How to Choose a Genre for Success

Write What You Know

When it comes to Genre, writing what you know is tantamount. It’s best to establish that writing what you know doesn’t mean that you should stick to anecdotal or autobiographical stories. It’s more to establish that you should explore themes while writing that you have explored in your life. For example, someone might find that love comes from unexpected places by finding love in their life through unconventional means. This belief could be a theme for a Romance novel this person writes later in life.

So, when deciding what genre you want to dedicate yourself to, consider the types of themes that you have found to be true. Brainstorm a list of potential themes you would enjoy writing about. Then, think of which genre would be best to illustrate them through. There may be multiple, but try to narrow it down to two or at most three.

Someone who has had a lot of experience with technology and its influence might be more suited to sci-fi. If that person were more interested in RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons, they may be better suited to fantasy. A stay at home mom, thinking of ways to revive passion within their marriage may be more suited to writing romances. Think Stephanie Meyers and Twilight.

You Are What You Eat

If you eat a lot of corn, you should expect to shit it out. This is to say, the types of stories you are drawn to consume impact the stories you want to tell. This is an easy way to know the expectations of the genre and when (or how) it’s okay to stray outside of them. You’ve researched the genre already!

If you have no previous knowledge of the genre you write, you might kill off the love interest in the dark romcom swelling in the depths of your twisted imagination. This story might be better suited to a dramedy. This is because Genres are primarily there for marketing to the reader rather than a tool for writers. It is recommended to have your target audience in mind, but it is tantamount to have them in mind when marketing.

I also find it important to highlight the importance of enjoying the type of story you aim to write. If you can’t stand to read Enders Game (first of all how dare you?) and don’t resonate with other sci-fi, it might not be the genre for you. If you find Agatha Christie‘s writing to be slow and boring, murder mysteries might not be your thing. What you write should excite you! Don’t make it a chore.

To Genre, or Not to Genre?

Alternatively, You could just write willy nilly if you’d prefer to write for writing’s sake. Again, genre is less important for a writer than it is for a reader, so if you don’t expect or desire a readership, throw caution to the wind! It’s important that you’re just doing something you enjoy because you enjoy it.

Or, you could try out writing a few genres. For the longest time, I really wanted to write Contemporary Romances solely because I enjoy reading them. The issue was that I never cared to see the stories through (click here to find out why). Love to me is as important as what I want for lunch, and I wouldn’t write a novel about that! Although some have (mostly nonfiction like this) so you should branch out and try a few genres.

If your goal is to become a published author though, you should keep Genre in the back of your mind. It will help you (or an agent) sell your book to publishers, find the right publisher to query, and help the publisher market it well. Or, if you take the self publishing route, genre will help you market your book well and find a readership for your novel.

Which genres do you prefer? Let me know if this helps! Check out this blog post for some inspiration