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What are genres?

Hi there, stranger!:) Long time no chat.

Let me start by apologizing for how long this one took. I have no other words but I'm really sorry. Kinda got caught up in life and living.

Anyways, we're here to discuss about genres. What they are, why they are so important, how they affect your writing.

But before we do that, can we take the time to acknowledge the new cover? I mean dayuummm!

Alright, cappuccinos, chin up.

What are genres?

-They are categories of storytelling which books fall under according to the world they describe.

I'll simplify.

When writing, you paint. When painting, you create new worlds. Books began to have similar worlds being created and eventually, they began to be classified in this regard.

Examples of genres include:

~Romance: this genre is characterized by worlds built around love. The main goals of the characters here is to either find, rekindle, or extinguish true love. Generally, romance breaks down into New Adult, Young Adult, Contemporary, paranormal and historical romance.

Now while these divisions could be genres on their own, books written under them usually have romance as the main genre and so are classified here.

~Teen fiction: this genre is characterized by the issues with growing up. Friendships, relationships (romance), sometimes adventure. Again, these could stand as genres on their own but once the main characteristics of the book center on teenage experience and struggle, it is put under the teen fic category.

~Action: as the name implies, action is characterized by action. Guns, fighting, maybe some blood.

~Adventure: while adventure might include some action in it, the main goal her is to make a new discovery.

~Paranormal: centers on things that don't usually happen. Deviations from the normal occurrences.

~Humor: books in this genre are characteristically funny and light hearted. Yes, some romance might be included. Infact, any genre could include humor, but once the main focus is being comedic, then your book, my friend, is humor.

~Horror: the direct opposite of humor. Books here are made to terrify the readers.

~Chicklit: Also called women's fiction, is a genre dedicated to celebrating female experiences.

~Fantasy: Books here create worlds which are entirely different from our world. They include fairies, elves, and magic sometimes.

~Mystery/thriller: as the name suggests, is a category of books which are filled with unsolved mysteries and give the audience a thrill just by reading them.

~General fiction: focuses on books with a basic fictional world. There could be elements of other genres here in equal quantity.

~Historical fiction: recreates historical worlds.

~Science fiction: focuses on science and it's relationship with human existence.

~Fan fiction: contains books which retell already told stories or stories about existing people and occurrences.

~non-fiction: books here tell real life stories without any fictional element.

~spiritual: books here focus on the supernatural and it's relationship with the physical.

~poetry: deep words that stir deep feelings (basically)

And we all know about Vampires and werewolves.

The thing is, no genre is completely independent. There's always an element of another genre. Unless the book isn't supposed to feel real. Maybe a book about another planet with no love or hate or spirits or anything.

Such a book will go something like:

"Rolly Walter was sad. She wiped her eyes and sat down, waiting for her mother to return. Her mother took a while but she returned."

The end.

Doesn't that little piece seem fishy to you? Absolutely unrelatable and bland. Something that should be tossed into the Sahara, never to be seen again!

(Pardon me. I'm hungry *blows nose*)

Anyways, that's the point. There isn't a single plot with just one genre. It'll make everything awfully robotic.

Now Why the heck do we need genres?

"Yeah! Why? I've written two hundred and ninety six books without a genre and I don't have time for your yapping, Funke."

Oh dear, pardon me, thou most esteemed one:)

First of all, it is impossible for your book to not have a genre. So don't even try, dearly esteemed *skull emoji*.

There's even a genre called random. So pew pew. Shots fired.

Asides the obvious facts of their importance, Genres help tell your readers what to expect. For example, if you set your book's genre as romance, then we, the readers expected some flipping romance.

Oh wow, look at me go.

Off topic. I'm going off topic.

In essence, a genre defines your story.

"Ha! Jokes on you. I can't be defined by restraints!"

Oh no, they're not restraints. Like I said, no good book can have just one genre. It's going to be too straight.

Feel free to add as many genres that you want in the most natural way of course. We won't want to read about two teenagers in college who fall in love and fight off spirits in space after being infected by an alien's DNA in the science lab and have to bow down to a deity to save the world with tissue paper. (Lol. Too much, I know).

How do genres affect your writing?

Easy. It's all about tone.

If you're writing about horror, you'd need your writing voice to sound firm, terrifying. Something that would send chills down the reader's spine.

If you're writing action, you'd need to adjust your words to describe each scenario so they'd seem real.

Romance Is pretty easy going. Since it's mostly contemporary, all you have to do is look around and include natural features in your book so it just flows. And it's never bad to use imagination of course, that's what writer's do!:)

Have a chocolate 🍫: pick one of your works, go through it and write out all the genres (or themes) you think played out in the book. You can either keep it or post it as a comment right here. I'll be sure to look out for them:))