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What is a genre story?

From the mind of Mat Clarke. 

 What is Genre Writing?

Is 'email writing' a particular genre? If so, then that could mean blogging would be too, right?

Do you find that you often question what genre it is you’re writing and if you can classify yourself as a particular genre writer?

Do you think you’re keeping to the required norms of writing.

Do you mix your writing so it’s part comedy, part romance, part nonfiction and part suspense?

 

I promise this next question coming up is going to be the last stressy thing about genres. I just hope I haven’t made you want to put these thoughts into the too-hard-basket.

Don’t give up and throw your pen and paper in to the bin and smash your laptop with a hammer. I’m going to help you through this and I promise there’s a rainbow at the end.

 

Will readers stop reading your stories if you don't stick to one particular genre while keeping within the standard conventions of that particular genre so your readers know what they are buying each time they pick up your book?

 

The short answer to that last question is, no, not anymore. This was the convention in the past, but you can now freely write more than one genre as well as mix genres and dabble in sub genres.

 

If you decide you want to traditionally publish, you’ll need to read the instructions from the agent’s or publisher’s website before you submit. There are many hoops you’ll need to jump through and much information they will want from you. This includes writing a synopsis, classifying your work into a genre, mentioning what authors and titles are close to yours in style or plot or other, and you’ll need to write up general information about you as a writer.

 

When I first started writing, I did so for fun. I was ten years old and all I wanted to do was write what was entertaining to me.

Is fun a genre?

I didn't need anyone to read my stories. Instead I enjoyed creating new worlds where I could insert people and creatures into them to explore, create, conflict and interact.

 

Then came the idea of one day being published. Don’t get me wrong, it was lots of fun writing and not needing to edit. I still enjoy sitting down not knowing how a story will play out. It was just that in 2010 I decided I wanted other people to read my work and for them to actually enjoy it. To do this I needed not only to amuse myself, but to work out what my readers liked too. I also needed to learn how to edit properly. (With both of these, you never stop learning.)

 

After writing over 70,000 words of my first novel, I decided I needed to explore what genre my story might fit into. I did this by comparing my story to other stories already available from other known authors. I made notes on how my story matched a proposed genre before knowing it was definitely that. I wrote a synopsis and a blurb and compared mine to other published authors to help cement my work and what it was similar to.

 

I initially thought my writing was general fiction. I shouldn't have been so boring. I later thought adventure, due to the journey aspect that my main characters often would take. However, I still wasn’t sure. I kept digging and was about to settle on crime (because I often include murder/crime that would be investigated by police), but then I discovered the thriller genre.

 

Thrillers are often fast paced, have a character that is either pursuing or being pursued and has police investigations, although as a secondary aspect.This fit my general story writing style. Huzzah! I could now call myself a thriller writer.

 

Enter sub-genres from stage left.

 

You don't have to constrain yourself to a particular genre. There are mixed genres and subgenres that allow you to write whatever you like. Yes, your story needs to have a plot, have interesting characters and be edited well, but as for genre, you’re allowed to call yourself a thriller-adventure writer. A romance-comedy writer. A psychological thriller writer. Create your own and be proud to be a comedy-crime writer.

 

I write blogs and email.

 

Yes, you can write blogs or emails in a certain specified way, and that could then make it a particular genre. Maybe your job has conformity when writing emails. This is a genre. You write your blog in a comedic way. Guess what, genre writing!

 

So what does the word genre mean? A class or category having particular form, technique or content.

This is the dictionary definition and really sums it up well. I don’t think we need to dwell on that any further.

 

I write many different genres. Or I want to try other genres.

 

Yes, yes, yes! You should.

In years past publishers wanted to be able to classify you as a particular genre writer so they could market you in a certain way.

Then, if you wanted to stray from your specified genre, you would need to have a serious talk with your publisher and maybe even search for a new publisher.

Marketing you is as essential as marketing your book. It’s just that now the marketing angle has changed slightly so it doesn't have to be all about what genre you write. It can instead be about the interesting stories you bring into the world. It was a subtle change that the readers themselves brought about, and it’s an important one.

 

As for me, I recently wrote a crime novel even though I am a thriller writer. And that’s ok. I’m trying to offload it onto a publisher as we speak. I’ve also written children's stories, young adult and adventure.

 

Now you should go and explore all the genres out there and have fun! Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t write what you want to write (just keep in mind that when a story can be classified more easily into a particular genre, publishers are more interested in publishing your work - new authors only. Established and already published authors have much more freedom).

New Authors

Doesn't matter what country you are living in, come and chat WRITING tonight.

Monday from 6.30pm.

It's all of us online.

Enjoy!

https://www.meetup.com/Melbourne-Writers/events/hxdtvrybcmbsb/

New people very welcome!

Celebrate Your Published Story

Celebrate your published story.

Yes, send to us and we publish it:

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This is the Dark Side of Writing

Join us on the dark side and write like you're drunk . . . free

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Free Stuff

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Great new short story FREE

My mentor (Suraya Dewing) gave me a 59/60 for my short story.

Have a read and see what you think.

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Last chance: World Writers Collective competition

Last chance to enter the short story competition.

Go write right now.

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Australian wages and houses 1970s to now

You poor bastards will never afford a home!

Australian median wages (average is not a true reflection of regular wages because when you include billionaires, your average wage goes up to a ridiculous level, which is not a true representation of most workers (average wage in Australia is close to $90,000). A median wage lines every worker up in a line and selects the person in the middle to represent median wages. The median weekly wages on ABS includes people who work less than 38 hours a week, which are part time and casual, which means it is again not an accurate representation for regular full time workers).

38 hours a week (includes full time, casual, part time wages p/h, because ABS for some reason won't separate them - so this is still not very accurate, unfortunately, but it's as close as I could get).

Depending on which state you live in wages and house prices may be more or less. Use the below as approximate only. Also, take into account how little everything cost prior to 2000.

In the 90s, gas and electricity was about a quarter what you pay now. Food was at least half the cost, with much of it being a quarter of what you pay now. So was car rego, council rates and rent. We would also rent with others to keep costs down.

Median normal full time wage August 2019 in Australia PA = $64,220 (Average wags is $87,000)
Australia's median house price 2019 = $809,349 (average may be higher)

AVERAGE wage in Australia mid 1990s PA = $37,000
AVERAGE house price Australia mid 1990s = $120,000

AVERAGE wage in Australia mid 1970s PA = $10,000+ (wages rose considerably each year)
AVERAGE house price Australia mid 1970s = $25,000

Here's something else I found, but really details seem barely existent on costs of everything: https://mccrindle.com.au/insights/blog/40-years-of-change-1975-to-today/

Why are house prices so high?
There are many reasons.
Aside from house prices continuing to rise in most developed countries each year, wages going up, large immigration into Australia, etc., there is also artificial inflation too. This has come in the form of the very very rich overseas Chinese people wanting to avoid their communist government taking their properties or wealth from them in China when they please. And here I was thinking that everyone in China was supposed to be equal under communist rule. Shouldn't there be no such thing as poor and rich in China? https://fortune.com/2018/11/29/communist-china-billionaires-jack-ma/

Alas, like all countries, there are the very very rich that will do anything to hold onto their cash. The way Chinese are doing this is by buying Australian property. Almost as safe as putting it in a bank, hey, but with less red-tape. With so much money at their disposal and the thought of everything being taken away from them by their own government, they are very happy to buy Australian properties at inflated prices and leave them vacant. Value will go up and they have enough money so they don't need renters. Why have the hassle of people renting your house or apartment and just making a mess. It's a smart way of doing things, it's just that it has had a bad effect on Australians trying to buy property to live in themselves.

You will unfortunately be outbid by the very rich Chinese or have to fight against residents of Australia for the few properties left for you afterwards who also can't afford the higher prices. But don't worry, maybe some weird virus will come in an upset everything and throw everyone's world into turmoil :)

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