productive on a daily basis) might be acceptable. Yes, I know it's not noveling, so am just checking. I do have an idea in mind for a novel should poetry not work out. But poetry is my comfort zone. Thanks.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Soolseem — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 21:42:01 -0700

Hi everyone. I'd define my plot as "speculative fiction". There are no futuristic/scientific elements, so I wouldn't call it scifi. The central conceit is that everyone has one shot to go back in time to give advice to their past self. There is no technology involved, it's almost more of a spiritual thing.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

PollyJ — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 06:16:38 -0700

Hello. I'm here because my book isn't just YA. The last book I wrote, I kept being told it was a 'crossover' novel - equally suitable for adults as upper end YA. This one is going to be the same. I originally had it under 'General Fiction' but didn't think it fitted in once I'd read the description for General Fiction.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

valjune — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 08:39:13 -0700

Hi, I'm Valjune! My novel is a memoir. It's not on the list, and I just can't believe it's not. Surely there're a bajillion people writing memoirs, right? Should I put it under "other" or is there a more suitable genre on the list for this?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Slappos — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 06:55:23 -0700

Naked Lunch-core.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

rbrandford — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:00:45 -0700

What genre would you suggest something like Jim Butcher's Dresden Files fall under?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

mcousins — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:31:04 -0700

I am working on autobiographical novel.....Pretty much about myself but with all the drama one could ever read in a novel.....do you think that will count?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

vanroa70 — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:17:31 -0700

I would say my novel falls under YA, but it's very dark for YA. It's more of a psychological thriller for young adults [16 and up], but is also realistic fiction.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Freddy-kun — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 04:40:33 -0700

AGH, help! I'm writing a story about an Incubus, so that might be fantasy, but it takes place in the 16th/17th century (havent decided my era yet), so that might be historical fiction, but I plan on putting in graphic material, so that might be Erotic fiction! Where can I ultimately turn to??

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

SillyHats — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:40:41 -0700

Pretty sure Im writing a slice of life with light adventure elements... adventure in regards that the main characters travel by car from city to city... seeing a lot of things and people. I wouldn't call that a straight up adventure, though. If you guys could help me find which lounge I belong in, I'd be very grateful. Thanks!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

thing — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 13:23:57 -0800

Can someone please tell me why it seems SO important to identify a genre that fits our novel? I'd have thought that many of the most significant novels have either straddled two or more genres or been unclassifiable.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

MicRoNaNoPiCoFemToWriMo — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:08:23 -0800

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Catherine Noble — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 09:31:57 -0700

I love this! As a twin, however, I can't help feeling a little disturbed... haha! I think YA is the perfect Genre for it. Best of luck :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

playinghouse — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:21:06 -0700

I think that YA is perfect for that. And it sounds amazing. I hope you get published so I can read it!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

juliejc — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 12:14:09 -0700

Could be mainstream fiction depending on the age of the characters and the issues they face.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Dragonchilde — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:05:36 -0700

Depending on your style, it can be adventure, historical, sci fi, or fantasy. Feel free to post your questions in whichever forum fits... and set Steampunk in your other genre box yourself!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Slappos — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 07:00:38 -0700

[quote=iamwill] What about Steampunk? Set in the early 1900's? Is it considered "Other genre" or "Historical Fiction?" This is my first time to participate in Nanowrimo, by the way. [/quote] Some people would refer to that as "deiselpunk."

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

baka_kit — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:50:57 -0700

There's a Steampunk subgenre thread in SF, too.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

lennyathena — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:18:01 -0700

That's pretty vague... if it's a memoir, it might always go into Litfic. It might be easier to "classify" if you post more info though ^_^

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Dragonchilde — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:12:28 -0700

Vampires usually end up in Horror/Supernatural. Depending on your flavor, they might even wander into Fantasy territory. I've got a vampire novel that is solidly in High Fantasy territory. There's quite a few over in Romance!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Oddyssey — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:47:27 -0700

Wow, I'm not sure where you'd put that either, but it sounds amazing... Good luck to you!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Dragonchilde — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:10:28 -0700

That might be enough to qualify it as science fiction, although it sounds more like the broader "speculative fiction" label (which encompasses both sci fi and fantasy.) Sci fi doesn't have to be past or future, and it can be a more social thing than a technological thing. Sci fi is all about "what if?" questions!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

baka_kit — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:55:18 -0700

I agree; a story about chocolate being illegal could only be horror!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Tom M. Surname — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 07:39:29 -0700

The rule of thumb I've used--though I have no idea if anyone else agrees with this assessment--is that "fantasy" has explicit magic/otherworldly adventures grounded in something other than science, "adventure" is defined by a quest structure, "supernatural" fiction deals with, well, the supernatural, and "horror" is defined mostly by its supposed effect on the audience (although there's a lot of disagreement about this last one). Therefore, it could easily be all four. From your description, I'd say that it sounds more like an adventure story with supernatural plot elements; guardian spirits, particularly if grounded in a real-world tradition, are a staple of supernatural fiction, but the overall storyline sounds like a quest (for a cure, in this case). Without a little more background, I can't say whether it's horror or not, though I'm inclined to say no, mainly because the guardian is benevolent. Hope that helps.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

juliejc — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 12:17:18 -0700

I think supernatural or adventure or a supernatural adventure.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Aeiouna — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:21:23 -0700

Supernatural, with elements of Religious/Spiritual/New Age.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

LadyFreeWill — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 08:09:01 -0700

Me, too.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:20:57 -0700

afrorez - You and your friend are both right. It's science fantasy. That's what you get when you combine elements of both of them.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

juliejc — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 12:19:34 -0700

Makes me think a little of Logan's Run which I always considered sci-fi

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

alastor993 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:52:58 -0700

Thanks Keolah! Maybe I was too quick in calling it horror or fantasy...(I'm still working hard on invisioning the mainline). I don't think I can write horror or fantasy without it becoming something I read and loved.... I think it's just going to be weird. It's set in our time, our place, nothing special about that. It's just what goes on in protagonist's head. Strange ideas, theories, fantasies, wishes, vision, she's a bit crazy I think... But I saw a "surreal" threat, I'm going to check that out, maybe I'll fit in there (and if not, and I don't fit anywhere, that'll cool too)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

juliejc — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 12:21:26 -0700

Science fiction a la Heinlein! Ever read Glory Road?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

juliejc — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 12:22:18 -0700

I don't know what genre either, but I'd like to read it!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

juicycapoochie — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:34:44 -0700

Keolah - I never thought about it like that. I think if that's the case, I'm probably looking at either science fiction or science fantasy, depending on the manner in which some of the characters acquire their powers. That helped me out a lot, thank you!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

whimsicaldreamer — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:42:09 -0700

Thanks that was kind of what I was thinking. I think I will stick it in science fantasy if what I hear about being able to type in our own other genre this year is true.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

korikatamarisan — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:19:17 -0700

Keolah: I didn't really intend for that to be the deciding factor - I just felt it worth mentioning. And I think a great many things can be "deep and meaningful" depending on how you look at them, so I'm not sure that's the best definition either. But I understand what you mean, and I agree - it's not really lit fic. But I also hesitate to call it mainstream. Hence the reason I posted here.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:21:46 -0700

WrittenWord - Sounds like young adult to me. You've got a young protagonist and themes of coming-of-age going on, from the sounds of things.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

juliejc — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 12:25:21 -0700

sophomore in hs---young adult

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Oddyssey — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:49:32 -0700

OMG I totally agree! I would so be in trouble in that world! LOL

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:30:00 -0700

korikatamarisan - Well, that was the polite definition. ;) In my opinion, literary fiction tends to be easily identifiable by being pointless, depressing, and pretentious. :) (No offense to any litfic writers here, just pokng some gentle fun in your general direction. ;)) Now, mainstream, perhaps not. It doesn't sound like romance, either. Suspense, perhaps? Psychological thriller?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:23:14 -0700

DMarie84 - Take the genre lounge descriptions with a grain of salt. (The one for mainstream is particularly bad, in my opinion, since "mainstream" pretty much covers everything that doesn't fit neatly into any other genre, _except_ if it has non-real elements, where it'll automatically be fantasy and/or scifi and/or horror regardless...) Anyway, I'd certainly say you sound like you're writing horror/supernatural. There's no requirement for such a story to be graphic, or to have a sad ending.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

C.S. Day — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:44:43 -0700

I'd call it Dark Fantasy - a nice, flexible genre that avoids the visceral connotations of Horror, the ParaVom of Supernatural, and the elves and wizards of Fantasy.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

korikatamarisan — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 07:49:06 -0700

Yeah, it's not so mainstream. And definitely not romance. There are sure to be some tense moments, but I'm not sure the story as a whole is suspenseful enough to be considered, well, suspense. I'm leaning toward psychological thriller, as that seems to be the closest fit.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:57:44 -0700

melomania - There's plenty of stories that take place in made-up cities and countries that aren't considered fantasy or anything. And there's also plenty of fantasy that doesn't involve magic or anything, for that matter. But you don't need to feel confined to a genre lounge, or wonder whether your book really fits in there, in order to go talk about medieval-ish politics in either the historical or fantasy forums. ;) And as for what to put in your genre box? I don't know. You might consider it low fantasy, or alternate universe/history, perhaps.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:03:44 -0700

Annie.Fiction. - Fantasy is a setting. Adventure is a plot. Setting-based genres tend to override plot-based ones. If you think about it for a moment, you'll realize that the majority of fantasy novels have adventure-type plots. :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:26:13 -0700

Diane38 - Shadowrun isn't exactly a genre. ;) And it's urban fantasy cyberpunk. It doesn't sound like your story is especially different from that, genre-wise.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Dragonchilde — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:42:19 -0700

that's pretty much science fiction, or maybe science fantasy.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Diane38 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:50:20 -0700

The difference between Cyberpunk and Shadowrun is that Shadowrun has Magic and a few other technical goodies, which is why I sort of included it in the list. hehehe I chose miniature horses as her professional hobby style is because it's different. Especially if you toss in a hint about elven horses? Maybe.. I dunno.. I'm a Pantster.. it'll show up or not. hehehe

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:50:29 -0700

Chasemoose - Young adult thriller/suspense, perhaps?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Moonlightwriter — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:51:10 -0700

Well, if they're tryin to figure out who done it, then it would be mystery probably. If it's more guns, and weapons, and giant movie-like explosions, it's probably adventure. If it's just funny then it would be under Humor. If you have trouble, you could fit it into young adult if that's where it's headed. Your best bet is to probably put it under Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller. Hoped this helped! Good luck!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:54:59 -0700

StacyRenee - Don't worry, a story only gets categorized as romance if romance is the only real plot. Many stories have romance in them as a subplot without being classified as romance. ;) Also be aware that if your story contains any provable supernatural elements, it's going to get lumped into a non-real category, ignoring anything that the plot might involve. And "Gothic Fiction" is just a subgenre of horror, as well. Is your story intended to be scary/creepy?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

StacyRenee — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:11:54 -0700

I didn't plan on it being necessarily scary or creepy. I want to have a lot of dark elements to it but not anything particularly paranormal. The ghost I intend on including is just to be a figment of the characters imagination since she witnessed the murders as a young child and there is another character that she is unaware of sneaking around that she believes to be a ghost. I want the story to have a dark aura though, between the long candle-lit nights, the mystery of the sneaking stranger, the murders that have and will take place, and the overall desperation of the main character. It is pretty much going to be horrible for the main character until the ending.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kaister_Azira — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:27:18 -0700

I forgot to mention that I'm also considering doing Eros side as well, On his side-if I get to it-will be more about his life and how being the God of Love plays into his identity, his view on the world, having to understand and deal with jealousy, why the oracles said taht he's a monster that mortals and gods fear, the problems/mischief he's caused (Apollo and Daphne, a lot of problems with Zues to name a few), his relationship with his mother Aphrodite, stepfather Hephaestus and his father Ares, the arguement with his mother Aphrodite about Psyche, his view on the marriage, how he deals with the betrayal, being lovesick, trying to win her back (this is definite, if Psyche accepts isn't), making the marriage work (if I go this path). *looks at brainstorm ideas* What am I undertaking?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:11:08 -0700

Kaister_Azira - Mythology-based stories fall under fantasy. If there's fantastic elements, it doesn't matter what the plot is, generally.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kitty_Ninja — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:35:02 -0700

Are you using a modern setting? There's quite a bit of LitFic that's loosely based on Greek myth ( Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man (Joyce) and Orpheus Lost (Janette Turner Hospital) come to mind). If you're using a non-classic setting, your characters are representations of Greek figures (different names but lots of the qualities and personality quirks of Greek figures), and your more focused on the internal conflict (where it seems you're leaning), you may want to check out LitFic :D

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kitty_Ninja — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:48:01 -0700

What you're writing seems like the modern Epistolary novel, which is a more traditional style of prose that was popular right around the time the novel was being invented. Since letter writing was such a big thing then, people would publish letters written by a fictional character so readers would get to see into their daily life and their observations/thoughts. Though with the advent of modern technology and post-modern literature, this genre has a lot of potential to grow and explore :) Since there isn't really a Epistolary forum, I'd say you're in the right place! ((My idea has a lot of the same elements of epistolary novels. Maybe we can start a thread ;) Do you have any ideas on how to present some of your more fragment-like ideas/information? ))

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:47:24 -0700

CeeCeeMee - Well, if you've got mystical dreams and honest-to-Bob ghosts running around, you're probably looking at some form of supernatural. It might also be magical realism. But if there's any supernatural elements whatsoever, it generally doesn't matter what the plot is -- plot-based genres assume the basis of a more or less realistic setting to begin with, which precludes more fantastic elements. (With the exceptions of vampire romance and pulp adventure, apparently.) (Of course, there's nothing stopping you from classifying your novel as supernatural and hanging out in mystery or romance to help work out those plot elements. Genre classification isn't meant to be a straightjacket. :))

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:20:13 -0700

Koppur - Your best bet would be the Rebels section. Non-fiction, by definition, falls outside the scope of nano, no matter how creative or novel-like it is. But that doesn't mean you can't do it if you want anyway. :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

CeeCeeMee — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:08:31 -0700

Thank you, I've been surfing the Supernatural/Horror forums for an hour or so and think you may be right. Any romance (I think) will be incidental and more of a side note than having an actual impact the main story line. Of course, I've learned not to assume too much about where the characters will take me until I'm actually writing. :-D Loved your comment "Genre classification isn't meant to be a straightjacket" by the way. It made me smile and nod. Sage advice indeed.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

SecondLinnet — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:05:58 -0700

Hi Kitty,I think you've defined it perfectly, thanks for that because I had no idea. To be honest I'm torn between embedding the whole thing into a diary-style sequence or intercut with sections of prose that give more background - I hesitate about using the intercut because I want to create a strong sense of empathy for any readers (hopeful aren't I?) and I think I might lose that if I use a narrator. To make the complexity of SLD/ASD feel 'real' to somebody who is unfamiliar with such a specialised condition is pretty tough - simply describing actions and behaviours could be quite shocking. Are you struggling with a similar problem? Maybe we could start a thread - if there are enough people trying something similar we could share info & ideas and provide a wailing wall when we hit the dreaded writing block

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:24:36 -0700

i_have_more_fictional_boyfriends - Dystopia is generally considered a subgenre of science fiction. (It's possible to have a fantasy dystopia as well, but I haven't seen nearly as many of them. They're usually scifi.)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kitty_Ninja — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:40:41 -0700

Yeah, I see what you mean. I'd be hesitant to use an intercut as well; it'd be interruptive and you'd lose that sense of intimacy that comes with a 1st person pov which I think is what you're really going for. Though-- this idea just hit me-- could you maybe include an "initial letter" to the teacher (as if he/she had never had a student with SLD/ASD) giving a little background and explaining the whole idea of school-to-home letters? In reality, this would probably be done in person, but I think it may be just enough to ground your audience so that you don't have to use an intercut narrator. I'm having a somewhat similar problem. My MC is really tactile and visual, so he has hand-written notes for almost everything. His office is an explosion of loose leaf papers, sticky notes, newspaper clippings, and photos. I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate all of these elements (especially the mundane domestic notes like shopping and chore lists) along with the "body" of my novel (his book and journals) without it seeming artificial. We should totally make our own thread. Even if it's just us two, at least having someone else with some of the same issues would be helpful :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

i_have_more_fictional_boyfriends — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:33:28 -0700

Thank you :) I was wondering about fantasy dystopia, I think I want to have fae and magic involved, with humans as slaves :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:53:33 -0700

jblanc - Sounds like science fantasy to me. :) Also sounds like fun.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

jblanc — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:49:11 -0700

If it's full of demons and ghosts an so on, I'd call it paranormal. At first blush, though, I'd say it sounds more like urban fantasy. (And fun.)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:03:16 -0700

psych_girl - I'd definitely call that scifi. There's nothing remotely resembling fantasy in here. That pithy quote isn't a genre definition, and isn't even a very good description. In practice, if something involves spaceships, aliens, robots, what-have-you, it's going to be called scifi, and if it has wizards, dragons, elves, etc, it'll be called fantasy. And contrary to what some people think, scifi does not require any basis in science. We're writers, not scientists, after all, and if any of us actually _knew_ how to build a warp drive, we'd be rich. ;)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kitty_Ninja — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:38:05 -0700

How old is your FMC? If she's younger, I could see you finding comradery in the YA genre :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:17:45 -0700

Katgirlxx - I'd just call that mainstream... I don't see anything here that would point to a more specific genre. Unless you want to put "Sports Fiction" or some such in the "other" box. :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:07:14 -0700

Wisagii-Mahigan - Perhaps magical realism?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kitty_Ninja — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:40:38 -0700

I'd also maybe pay a visit to LitFic. They're all about philosophy. :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:03:20 -0700

immortalwitchy - Science fantasy, really, although fanfic would technically fall under both "other" and whatever genre it happens to be. You'll find the general fanfic thread in Other Genres, but it'd be kind of silly to claim that fanfic isn't still the genre of whatever the fandom is to begin with (unless you're doing something very weird with it). I put "Science Fantasy Fanfiction" under my genre box, myself.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kore-of-Myth — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:34:58 -0700

That sounds literary to me!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kitty_Ninja — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:45:15 -0700

I suppose it depends on what you plan on doing with it. Is the woman having some sort of mid-life existential crisis? Bigger life questions would lend toward LitFic. Otherwise, I think your first instinct of Mainstream might be the right way to go. :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

immortalwitchy — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:11:27 -0700

yea to be safe i'm just goin Other. as its basically cross of many dif genre.. also have supernatural The series are SG1/ SGA/ Highlander/ Charmed/ Sanctuary/ Supernatural/ True Blood/ Buffy the Vampire Slayer/ Torchwood and mentions of storm chasing

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:14:10 -0700

Kore-of-Myth - I'd just go with mainstream, I think.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kitty_Ninja — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:48:51 -0700

Am I picking up hints of LGBTQ themes? Mainstream or Romance may be the way to go. :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jennie Mars — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:58:24 -0700

Science Fiction, I'd say, depending on how they ended up on said lost shore. Of course I could be dead wrong.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:15:53 -0700

Jennie Mars - Post-apocalyptic is generally a sub-genre of science fiction. (Especially as it sounds like it takes place on Earth, and it doesn't sound like it involves elves or wizards or anything...)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kitty_Ninja — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:55:45 -0700

On first glance, I'd probably say sci-fi, but because of all the other elements, I'm leaning a little toward mainstream. You'll probably find more like-minded people in the sci-fi threads though :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:42:47 -0700

JezzyHatesJazz - Post-apocalyptic is generally a subgenre of scifi. And when you have a setting-based genre, the other plot-based genres don't really matter anymore. Most scifi _is_ action, and a lot of it is political and involves wars. But since your setting is a post-apocalyptic US, you're defintely looking at scifi no matter what. :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

psych_girl — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:20:37 -0700

She's 18 :) So YA might work.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:03:25 -0700

kellyaziz - I'd call it urban fantasy, I think.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

kellyaziz — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:12:16 -0700

So..definitely under the Fantasy forum right? I'm slightly...paranoid when it comes to forums...

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:20:17 -0700

Heh, relax. Nobody's going to bite your head off for being in the wrong forum or anything. ;) There's no genre police -- you can, in fact, feel free to hang around as many forums as you like. I usually hang out around fantasy, scifi, and other genres, regardless of what I'm writing any particular year, though I pop into horror and romance occasionally too.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

kellyaziz — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:33:29 -0700

Oh wow, thank you, that takes a load off of me. I've always stayed away from forums because the OCD in me wants to go in and rearrange the furniture and line up the book spines. As a result, forums are new and shiny, scary things! But heck, first official nanowrimo since the 4 years I've joined! Woohoo! I'll go mosey on to Fantasy now :D

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:00:56 -0700

Prof.Becket - I wouldn't say "mainstream" is all about the plot. I'd generally just say it's where something goes when it takes place in the real, ordinary world and doesn't have strong elements of a more specific genre. (Perhaps better call "Realistic Fiction" or "General Fiction" or the like.) I also wouldn't say that humor requires being side-splittingly joke-cracking every other sentence (that'd get pretty tiresome, really.) And a story certainly doesn't require outright smut to be romance.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Prof.Becket — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:12:36 -0700

I would rule it out of romance because there is no romance in it - there's no relationships or love. I suppose it has elements of erotic, but seeing as nothing actually happens that could be counted as erotic, it's not really IMO. I think General Fiction/Humour is probably the best category for it.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:03:20 -0700

khailibowen - Well, anything can have humor in it, but that doesn't make it humor. I'd generally only consider something to be "humor" if that was the author's intent in writing it (whether they succeeded in being funny or not). It's a matter of the tone of the story intending to be fairly silly. See the difference between a sitcom, a soap opera, and a police procedural TV show. The latter might get funny lines in from time to time, but it's mainly intended to be serious, whereas the sitcom might get some serious drama occasionally, but it's mainly intended to be funny.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:29:02 -0700

Myxini - Fantasy doesn't require magic, or elves, or dragons, or whatnot. All it requires is something imaginary. An imaginary world still counts as fantasy. :) It's called "low fantasy", I believe.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Myxini — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:20:11 -0700

Thank you. I guess I was afraid I'd be booted out of the fantasy forum for being way too boring, heh.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:12:06 -0700

MaeYasha - Don't worry, that's just fantasy. You can have _any_ plot in a fantasy, and it's still considered fantasy. You can, of course, feel free to pop into the romance forum too if you want, but your genre is definitely going to be fantasy.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

MaeYasha — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:01:08 -0700

yay, thank you

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:28:22 -0700

EmeraldX - Well, why not do both? Magical technology, or steampunk, or the like?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:29:44 -0700

miss_technicality - If Lucy is on the young side, you might be looking at young adult.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 10:59:52 -0700

AlDoug - That'll be steampunk, then, as a subgenre of scifi. Alternate history is also scifi. And young adult is more of an audience than a genre, and there's no reason it can't be that too, but scifi sounds like your primary genre.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:57:39 -0700

Miss Bells - Short stories are whatever genre the stories are. Unrelated short stories would go with the Rebels. :) But feel free to pop into whichever genre lounge is appropriate for a particular story.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:59:59 -0700

slauderdale - Well, you're already looking at a "non-real" genre to begin with, obviously. I think I'd call it dark fantasy.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:14:41 -0700

commander.saavik - The genre lounge descriptions are not genre descriptions, nor genre requirements. Fantasy does not require a "quest", nor magic. An imaginary world without magic is called low fantasy.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Maddie Hydde — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:58:54 -0700

And also hints of romance and adventure. Forgot to add that.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:16:52 -0700

Maddie Hydde - Supernatural or magical realism? Depends on the style you write it in, I suppose.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

commander.saavik — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:25:43 -0700

I mention a quest only because I was already planning on using one, not because I read that I need one.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Maddie Hydde — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:22:12 -0700

Then probably supernatural. Thanks for helping me find out which genre my book is ^-^ Maybe I'll make it a little creepier so it also fits Horror too.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

im_a_riting_rebel — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:33:57 -0700

There's a lot of other factors in the story - there's romance, mystery, it's really a big blend.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:49:12 -0700

im_a_riting_rebel - Believe it or not, I would definitely call this fantasy. There's far more to fantasy than just Tolkien imitators, you know. ;) Specifically, I would call it dark fantasy. That's the sort of fantasy that tends to focus more on darker themes, monsters, demons, whatnot. I don't think I'd call it horror, as it doesn't sound like you're just aiming to be scary/creepy.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

im_a_riting_rebel — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:57:43 -0700

Hm, really? I love dark fantasy, I just didn't really qualify this as it. Last year's novel was a fantasy, contemporary to be exact, but it had a lot more fantastical elements. I suppose the second half would have a lot more of them though - before that, the demons and angels are really just any other people with labels. Not sure how well this is going to be accepted into the Fantasy forum, but I can definitely see what you mean by it. Thanks so much!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kitty_Ninja — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:40:41 -0700

Don't worry, I'll be your friend on the Fantasy forums. Your synopsis sounds really cool (and totally fantasy) :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:54:57 -0700

JoleenFrances - No. That's not how it works. If your story contains any non-real elements whatsoever, you're almost invariably going to wind up in one of the "speculative" genres -- fantasy, scifi, horror/supernatural. If there's nothing more fantastic than a ghost, then that'd probably be supernatural. And there's plenty of things written in a diary format that aren't considered "literary fiction", for that matter. (And in my opinion, "character-driven" is a pretty useless description in general.) I think the main point of "literary fiction" is that it's trying to be "meaningful" and show some sort of message or theme or some such. (Whether one is successful or not at that, and how much experience one has, has nothing to do with a story's classification. Otherwise, we'd have to disqualify any humor that fails to be very funny even though it's obviously trying to be. ;).)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

JoleenFrances — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 07:41:33 -0700

All written stuff should be "meaningful". And I wouldn't get out of bed for a meaningless ghost. Thanks for the tips. I'm still a bit stumped, but anyway: Can you get disqualified for no genre?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

JoleenFrances — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 07:45:16 -0700

It depends how scary his story becomes. But it sounds like a psychological thriller/suspense. That's not a very tidy genre name, but the story idea sounds like something I would like to read.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kitty_Ninja — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 08:47:51 -0700

Nah, the genre thing is just to help others get a better idea of what you're writing (especially if you don't write a synopsis or provide an excerpt), and to help you find similar writers whom you can bounce ideas off of if you get stuck or help them out when they get stuck, or basically just to have a sort of comradery in the forums. Diary/Journal novels actually have a genre (called Epistolary or a "letter novel"), but the site doesn't offer it as an option. That's what I'm classifying my novel as this year, so I hang out here. I started a thread for those of us writing journals/diaries/letters, etc. here, but I also bounce around the Fantasy, LitFic, and the other threads, just to see what's going on. It's where ever you feel comfortable :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 10:02:09 -0700

JoleenFrances - That is not what I meant at all. I meant that some things are written in order to "say something", while others are intended to be entertaining. I think I'm just utterly failing to describe what "literary fiction" actually means... and it doesn't help that my boyfriend won't shut up at the moment and keeps distracting me. ;) You have a ghost as your main character. You're writing supernatural. Don't worry about it. And you can't be "disqualified" for anything. This is ultimately a self-challenge. ;)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

yellowjelo — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 10:18:02 -0700

At least it's a genre. Thanks a lot and maybe you'll read it someday if it's good enough to go on the shelves. xD

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kitty_Ninja — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 08:59:06 -0700

Anything we say is more a suggestion really, than actual rules ;)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 19:12:04 -0700

theycallmeAlice - Dystopian science fiction.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 09:04:47 -0700

Blue Lily - If it's set in the real world and isn't any other particular genre, then it'll be mainstream. Although all you did was list genres you thought it included without actually telling me much about the story. Unless you've got more of a plot going on than you've mentioned here, it may be lit fic, as well. And if that "horror" element includes something that isn't real, you might be looking at supernatural instead.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kitty_Ninja — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 14:22:41 -0700

I think either Mainstream or SciFi would fit, though just because your novel has more mature themes, doesn't mean it can't be YA. I almost feel like it's a mark of Young Adult fiction to have some "controversial"/"mature" themes. It's all part of growing up :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 14:24:12 -0700

kidincrutches - Definitely sounds like scifi to me. Scifi is about speculating about the future and asking "what if?". Everything from the first sentence of your description onward just screams "scifi", heh.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

kidincrutches — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 17:09:54 -0700

Well, yeah. I guess it is. My definition of YA is mostly shaped by the contents of my middle school library's fiction section (I'm only a freshman in high school) and that sort of content is severely not-present. Thanks for the input~ :D

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

kidincrutches — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 17:07:23 -0700

Haha, thanks. I was thinking it was sci-fi, but it seemed a little less than what I normally consider sci-fi, content wise. But when you put it like that it fits a whole lot better. Thanks! :D

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 17:23:57 -0700

AccioFinalHorcrux - Your first sentence says "science fiction". The rest of it doesn't even matter. ;) Scifi is a setting-based genre, and you can put any plot in a scifi setting and it'll still be scifi. In this case, your story is set in the future. It doesn't matter if it's not about spaceships and aliens or whatnot, there's far more to scifi than that. Plenty of scifi stays on the ground. Speculation on what might or might not happen in the future is the heart and soul of scifi.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 17:32:00 -0700

greyfox310 - I have no idea what these acronyms are. ALF? GFR? I got a mental image of a funny alien from an 80s sitcom at odds with a 70s rock band. Which I don't think was your intention. (Gads, I'm showing my age.) You also didn't say anything about your setting. Is this the present day, ordinary modern Earth? Some sort of dystopian alternate universe? etc? If it's the ordinary, real world, then I'd call it thriller/suspense/action or somesuch. If not, then it's scifi.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

greyfox310 — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:04:59 -0700

Sorry, they're the names of countries, I've gotten so use to using acronyms for them. Thank you, for the help.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 19:48:12 -0700

metteius - Supernatural? Horror? You sound like you've got that "Twilight Zone" sort of vibe going on.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

metteius — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:52:55 -0700

What would be the difference between Supernatural and Fantasy? It's not a horror story, but it will have the Grim Reaper and coming back from death and stuff in it, so does that make it Supernatural? Or fantasy?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:35:34 -0700

Fixed-dot-dice - What's your setting? This sounds a bit dystopian, although it could be horror, it could be supernatural... your description was pretty vague. :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Fixed-dot-dice — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 05:04:12 -0700

Err sorry, well its set on our Earth, about this time- posssibly a few years either before now, or coming up. Not too sure how dark t will be- but it has the potential to be very dark judging from my notes. It does sound very dystopian-like, and who knows, it may even b the start of a dystopian society with the way things seem to be planning out. >:D

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:44:59 -0700

bekkiii - You don't need to have elves and dwarves to be writing fantasy. And that doesn't sound at all like magical realism to me. It sounds a little like horror, but that depends on the tone. But if your world is steampunk, then you're writing steampunk, no matter what plot you have involving it.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

bekkiii — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:55:00 -0700

Yes, I haven't worked out the details yet, but I'd like to have at least a touch of steampunk while in the 'real world' (if I end up depicting it, probably when low on word count). Seeing as it won't be the major element I doubted if it should be what decides the genre. I don't really want to make it horror, it won't be scary in that way... just surreal and odd. But I am thinking I might end up in the fantasy section, after all it is another 'world' inside hypnosis and it definitely isn't sci-fi :S

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:30:55 -0700

Well, there's no reason you need to stick to one genre lounge, either. You could pop in the various "steampunk" threads if you want to discuss your outside world, and there's a "surreal" thread here in Other Genres for your dream world type thing. :) But that's the thing about the "non-realistic" genres... you could have a story take place on a space station, but even if it's romance and has very little to do with the fact that it's on a space station, it'll still get shelved under scifi. Also, I think no matter how twisted you make the mind world, it would still be based off the outside world, right? Or at least influenced by. If you know what I mean. The mind of someone from a steampunk setting is going to be different from someone from a high fantasy setting, which would be different from someone from the real world, or from a dystopian future, or etc.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

bekkiii — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:37:56 -0700

Well yes, that's true, and actually I haven't thought that much about it. But of course the outside world will influence the hypnosis world, even if it is in subtle ways. Thanks for your tips, I think I will take a look at the 'surreal' thread and then just jump around a little bit depending on what I need for the moment :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

LadyLinguistic — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:55:15 -0700

I would consider this suspense but the Grim Reaper part reveals some Supernatural elements.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:27:05 -0700

Robin Child - Humor sounds like a good fit to me. Superheroes are something of their own genre, and seem to be scattered about scifi, adventure, or other genres. You could just select "other genres" and type "Superhero Parody" or some such into the box, since you can do that now. :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kitty_Ninja — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 07:26:33 -0700

Hmm, if you don't want to put yourself under "Mainstream," what about LitFic? Since it seems you're exploring marriage and non-traditional relationships and its role in society and its impact on your characters, I think you might fit well there.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

CraezieLady — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:37:17 -0700

That sounds good, thanks! I was having trouble analyzing it - I like your breakdown. Thanks, Victoria

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:06:57 -0700

whitefeather - Well, that's a little vague... Anyway, generally horror isn't about just the ending, but the tone throughout the story. Horror tends to be intended to be scary or creepy, just as humor is intended to be funny or amusing. But neither would something likely qualify for a traditional romance if there isn't a "happily ever after" or the like. And yet elements of both are often combined into romantic suspense and the like.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:11:40 -0700

JazzRee - It does sound like it'd go nicely under young adult to me. :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:17:46 -0700

thousandenemies - Alternate universe? Heh. I've seen other people writing some fairly strange alternate universe stories this year. Check scifi, fantasy, and historical fiction. :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

thousandenemies — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 08:42:44 -0700

Well, I was originally thinking that - it was supposed to be directly historical-with-mild-fantasy-bits. But at this point things like 'Emperor Xianzong actually did exist and ruled during the 820s' are sidelines to how Tang-dynasty China apparently had telegraphs, motorcycles, American colonies, and assault rifle repeating crossbows. I'm worried Historical Fiction might kick me out for divergence. >_>

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:41:19 -0700

Hermit Witch - Magical realism, perhaps?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:45:32 -0700

mariposa_blue_morpho - That will be fantasy, I say. Fantasy can have any plot and still be fantasy. Once you add fantasy elements, the plot doesn't matter, it will be fantasy. Fantasy can also be quite dark. It's not all fairies and unicorns, hehe.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:48:36 -0700

RunningWolf - Definitely scifi. It seems a common misconception that scifi is supposed to be all about technology or some such... actually, very little scifi is "all about technology". Scifi is about speculating on the future and asking "What if?" The subgenre would be (post-)apocalyptic science fiction.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

RunningWolf — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:14:42 -0700

Ok, thanks! Yeah, after I wrote my post I wondered if it would actually be post apocalyptic since a good part of the story takes place after the apocalyptic part; though I am going to start before the virus is set loose. Thank you!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 21:00:38 -0700

Melizzlee - Your instincts on this being fantasy would be spot on. ;) Mythology-based stories are generally fantasy (unless, of course, they remove any remotely fantastic element from it, to which point I have to wonder why they even bother at that point.)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 09:06:40 -0700

Mikita5510 - Sounds like you're looking at horror here to me.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 09:09:26 -0700

thousandenemies - Heh, as I said, alternate universe. That's generally considered science fiction, but there _are_ alternate history threads under historical fiction as well. You wouldn't be the only one that's taking liberties with history. ;)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Mikita5510 — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:02:59 -0700

thanks Keolah I was not sure thought so but was not totally sure it has a few different aspects i thought

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:17:33 -0700

midnight_abyss92 - I might put that under "drama" or the like, but there's no such forum around here. :) And it doesn't really sound like it has anything to do with horror/supernatural. And straight romance doesn't tend to lead to murder and misery. So... maybe lit fic?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

midnight_abyss92 — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:17:56 -0700

But doesn't literary fiction have more to do with how internal thoughts and reactions to situations affect the "plot" of the story? I have a clear plot that will be very plot/action-based-off-animalistic-passion driven, and lit fit is usually much more abstract, isn't it? And I am considering using the supernatural once or twice to drive the plot if I need to.. I just don't know about literary fiction being my genre... Is Gothic lit a subsection of literary fiction? I guess another way to look at it would be to take examples.. Like, "Wuthering Heights" is a Gothic novel. And while the misery of the characters is a big focus of the story, it's not literary fiction (or at least, I don't believe it is) because the actions as the result of their misery is the true drive of the story (i.e. Heathcliff's revenge on the 2nd generation that leads that generation to make up for the 1st generation's mistake of giving into societal pressures).

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:29:56 -0700

midnight_abyss92 - The other alternative would be "mainstream". Which would probably fit best, I suppose. I don't know that I'd consider something less than a hundred years ago to be "historical", but perhaps. When it comes down to it, "literary fiction" is a pretty useless "genre" that nobody can quite agree on what it's supposed to mean. The only thing I've been able to figure out about it is that it seems to be pointless, depressing, and pretentious. :) (No offense.) I'm not even sure why it (and chick lit) have their own genre lounges when ones which have many more writers on nano do not. (such as steampunk.)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:54:39 -0700

G.B. Walker - Well, if you're writing about a post-apocalyptic fantasy world, that'd go under fantasy...

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

macgyvergm — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:44:36 -0700

That actually sounds like what i am doing. Maybe "future fiction" or even "post-apocalyptic fiction".

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

G.B. Walker — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:44:13 -0700

See, mine is more alternate history. Say, in 2001, no one hears about 9/11 because it mistakenly sets off WWIII (not my premise, but similar, sorta).

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

erica_rebels — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:54:09 -0700

I would guess Dystopian.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 09:49:23 -0700

jenp_write - You're writing epic poetry or something? Well, I wouldn't really call that a "genre" per se so much as a format... the genre is still dependent on the subject matter. But you could start up a threat in Other Genres for it if you like, I suppose.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 11:04:35 -0700

EchoRains - Scifi, that much is obvious. Subgenre... post-apocalyptic or dystopian? I can't tell, you went into blurb-ese without saying much about your actual story or setting. ;)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:41:07 -0700

Mikita5510 - Well, you could just default it to "mainstream" or whatnot for now and then switch it later if you decide you want aliens to randomly show up in your novel or something. It's not like you can't change it later. :) It's really no big deal. You can still hang out in whichever forum you want.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

macgyvergm — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:14:39 -0700

lol sorry....after reading Luis L'Amour....im going to leave the westerns to him lol

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

devinganger — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:47:50 -0700

Western Paranormal/alternative history. Written in the style of a Western. Jumping-off point is that the Civil War was actually caused by a large-scale battle between Northern and Southern magical societies and, um, well it got a little out of hand.

Western

J.B. Hendricks — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:50:02 -0800

Woah! I am totally doing a western too, I thought I was like the only one... :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 08:54:37 -0700

ceramiccoconut - You can have any plot in a fantasy setting and it'll still be considered fantasy. Once you add those fantastic elements, it's going to be some flavor of fantasy. That said, perhaps you're looking at magical realism? I'm not sure.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 11:36:42 -0700

HunteroTheGreat - You seem to be operating under the misconception that there's such a thing as a "scifi plot". ;) Scifi is a setting. You can stick any plot in a scifi setting and it's still scifi. Hitchhiker's Guide is very definitely scifi comedy.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

ceramiccoconut — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 14:12:45 -0700

Sounds like Urban Fantasy.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Christopher Fritz — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 14:31:59 -0700

I had to look that one up on Wikipedia, but it does sound like the best fit I've seen so far for my story. Thanks, ceramiccoconut!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 14:43:59 -0700

RJK - Scifi isn't just about technology, and certainly not just spaceships and aliens, either. At its heart, its about speculating on the future and asking "What if?" If your story takes place in the future, it's almost invariably going to be scifi. Post-apocalyptic is generally considered a subgenre of scifi. (It's possible to have a post-apocalyptic fantasy world, but less commonly done.)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

RJK — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 19:06:29 -0700

Thanks for the input! I actually don't read very much science fiction, so in my mind my idea didn't seem like it would be in that category, because I'm not focusing on the "science" aspect of it much. But after reading your suggestion and doing a little research, I guess my setting does make sci-fi the appropriate genre.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 17:29:03 -0700

Animal Arithmetic - Fantasy only requires something imaginary. It doesn't require magic or mythical creatures or anything. Being set in an imaginary universe is an imaginary element. Stories which are set in a made-up world but don't have magic are called "low fantasy". And if your story is set in an alternate version of Earth, then you're looking at alternate universe/alternate history, and there's threads for that under historical and scifi, I believe.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Animal Arithmetic — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 17:38:21 -0700

Thank you very much!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 20:30:42 -0700

63N1U5 - Near-future science fiction. Scifi is all about speculating on what might happen in the future and asking "What if?"

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

63N1U5 — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 20:39:48 -0700

I considered that, but I'm focusing more on the politics/antiterrorist idea than the scifi element. still, maybe you're right

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 21:02:42 -0700

Most good scifi isn't about "Hey, look at my neat technology" and "Look how must research I did on electromagnetic technobabble!", you know :) The sort of story you describe is actually pretty common in scifi (especially written scifi).

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

63N1U5 — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 21:09:32 -0700

Thanks a lot, then

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:22:06 -0700

Hobson Blackwater - I don't think the requirements for mainstream and litfic are actually supposed to be what you seem to think they are. ;) "Mainstream" just refers to general fiction, realistic fiction, whatnot, that doesn't have strong elements of another genre, like romance or mystery. And litfic is more a style than anything else, I think -- I don't think it's supposed to wind up being "pretentious rambling nonsense without a plot" (even if it might sometimes end up coming off as such).

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:30:23 -0700

xfearlesslykiki - I think the difference between chick lit and romance is that in romance, the relationship is central to the plot, whereas in chick lit, it takes a side seat. It sounds to me from the way you described it like you're looking at romance, though I could be mistaken.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:32:57 -0700

writersbane - Sounds like it's broadly scifi or science fantasy -- which isn't really saying much more than "it has stuff that isn't real in it". You can feel free to start a thread for "stitchpunk" in Other Genres if you want, and/or pop into one of the many steampunk and fanfiction threads. :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:58:17 -0700

Barranco - I don't think "plot driven" and "character driven" are useful definitions of genres. I don't see any reason why this shouldn't be "general fiction" "realistic fiction" which seems to be called "mainstream" on nano for some reason. Of course, it might also be chick lit, perhaps?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Barranco — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:03:42 -0700

Yes, I thought of it as "general fiction", but confused myself a little reading the threads on "literary" and "mainstream".

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:59:07 -0700

Being set in the future _does_ count as science fiction in and of itself, generally. Post-apocalyptic is generally considered a subgenre of scifi. There's way more to scifi than spaceships and aliens. ;)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

boofdah — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:04:14 -0700

My husband says the same thing re: the novel I am aspiring to write. It is set only 20-odd years in the future and is fairly dystopian in the vein of Handmaid's Tale or Children of Men (the latter being the movie, not the book) in that modern science and technology have basically been stunted due to the embrace of theocracy over reason and invention. I don't see it as "science fiction" per se, so picked "Other" with a fill-in of "alternate reality" :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:40:02 -0700

Applepine - I can't say. You're a bit too vague. ;) I wish people would quit going into blurb-ese on their stories... heh. Don't worry about "giving things away" or whatever, or "spoiling" anything. I'm not even going to read your story and I think most of us have more ideas than they can write, anyway. ;) Who are "his people"? What does "not completely human" mean?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:23:06 -0700

Applepine - Hmm. Depending on how you go about things, it could be urban fantasy, science fiction, or superheroes (which is often considered its own genre, but appears to be living in scifi this year.) Something that in fantasy is called "magic" can often be called "psychic powers" in scifi without even changing anything else. "Secret magical society hidden from the world" is a common trope in urban fantasy... but isn't unheard of in scifi either (Stargate SG-1, for example). (Urban fantasy you could also call it "contemporary fantasy" or "modern fantasy" if you really want to as well. I use the terms interchangeably, but some people consider them different things.) So really, it just boils down to how you want to go about it. I'd lean more toward the fantasy side from what you've said, but you can still paint it scifi if you want to, as well. (X-Men, for instance, is scifi because it explains things genetically... it's _bad_ science, but it's science nonetheless. :) )

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Applepine — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 03:54:15 -0700

OK, thank you!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:08:16 -0700

FemaleWriter - #1 would be near-future scifi (call it "speculative fiction" if you really want to.). As for #2, why does only "traditional" romance exist? O.o I'd say if the primary plot is focused on a relationship, it's romance of some flavor. I'm sure there are plenty of flavors other than "vanilla". :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:59:33 -0700

animeHrmIne - Fantasy doesn't mean "magic". It means "some sort of fantastic element". Werewolves are a fantastic element. And there's already been a lot of threads on werewolves in the fantasy forum.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Zekkass — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 08:12:20 -0700

I'm tempted to say Historical Fiction, based on the setting. How does that fit for you?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 08:44:12 -0700

Or fantasy if it's an imaginary world. (Low fantasy if there's little to no magic in the setting.)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

RoeCocoa — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:57:33 -0700

I'm thinking Horror or Suspense depending on how you present it. It's hard to tell without knowing the specifics.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

RoeCocoa — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:55:33 -0700

Nick_Scully: I'd call it Religious/Spiritual, perhaps with a sub-category of Fantasy.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:18:57 -0700

RoeCocoa - Well, fantasy/scifi are setting-based genres, which override plot-based genres like romance.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:20:14 -0700

Jello Monarchism - All fantasy/scifi require is _any_ fantastic element. It doesn't need to be full-blown spaceships & aliens or elves & dragons. I'd call it science fantasy, or just "speculative fiction".

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jello Monarchism — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:35:34 -0700

I'd say adventure. Also in the adventure genre lounge there's a superhero thread if you're interested in that sort of thing!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jello Monarchism — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:13:42 -0700

Seems to me like this would fit best under the Horror and Supernatural section with some strong romantic undertones. Even the romance has a macabre twist to it, so just from the description that's where I'd put it. Perhaps the Horror genre community would be more helpful than the romance one in discussing the psychology and overall tone of the story. Then again, not sure they would be as helpful for the romantic sections. Good luck though, it sounds interesting!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Mudley — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:20:09 -0700

i would think it'd be some form of adventure. however that depends on the plot

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:25:51 -0700

futbol4 - That sounds like young adult to me. It sounds like you have a "coming-of-age" story going on here.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

futbol4 — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:50:52 -0700

the book will focus on them changing, and their bumps along the way

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

flightlesskiwi — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:18:31 -0700

I can't figure out if my novel would fall under historical fiction or historical fantasy. It's set in northern Anatolia in the Bronze Age and it's about the Amazons and the Trojan War, and therefore some figures from these Greek legends are characters in my novel. I also invented a tribe who is an adversary of the Amazons, and like them, lives in the Turkish Black Sea region. Also, I invented a few more tribes who each only feature shortly, however. Otherwise I am trying to stick to actual history as closely as possible. Some characters have psychic visions that come true. I'm leaving the question if the deities worshipped by my characters are real open. However, there aren't any mythological creatures.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Mudley — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 02:18:53 -0700

thanks. it was originally horror, but a bit of romance slipped into it when i was developing the plot.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

montyw — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:29:45 -0700

...feels like a psychological thriller to me...

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:26:14 -0700

Pherione - Science fantasy.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

redsamurai — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 04:27:50 -0700

thank you

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jello Monarchism — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:25:53 -0700

Thank you, that helps! I think I may be altering the amount of science fiction in the story, but nonetheless I really like the generality of "speculative fiction."

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Pherione — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 01:01:21 -0700

Sounds right ^^ thanks so much

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:20:34 -0700

Kader - Probably urban fantasy, or supernatural.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

montyw — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:33:40 -0700

Re-reading my post, I think it's a little unclear.. The MCs are not acting in parallel, but their stories are told in parallel.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Mudley — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 04:06:31 -0800

i have no idea what to put it down as, that's why im here.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Essie-Decora — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:22:22 -0700

I would stick it in Mystery/Suspense with a subcategory of maybe Fantasy or Adventure. A little confusing, haha, but it sounds great!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:19:15 -0700

Mylantha - Technically, superheroes are generally considered a genre of their own.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:21:50 -0700

Lexi. T. - Horror?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Mylantha — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 23:54:35 -0700

Thank you both! Keolah are you thinking I should put it under other?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Kader — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:46:23 -0700

You seem to be really good at this classification your name is just littered throughout this entire forum I had it set as mainstream fiction just another thing the main character gets this ability through modern day technology (well modern day 2013) so I don't know if this will change it.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

montyw — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:20:44 -0700

I like the idea of that. There have been fictional memoirs/biographies etc.. sometimes the writer doesn't bother to tell anyone! ("Three Cups of Tea" comes to mind) I think that David Sedaris does this (but I'm not really sure -- would be really disturbing if his memoirs were factual). Fictional Memoir. Is that a genre?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

peonyblue — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 19:42:01 -0700

Creative Nonfiction, I believe they call it. Essentially a memoir, but with creative liberties.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 09:46:32 -0700

meltingstars - It takes place in the future. This puts it firmly in the grounds of scifi. It doesn't matter what the current tech level of the society is -- it's still speculating on the future, which is the heart and soul of scifi. The fantastic elements may place it in the realm of science fantasy.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 10:55:57 -0700

poetica - Unless you're writing an epic poem, technically poetry isn't a novel. But don't let that stop you from joining the Rebels if you have your heart set on writing poetry. :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

LonelySwan — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 13:49:40 -0700

Maybe try something like this (?): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_My_Mother_Doesn%27t_Know It's a 'novel in verse.'

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

FamlySkribe — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:16:57 -0700

I discovered, in a writing class some months ago, that I am comfortable writing free form poetry. I would like to explore this, talk with others who are starting out with this. I'm not young - retired social worker. No I don't write novels, but have written all my life.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

thing — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 10:40:32 -0700

Nothing wrong with poetic prose, surely - if you can pull it off? Or a prose poem: that's an acceptable form.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

ephant — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:46:50 -0700

Oh that sounds really interesting. Sounds like it could fit in Lit Fic to me?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Ginger Writer — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 05:31:00 -0700

Thanks all. Now where do we start?????

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

G.B. Walker — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:49:17 -0800

That would still be SciFi. It is amazing how much SciFi has spiritual elements (The Giver for instance). Also, much of SciFi is actually based on a simple premise that somehow radically changes society (the book The Children of Men). Or, in my case, massive power failure accompanied by biological warfare as part of an intended (but ultimately failed) invasion by unknown countries who presumably get socked, resulting in a chain reaction that sends the world down the proverbial tubes. No SciFi, no futuristic elements, but still probably under the broad umbrella of SciFi. (More specifically post-apocalyptic or alternate history). I would tell myself: "Lookin' good!" Or not.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

ephant — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 03:47:34 -0700

Sounds supernatural to me - even if it's all "realistically explained" I think that werewolves probably put you there.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

barney_really — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:07:39 -0700

Right?!?! Me too... I thought it would be one of the most popular ones!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

FireFly_2 — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:19:00 -0700

I think the genre would depend upon the level of fiction included in the writing - I am writing a biographical novel - which incorporates fact and fiction - the fact as told to me by my mother. If I was writing from my own life story and incorporating fiction also, it would be known as an autobiographical novel - that's what I have come to understand anyway (searched the web today when I couldn't figure out what genre I was actually writing - LOL)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Bahia — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 15:34:18 -0800

Hi! I'm also doing a memoir and was disappointed it wasn't on the list. In my case, it's entirely true - no fiction at all - so it doesn't fit in any other category.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

etheresse — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:59:34 -0700

The_Squidd, I'm actually encountering a similar issue myself. My MC is a middle-aged college professor who, upon dying, made a deal with the Devil that has him working stoking the furnaces in Hell in exchange for free tickets to Heaven for his family. I'm not going to go into it too specifically (not least because the exact plot structure is still a bit hazy in my mind), but many complications ensue and he eventually discovers that God is pretty much an arrogant prig who has closed Heaven down because he doesn't think anyone deserves to get in anymore. So yeah, definitely religiously themed, but certainly not religious. I'm thinking fantasy(ish)? ....?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Mallory K — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:24:27 -0700

Humor? I'm with you on the religious fiction part. I'm writing about Lucifer and Eve and I can't get the idea out of my head. It's not a positive message about religion though. I actually am trying to just leave religion alone.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

The_Squidd — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:41:57 -0700

Religious based things certainly get complicated in a hurry, don't they? I'll probably just leave my genre set to other and leave it at that.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

stillalive — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 21:23:29 -0700

also, my main character is nearly thirty and there are a lot of non-explicit sex scenes. All I know for certain is that it's not YA.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:12:49 -0700

stillalive - The fact that there's a zombie apocalypse going on pretty much defines your genre there. The rest of it doesn't matter anymore once there's fantastic elements involved.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Mallory K — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:22:07 -0700

Sounds like a great story. I worked in an amusement park for four years. I'd love to read some of it. ^_^ As for the genre, it depends on what you're going for. It sounds a lot like a humorous YA novel to me.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

SavvieCat — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:07:14 -0700

Thanks! I'm hoping to keep it YA, but I haven't read contemporary YA since the early 2000s, so I'm not too sure what's considered appropriate content or not. For example, one of my characters is an old stoner, but I wasn't sure if portraying someone who uses drugs without negative consequences would fly with YA. If not, I can always remove any specific references. And yeah, I worked in The Park that Shall Not Be Named for about 4 years total, so a lot of my experiences are going to be reflected in my FMC. Thanks again for the input!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

stillalive — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:13:59 -0700

So... science fiction? horror?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

lolls — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:46:40 -0700

Realised that it's probably not lit fic, more like mainstream ficition, What do you think?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Thistlefoot — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:04:48 -0700

This might be a little late, but this sounds like a very fun book. :) I guess, how strong are the futuristic elements compared to the surreal ones? Does it feel sort of similar to modern day Earth?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:37:47 -0800

Yours would be classified as Science fantasy. If I had to choose a genre from the lounge I would pick fantasy has this is the major element of the story.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:41:41 -0800

Would need more info for a better categorisation as the above tells me nothing. What do the angels and demons do? If they are merely a mechanism to tell a story then it could be any genre depending on main plot.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:42:55 -0800

Sci-fi. It utilises powers from the paranormal abilities range.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Thistlefoot — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:48:39 -0700

Hey! Just based on the strong focus on love, crushes, and romance, I might say romance or mainstream. The fact that the main character is 18 definitely doesn't have to limit it to YA, though.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

ladyhadhafang — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:22:50 -0700

That sounds absolutely awesome! :D

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Thistlefoot — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:54:02 -0700

Agreed! Totally awesome!! And, uh, yeah. Historical Fiction, maybe? Tipping the Velvet ish? esque? Sort of?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Emma Farant — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:38:46 -0700

It's close to Historical Fiction, except the historicity of the characters involved, who are historical figures has sort of taken second place to the other elements. It also has a strong supernatural element; one of my characters would have been dead for a century at the time of the story and so I simply made her a very visible and down-to-earth ghost. I love Tipping the Velvet, actually, and there are coming-of-age elements in this story, but two of the three prominent characters in the play are quite old. So it is coming-of-age, but with more of the elements of ageing than of maturing, whereas Tipping the Velvet is more about transformation and self-discovery. If I were hardpressed, I'd put it under the catch-all of literary fiction, with the detested genre of magic realism...

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Tolstoyatlenght — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:48:37 -0700

[quote=mcousins] I am working on autobiographical novel.....Pretty much about myself but with all the drama one could ever read in a novel.....do you think that will count? [/quote] I would think so. This is the imagination that is at work, so , even thoguh it its about you, thre will be plenty of adventures, and that is fiction. so, good for the pot!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

NickiF — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:45:42 -0800

Me too, mine is a memoir and autobiographical. I didn't intend it to be when I started but it sort of happened and I am finding it really interesting. Not sure how many other people will though!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Thistlefoot — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:06:42 -0700

Hmm, urban fantasy, I like it. Still nervous around that fantasy label, but I think it's getting closer... Many bits aren't urban, though, so I don't know how well "urban" defines it. Modern fantasy? But then there are the bits that take place in the past. ARGH. It's listed as magical realism right now, but I feel like it doesn't quite fit in the realms of Gabriel Garcia Marquez (and not just in terms of quality ;) ).

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Thistlefoot — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:05:19 -0700

Sounds like a fun LGBT romance to me.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

GreenSweatshirtGal — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:02:07 -0700

Oh, thank you! (: The surreal elements definitely overtake the futuristic ones. Ignoring the surreal stuff, it's essentially modern earth but with societies both underwater and in the sky, sleek and flashy visuals everywhere, electronics like you'd see in typical future settings (think the 'random holographic screens everywhere' scene), and all kinds of wacky devices beyond comprehension. So, uh, not like modern earth at all. BUT THERE AREN'T ANY FLYING CARS, SO THAT'S GOT TO MEAN SOMETHING RIGHT

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Thistlefoot — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:06:13 -0700

YES OF COURSE! Hahahaha. Hmm. It sounds like we're in similar-ish boats. One person suggested "urban fantasy" for me, which honestly sounds like it would apply to yours a little better. I have a feeling many of the uninitiated might just label it as sci fi, though, what with the holographic screens and all.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:09:21 -0800

Interesting concept and falls within the Sci-fi and fantasy genres. Reminds me of a series of books by Justina Robson. Her books are classified science fantasy.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

PaperDart — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:47:15 -0700

If it's a completely different world, I would go with fantasy. If it's pretty much this world, but with an unusual take on death maybe the Spiritual category? It definitely sounds like one of those two to me (and very interesting to boot)!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:04:29 -0800

I'd say Religion, Spiritual and New Age as you are exploring the concept of death and contemplating the the meaning of life and our existance.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

PaperDart — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 10:24:03 -0700

I think fantasy trumps everything, in general. Your novel sounds like historical fantasy, which is a subset of fantasy rather than of historical fiction. Same goes for any other adjective before fantasy, imo.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

tyrantswine — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 08:18:37 -0700

Literary fiction perchance? Sounds sort of complexish, twistish, literary fictionish.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:01:59 -0800

I'd say literary fiction as well. It's an exploration of the events that lead to her being at the stage she is at now.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

PaperDart — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:08:26 -0700

I think that whatever powers the disk would define your genre -- so if it's some kind of scientific rationale, SF, but it could also go towards supernatural or even fantasy if it's unexplained. I think the historical/dystopian labels would be subgenres of SF or supernatural. Although if you think the history is more important than the properties of the disc, you *could* go historical. I don't think any of them would be wrong, so you could just go with whichever you think has the best connotations! (Sorry if that's not much help.)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:00:11 -0800

Sci-fi with the sub-genre being dystopian. It is not only an alternative history to Earth, hence Sci-fi, but a society being controlled bt technology, hence dystopian. Historical fiction often presents actual events from the point of view of fictional people living in that time period, so not applicable in this case.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

sirichan — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:28:54 -0700

Hmm... I suppose it would be spiritual then! Thank you very much for your advice! I'm very grateful. And glad you find it interesting!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:55:43 -0800

hmmm. Interesting. A bit more information is needed though as the above blurb tells me nothing about your story. Is the Greek Goddess assisting the girl in learning the maths? Is the girl the Greek Goddess? Is this going to be along the lines of a maths text book using a Greek myth element to teach kids maths? If it is the later, then this would fall into a category not available in the Genre Lounge, that of Non-Fiction. Even though there are elements of fiction in the story, they are merely the props utilised to educate a YA.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:50:09 -0800

I'd say fantasy. The sci-fi element is not really present as apposed to the fantasy element.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

andstufftheendness — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:12:49 -0700

I just realized that there is a little magic in it. As I was writing, it came up. Although, I'm still not entirely sure if it fits entirely under fantasy.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:47:51 -0800

I would need far more information in order to classify your story. It could either be fantasy (which does not necessarily have to have magic in it to be classified as such) or sci-fi. Or it could be something completely different altogether.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

G.B. Walker — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:29:01 -0800

Dystopian is far too broad. Lord of the Flies was a dystopia. I guess a brand of SciFi. Post-Apocalyptic, certainly, but Post-Apocalyptic isn't really a broad genre and contains all sorts of weird stuff. Seems like getting hit with radiation usually results in psychic powers if you believe the books. Mine is more realistic, similar to Alas, Babylon in that respect, although the premise and plot is geared an entirely different way.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:46:03 -0800

I'd say satire, humour, comedy genre.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:43:54 -0800

It would depend on how much the magic is a part of the story. Since there is a little bit I'm inclined to place this solely within the thriller section. However, more info would be helpful in order to make a better distinction.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

N.L. LeBlanc — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:04:42 -0800

"Slice of life" usually falls into literary fiction, so I would say yours would be in that category.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:42:36 -0800

More info is required to make an accurate classification but alternate universes fall under Sci-fi and the exploration of an alternative society falls under the sci-fi sub-genre dystopian.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:40:19 -0800

Interesting concept. I'd say Sci-fi as this reminds me of 'The Gamer'. You also have one set of individuals controlling another which falls under dystopian.

Re: [Autobiographical fiction]

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:37:21 -0800

:) Interesting, however, I'd say no because either a story is autobiographical (ie true) or it's fiction (ie made up). The fact that our stories utilise particular elements of our real lives is counter balanced by the fiction surrounding those moments. So a story merely using us a basis to tell a particular story would still be classed as fiction. Interesting view though. It got me thinking.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:33:39 -0800

Vampire stories are classed as horror, supernatural regardless of other story elements.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:32:08 -0800

I will need more info to classify your genre as it depends on the challenges your MC will go through. As it stands I say fantasy.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:30:19 -0800

Your story is without a doubt, completely, sci-fi. People always assume that sci-fi has to have certain elements to be a sci-fi story such as aliens, rayguns, spaceships, paranormal powers and others elements but that's not true. There are various types of sci-fi and various elements that make up sci-fi. Yours falls under the futuristic sci-fi as you are exploring a futuristice version of Earth. It could also fall under the dystopian element of sci-fi and an exploration of the effect technology and drugs have on the population.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:24:53 -0800

Excellent question. I'm inclined to place this within the fantasy and sci-fi genres. Luckily for you most book stores combine fantasy and sci-fi. I can't really define it any further than that as it has elements of both genres.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:48:12 -0800

Definitely Sci-fi. It's an alternative version of Earth.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

anEXCESSofParanoia — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 04:27:25 -0800

That's a really cool idea. I would absolutely love to read that. I would probably place that in science fiction...because of it's dystopia element. Kind of like a Ray Bradbury novel except more romantic. If you don't like that you could also go with mainstream fiction, in my opinion, because it seems to be mostly plot-driven.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:45:34 -0800

This is without a doubt Sci-fi. Kind of like Judge Dredd, Gothika, Aeon Flux style of story, all of which are classed as Sci-fi.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:41:15 -0800

I'd put this in sci-fi, sub-genre alternative history, as you are exploring an alternative version of Earth or even a different, alien, planet. You are also exploring the new society which is common to sci-fi. People assume sci-fi has to have aliens, future aspects and rayguns but that is not the case. Sci-fi has many different elements to it.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:35:34 -0800

i would need more info in order to better categorise your book but based on the above I would say Horror. Dracula, Van Helsing, etc are all classified as horror.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:33:44 -0800

I would need more info about the plot line. The choice of genre depends on the main focus of the story. At the moment sci-fi, fantasy, new age religion come to mind. With more info I could probably place it more accurately.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:25:49 -0800

It would appear that the basis of your story is the exploration of the relationship between father and daugther, with the zombies and state of the world being a secondary consideration. To that end I would place this within the Literary Fiction genre.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:28:26 -0800

It would more than likely be the mystery, thriller, suspense genre as the basis is the police woman trying to bust a drugs ring. the relationship with her boss is secondary to the storyline. Unless you are focusing more on the relationship with the bust being secondary. In that case the genre would be Erotic Fiction.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

G.B. Walker — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:50:09 -0800

My life would consist of: And then I read this book...

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

umitheelf — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:52:26 -0800

This sounds like Fantasy/Adventure to me although with some today/futuristic elements

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:13:56 -0800

I'd say purely Sci-fi. You are showing an alternative version to Earth utilising futuristic elements, a dystopian world whereby a group of teenagers are 'controlled' by technology and powers that would fall into the paranormal category.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

kaya.esi — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:27:11 -0800

Why thank you, that's actually really encouraging since I'm starting to lose faith in it as I go along. I'm thinking that mainstream fiction might actually suit it. I might either change their ages to escape the YA vibe, or change the style of writing. Oor do neither and focus more than 50% of the story on them going through the later drama. (when they'd be older)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:06:00 -0800

I would need more info to be certain as there can be a number of genres your work would fit into: If it's an historical account of a conspiracy to overthrow the president then it would be historical fiction. If it's a made up story around that time and individual then it would be thriller sub-genre conspiracy. If it's a story that alters the timeline in anyway it would be sci-fi.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:01:16 -0800

Dystopian is often expected to be post-apocolyptic but it's actually described as a police state, where a disassociated society is guised as a 'Utopia'. They can be used to explore how technology would control a population. So movies like Gothika and Aeon Flux would be dystopian. It is also a sub-genre of Sci-fi as it normally utilises a future technology or alternate version of Earth. So your book would be classed as Sci-fi.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

emmakathrynrose — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 22:03:50 -0800

Sounds like a supernatural horror to me. (: I think it depends mostly on whether you want to focus on either the scary, demon parts or the supernatural demon and curse parts- if that makes sense?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:56:02 -0800

I'd say supernatural thriller. It reminds me of a Dean Koontz book called Cold Fire.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:53:15 -0800

Yes it would. You are altering the course of our history and are therefore creating a alternative version of Earth. Any variation of a timeline falls into Sci-fi.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:20:08 -0800

We would need more info in order to label it correctly. There are too many categories it could fall into. Speculative fiction is not a book category. Films have far more categories than books do so it's not always a good reference. The genre's listed on this site are the genre's publishers will use to sell your work. In book terms something like 'Life on Mars' would be classified Sci-fi.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

creatorx2 — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 03:09:32 -0800

I am fairly certain that 'today' isn't actually a genre, but thanks anyway. Actually not really thanks because it isn't a fantasy or an adventure and it's not futuristic.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:14:40 -0800

I'm inclined to label this a paranormal thriller but would like confirmation on this being the right genre.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

arcana07 — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:39:10 -0800

Ok. Might as well spill the beans. There are elements of sci-fi in my story, sure. Almost half the story is told in flashback. There's a supernatural vignette in there I've already written, and another one I'm pondering over. There's some comedy, some drama, some romance, some adventure, and some cooking (!). But it is time travel via a supernatural event that causes the entire story to occur. So basically we're looking at a sci-fi thing, then? I suppose so, since Sam in "Life on Mars" was able to develop a relationship and fall in love with Annie on the show and you're still calling it sci-fi.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

anEXCESSofParanoia — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:20:01 -0800

Thanks! My main source of confusion on that point, still, is that a dystopia hasn't yet been created. It's more...how do I explain this?...in the process of creating the dystopia. In between the present and this future, if you will.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

murazrai — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 02:23:46 -0800

But there are a few problems: 1. The card game world is a RPG-like medieval world. 2. Two heroes would only duel in the card game world if they are close and in an environment that permits it. Otherwise, the card game in real life would be just a normal card game without the duels in the card game world, but that would still contribute to the win counts. 3. The heroes in question while being controlled by the card players in battle, they can influence the players' decisions during card duel and in some cases, making the decisions themselves. At other times, they completely independent. 4. Accumulating 50 consecutive wins allows the hero to 'ascend' from the card game world to real life, but 50 consecutive loses will made the card player 'descend' to the card game world. However, the winner of the gladiator tournament will 'ascend' regardless of actual consecutive win count. But I do admit that it is loosely inspired by 'The Gamer' though.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:29:21 -0800

If the whole story steams from the time travel element then yes, this is sci-fi. The way to classify a genre is by looking at the primary story plot line. Let's take Life on Mars. The entire story is set in an alternative past (because he is there when he shouldn't be) and although there are elements of drama, romance and adventure, there would be no story if he hadn't have travelled back in time. Hence it being sci-fi. I hope that makes more sense. :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

arcana07 — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:59:25 -0800

Rock! You make perfect sense there, esp with the "and although there are elements of drama, romance and adventure, there would be no story if he hadn't have travelled back in time". That's so much my story's crux too! If my protagonist hadn't traveled FORWARD in time, there would be no story. YAY ENLIGHTENMENT!! BTW, the most sci-fi-ish elements of the story? Harder than heck to write. My hat's off to the highly regarded sci-fi authors of the world.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 06:19:04 -0800

Glad I could help. And yes, trying to think up a credible futuristic, sci-fi, world isn't the easiest thing to do. Hence why I have avoided the genre for now. the fact that you basically have to rethink and create an entire world, society, etc, and make it believable, yikes. I think I'll pass for now. Enjoy writing yours though. :D

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 06:36:34 -0800

It would still fall under Sci-fi. You are creating an alternative world and exploring what may happen if certain things are done in a particular way. Any story that explores the future, however dystopian it is or may become, is generally classed as sci-fi.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

arcana07 — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:25:22 -0800

Heh, actually I've set my story in the middle of 2010! But to my protagonist it's definitely the future, so the challenge is in having said protagnoist react authentically to the changes between their present (which was in the middle of 1980) and the present of 2010. The big challenge was in describing how the protagnoist got from 1980 to 2010 in a way that wouldn't cause people to roll their eyes and think, "Is she kidding me with this cockamamie description?" That was a whole lot more difficult than researching things from the '70s and placing them in a historically accurate way, or researching the state I've set my story in.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

arcana07 — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:27:05 -0800

Uh, "protagonist", not "protagnoist". Anyway. So there you go, basically the opposite of Sam Tyler's leap back in "Life on Mars".

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:49:49 -0800

sounds interesting anyway. The best thing with labelling something Sci-fi is that anything goes regardless of era. :D

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:48:32 -0800

I will need more info about the actual story in order to categorise it. Can you give us a basic run down of your story?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 07:12:05 -0800

Ah. I see the issue. In that case I'd say it was fantasy, like Jumanji.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 09:02:05 -0800

If you are exploring the concept of human nature and our response to certain situations and the effects of those choices I'd say Literary Fiction.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

retromaisie — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 09:58:55 -0800

It definitely does, but I can't tell if it's more than a normal story goes into it with plot. I read the stuff in the lit fic and their examples and its got much more prose to it than mine. I'm not sure if prose is a requirement for Lit Fic, but they also talk about monologues and characters doing nothing, and mine has no monologues nor idle characters. There's rather a lot of stuff at play. I'm generally just unfamiliar with Lit Fic to know if monologues are a requirement along with prose and idle characters or if it's just sometimes a part of it. The blurb also mentions no plot, and mine has a very developed plot.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 14:51:30 -0800

I have just looked up the definition again using another source and will now put your story into Mainstream. Mainstream Fiction focuses more on narrative and plot, where as Lit Fic focused more on style, psychological depth, and character. It's one of those two genres anyway.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

retromaisie — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 05:37:16 -0800

Thank you for your help!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:40:16 -0800

I'd say fantasy but I will need a bit more info. Where are the contents of Pandora's box and how are they tracking them down?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

pres1111 — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 10:37:26 -0800

They're basically like physical forms of the different... problems, I suppose the word would be. In order to get the problem back into the box, they have to defeat the physical form. As for how they're tracking them down, the box can sense when the others are nearby and vaguely tells the area they're in (something like that, still working on it).

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:39:56 -0800

It depends on the story. If teh story is focused on the relationship between Hermione and Draco then yes, it's romance. However, if the story is about them running from things, fighting (ala HP) with thr romance merely being a sub plot, then it would be Fantasy.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:43:20 -0800

Interesting. I'm inclined to put this in the supernatural horror. It reminds me of 'The Dead Zone' and one of Dean Koontz's books.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:37:34 -0800

In that case I'd denfinitely say Fantasy, possibly even adventure. Although depending on the era, say somthing like Dan Brown but instead of trying to find the Holy Grail you're searching for Pandora's issues, it could be mainstream fiction.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:48:30 -0800

I'd say either mainstream fiction or Literary fiction. To determine a genre you have to determine the basic elements of your main plot and ignore the little elements. What is the main focus of your story? If it's about the trials and tribulations and explorations of how these people learn to interact then it's Literary fiction. That said, depending on how you've approached the story telling it could be either. Mainstream focuses on the plot and narrative whilst literary fiction focuses more on style, psychological depth, and character.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

vmorr — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:01:54 -0800

‘Drapetomania’ is defined as ‘an overwhelming urge to run away’, which is probably the main theme of this novel...although other more important things happen in the novel... I think 'mainstream fiction' is probably too wide a genre?

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 09:48:05 -0800

I'd say fantasy as that is the basis of your story. The way to determine the genre of your story is to think about the main plot. What are the themes you are exploring? When you start to bring in other worlds it then falls into fantasy or Sci-fi. Sci-fi is more technology, science based and fantasy is any old thing really. His Dark Materials trilogy is classified as fantasy.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

mermaidpotato — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 09:39:53 -0800

I wouldn't call it mainstream: I think that implies a slightly more traditional feel, while yours seems a little more patchwork. I'm tempted to call it some strain of sci-fi or fantasy, though I think that as far as the NaNo categories go, I would probably pick 'adventure'... I don't know; I'm really bad at this. XD Out of the three years I've done NaNo, I've only really known what to pick for one of them.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 09:50:59 -0800

Sci-fi as you are exploring an alternative version of Earth. Speculative fiction isn't really a category for books but exists for movies. That's where the biggest issue comes is is that writers use the film genres to try and classify books and they aren't the same categories. Films have more genres and subgenres. Your's in book terms is purely Sci-fi.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

vmorr — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:15:33 -0800

Yeah...mine is very patchy! Adventure sounds good, although it's less of a quest than just reality on a different planet.. thanks for you input :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

vmorr — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:14:41 -0800

It's definitely not sci-fi then! I don't know the main 'themes' but nothing technology/science based...more reality on planet with fantasy elements...so fantasy...i think!? Thanks!

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 09:52:13 -0800

Also, Sci-fi is a large category that covers a large array of topics. It's not the Star Trek, Star Wars genre we all expect. It can be more subtle than that.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

mermaidpotato — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 15:41:19 -0800

I'm aware that sci-fi is multi-faceted, and I usually fancy myself a sci-fi writer anyways, but this... there's really nothing sciency about it. If it does fall into Science Fiction, then maybe literary genres need to branch out a bit, because that's an incredible misnomer. I would more readily call it fantasy than Sci-Fi, and probably mainstream fiction before even that. None of those really fit, though. Also, I don't see what elements or building blocks Speculative Fiction involves that is unique to movies and couldn't be applied to a book. Especially because, if I'm remembering my literary history correctly, "Speculative Fiction" was coined by Sci-Fi writers (yes, mostly screenwriters) who were tired of the aforementioned crummy Star Trek rip-off stereotype that came with the label, and then picked up by Fantasy writers (largely of the good old novel variety) sick of the same. Wikipedia actually classes "Alternate History" as a genre separate from Sci-Fi and Fantasy but still under Speculative Fiction. I might go with that. Hmm...

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Jacks_reg — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 07:21:16 -0800

I would need a bit more info but it sounds like Chick Lit.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:45:47 -0800

theoceanisfullofh2o - Most things have romance in them -- something only gets "romance" as a genre if it's the only real plot of it. Most fantasy is also adventure. And as for whether it's fantasy, scifi, or science fantasy, that all depends on the paint job, really.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 08:42:05 -0800

mallikawagle - Scifi tends to trump everything else. You can have scifi young adult, but it's still scifi. And most things have romance in them, that doesn't make them romance.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Stephora — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:26:06 -0800

I feel that this would be under Romance even if some of this story has some erotica scenes in there. It's just a tad vague for me to pick up on any other genre but this is what I think of it :)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

CallMeCordelia — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:47:35 -0800

This sounds like literary fiction to me, especially the coming of age, slice of life, descriptions.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

My Different Corners — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 07:23:28 -0800

Thanks Stephora, Yes romance is the key, someone mentioned maybe Contemporary Romance. There are so many sub genres, that sometimes it can be mind boggling. Harlequin has a whole list of romance genres and this is why I was wondering. You can check out their list here/ http://www.harlequin.com/articlepage.html?articleId=538&chapter=0

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 07:29:18 -0800

XaristosNevmar - Congratulations, you just listed a bunch of things without saying a thing about what the story is actually about. :P Anyway, I'm going to assume you're writing a superhero story of some sort, then. That tends to be considered a genre of its own, really. (Most superhero settings that come to mind are a science-fantasy-genre-stew as it is.)

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

XaristosNevmar — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:10:24 -0800

[quote=keolah] XaristosNevmar - Congratulations, you just listed a bunch of things without saying a thing about what the story is actually about. :P Anyway, I'm going to assume you're writing a superhero story of some sort, then. That tends to be considered a genre of its own, really. (Most superhero settings that come to mind are a science-fantasy-genre-stew as it is.) [/quote] Thanks for your reply! I found it quite helpful.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:08:14 -0800

XaristosNevmar - "Young adult" doesn't actually refer to young _adult_ characters. It refers to things written for teenagers. I know we generally don't think of 14 year olds as "young adults", but that's what marketing has led to apparently.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

Dragonchilde — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:12:26 -0800

[quote=XaristosNevmar] Given the information I provided, would my story fit in the Young Adult or Adult section? In the beginning of the story, one of the protagonists is 24 years old. Near the end of the story, he's around 35 years old. A few of the other protagonists are older than that. The story also contains suggestive themes, violence (mostly stylized), and some profanity. I might tone down a few things, though. [/quote] I would say probably not. YA is more of a target audience, than the ages of the characters involved. YA tends to have certain themes, such as youth overcoming adversity, coming of age, that sort of thing. You CAN have young adult with older characters, but it's not common. I would say that what you're writing is probably fantasy; it includes a lot of elements of the fantastic. Depending on how you're writing it, it might be science fantasy as well.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:18:24 -0800

MicRoNaNoPiCoFemToWriMo - Sounds like you're looking at magical realism, to me.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:42:55 -0800

onesecondglance - Scifi, without a question. You can put any plot into a scifi setting, and it's still scifi. It can be adventure, romance, mystery, anything. Neither does scifi need to be in the future. TV shows like Stargate and the X-Files take place in the modern day, but they're most definitely scifi because of the content.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

keolah — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:14:05 -0700

YamiAkimotoMayu - Well, there _is_ such a thing as a psychological thriller, though I'm not sure if that's what you're talking about.

Re: READ THIS FIRST and identify your genre here.

YamiAkimotoMayu — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 02:01:48 -0700

Ahh, thank you! :D I'd been looking for the correct term for a while now, but I wasn't sure if it fit the criteria 8D Thanks!