Genre Novel

What exactly is a novel?

A novel is a long narrative written in literary prose. The purpose of narrative prose is to entertain while also telling a storey. It’s a summary of a sequence of events that contains a cast of people, a setting, and a conclusion. Depending on the genre, most publishers like novels that are between 80,000 and 120,000 words long.

What is the definition of a genre novel?

The phrase genre refers to fiction that follows certain rules and traditions; examples include romance, mystery, horror, westerns, science fiction, and fantasy.

In order to match readers’ expectations, genre novels must follow the styles and conventions of their genre. Readers of mysteries, for example, expect each work in the genre to begin with a crime or threat of a crime, present clues and plausible motives throughout the plot, and end with a resolution of the problem, such as the culprit being apprehended or the bad scheme being foiled.

Romance readers expect to meet a hero and heroine who are deeply drawn to each other, to face a crisis that complicates their connection, and to resolve that struggle so that the romance can bloom (and often result in marriage).

Reading multiple works in a genre and noting the same structures, storey devices, and character types within them will help you comprehend the norms of that genre.

It’s critical to stick to one genre. While you might be able to find a publisher prepared to take a chance on a cross-genre book, most agents and editors prefer novels that they can readily target to a certain demographic. Your book will be difficult to pitch to store buyers and sell to readers if it has a clear category. Rather than struggling to get a publisher for a cross-genre piece, it’s better to push the boundaries of a genre—and stay well within it.

Do you want to write a romance novel, a mystery novel, a science fiction novel, or anything else? Use your response to assist you figure out which audience would be most interested in your narrative. Knowing this can help you succeed since you’re connecting your work with a single genre that’s vital to your plot.

What kinds of classifications are there?

In general, there are two types of fiction: literary fiction and commercial fiction (also called mainstream fiction).

In comparison to commercial fiction, literary fiction is more concerned with style and characters. (Characterization is the author’s use of action, speech, thought, or commentary by the narrator or another character to express a character’s personality.) Literary fiction is generally typically slower paced. It usually has a timeless, complicated theme and does not have a joyful ending. Toni Morrison’s and John Updike’s works are instances of literary fiction.

Mainstream fiction, on the other hand, is faster-paced and has a stronger plot line, with more events, bigger stakes, and more perilous scenarios. The idea is usually evident, and the language is straightforward. Characterization is also not as important in most stories.

The most significant distinction between literary and commercial fiction is that editors anticipate to profit handsomely from the sale of a commercial book but not necessarily from the sale of literary fiction. Commercial fiction appeals to a bigger audience than literary literature. Tom Clancy, John Grisham, and Stephen King are examples of commercial fiction authors.