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imrod
Lv 7
imrod asked in Arts & HumanitiesBooks & Authors · 1 decade ago

How do I classify (the genre) my novel?

Well, I am at least among the ranks of those who have actually completed a novel (all 110,000 words). I am going to start querying agents. The problem is my novel doesn't fit nicely into the standard genres. The most succinct way I have thought to describe it is "My Girl" meets "Fatal Attraction."

I am influenced by Stephen King (but it isn't horror) in the way I use children and childhood to set the stage (the children are 12). My style and voice reveal the emotions of the characters as they live life. To complicate it even more the main character has a religious (Christian) world view, but there is some very graphic language and scenes that definitely don't fit CBA standards. It would certainly be rated "R" if the MPAA rated it.

So do do I call it a coming of age story (half of it is), do I call it Christian fiction (even though it is rated R), do I call it a romance, do I call it a mystery (there are deaths that are unexplained until the end)? I'm afraid the Christian publishers won't touch it because it doesn't fit and mainstream won't touch it because the character is too religious. The main characters doubts, temptations and inconsistencies are not watered down. I think I subconsciously write psychological studies.

I wouldn't mind corresponding by email with more information. Any guidance, suggestions, or even directions to another place to inquire would be appreciated.

Update:

oops, I apologize to the purists out there. Few things are worse than typos and fuzzy language from someone wanting to write.

Update 2:

Thanks Bill. I appreciate your guidance and suggestions. One of the things I have noticed as I have reviewed agents is that many/most of them have genre preferences. So I'm trying to find a match. Also I have noticed that many/most want you to supply a genre in your query, and some even want you to suggest an audience. Being a new and ignorant author I didn't even think in those terms as I wrote, I just had a story I felt compelled to tell and told it.

2 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    It's not up to you to classify your genre if you don't feel that it fits a particular category. You mentioned that you were going to query agents. Do that if one of them accepts you as a client then they can pigeonhole your work if they feel that it is necessary. Allow the agent, or a publisher, to classify it if necessary to maximise sales.

    If you just have to make a decision to quiet your own mind, I'd say it sounds like a modern contemporary mystery.

  • ?
    Lv 4
    5 years ago

    quite particular superheroes fall into the SF camp. I...don't understand why, actually--except the actual incontrovertible actuality that maximum of them look to go back by ability of their powers through "technological understanding," no be counted how stupid that technological understanding is.

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