EVERYTHING YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT FICTION CLASSIFICATIONS...BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK...

   

(Whispered conversation between two young ladies recently overheard in a library bathroom…)
          “Do you know anything about, you know…what they’re talking about in there?”
          “No. I’m pretty inexperienced when it comes to that kind of stuff.”
          “Me too.”
          “Is there some sort of book or something that would explain everything?”
          “You mean like an illustrated how-to manual?”
          “Yeah.”
          “Not that I know of. But I’ve heard some of the older girls talking.”
          “And?”
          “I think they’re talking like they know, but they really don’t know.”
          “So how do you learn?”
          “I guess you just learn by doing it…”

No, these young ladies were not talking about the facts of life. They were aspiring authors attending their first mystery writers’ meeting. Words like genre and sub-genre and novella had been bandied about like bits of gossip dropped at a high-society cocktail party, all followed by a knowing look and responded to with an I’ll-pretend-I-know-what-you’re-talking-about-even-though-I’m-clueless nod. It might surprise you to learn that these two seemingly unrelated topics do have a lot in common.

Think back to your sixth-grade sex-education class. Remember that old (keep in mind that age is relative) lady who stood at the front of the class and droned on in a clinical, unemotional, rather boring litany of how a baby is conceived? At the end, everyone had lots of questions but were too afraid to ask. Instead, they resorted to learning about the real facts of life from their equally uniformed friends who had older sibling who had real life experiences—while fooling around under the stadium bleachers.

The topic of genres is as whispered abut in the writing world as sex is in middle school. Many new writers rely on crumbs of information dropped by those older and more experienced. This often leads to misinformation and confusion. As a professional writer, it’s important to know just where your historical thriller with romantic and paranormal undertones fits into the grand scheme of things. You’ll need to know this for when you query an agent, or when position your book in the self-publishing arena.

In an attempt to bring enlightenment to this taboo subject, I’ll be the Old Lady at the Front of the Classroom, sharing with you, in a clinical and unemotional way, the Facts of Genres.

•   Novels are works of fiction in excess of 40,000 words
•   Novellas are works of fiction between 17,000 and 40,000 words.
•   Novellettes are works of fiction between 7,500 and 17,000 words.
•   Short Stories are works of fiction betwee, 3,5000 and 7,5000 words
•   Flash Fiction is as the name implies. Super short fiction. Can range between 53 and 1,000 words, although there is some debate that the shortest story every written is just 6 words long. "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." Imagine that, an entire story with hope, heartache and stunning imagery, and all in six words. <<Attributed to Ernest Hemingway, but there is some debate on that.>>

Fiction is divided into two categories: literary and commercial/mainstream.

Literary novels are often character or emotional based, and called “serious fiction” because their style and technique are often as important as subject matter. Think Steinbeck, Hemingway, or the more contemporary Amy Tan.

Commercial books are so named for their broad appeal. They are typically predictable, often driven by a compelling plot, and are usually read solely for their entertainment value. Authors like Nora Roberts or Stephen King fall into this category.
      Commercial novels are further broken down into (and you don’t have to whisper it…) genres. The clinical definition, according to Webster’s Dictionary is “a category of artistic, musical or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form or content.” Think the different departments when you enter a Barnes & Noble store.The most recognized genres in literature are:

•    Romance
•    Westerns
•    Mysteries/Suspense/Thriller
•    Science Fiction/Fantasy
•    Young Adult

  Genres are further broken down into sub-genres. In the interest of time and space, we’ll limit our discussion on sub-genres of mysteries—a novel whose central theme is the solving of a puzzle. Mystery sub-genres include (but are in no way limited to):

•  Classic whodunit 
•  Courtroom Drama
• Cozy
• Forensic
• Historical
• Medical
• Police Procedural
• Private Detective

Back in the day when life was simpler, it was easy to categorize a book based on its primary theme. No more, as the lines between the genres are blurring. Many popular fiction writers intertwine elements into one novel with the same subtlety of a chef might sweeten a pot of chili with a square of chocolate. It’s a main dish with underlying elements of dessert—two unrelated ingredients combined to create one satisfying entrée.

So, be you a sub-genre purist or one who likes a little chocolate stirred in, at least now you know everything about genres, but were afraid to ask.

 

Disclaimer: The proceeding information was compiled on the best authority from a friend of a friend as relayed by her older and more experience sister, who learned everything she knows via experience—under the stadium bleachers.