Roger Snell
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What is your favorite novel?

8/28/2016

2 Comments

 
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I’d like your help on what type of novels you read regularly? And maybe even some thoughts on my general book outline below.
I’m trying to figure out the genre for my next book. There are more than 100 genres of fiction, but the most common are in the chart above.
My novel is going to be set in Frankfort and the capital city makes sense for a political thriller, my favorite genre.
My main characters could be the adults fighting for control of the governor’s mansion. The star is more likely an 18-year-old young woman who has no interest in politics or religion, yet her life gets pulled into the middle of conflict over both when her mother runs for governor and her boyfriend is a Mormon.
My theme is a young woman angry at her mom for a pending divorce, uprooting them from their Malibu mansion to return to her Kentucky roots. The daughter mocks the move as “the Beverly Hillbillies in reverse.” 


The young woman is lost about her own future, and not sure where she stands in the middle of a hateful world that seems to target her.
She gets a quick education about corruption, campaign wars and how religion is used by some as a weapon instead of a blessing.
You can see where my challenge is on deciding genre? Is this a young adult fiction? Is it a Christian novel? Yikes, is it a romance? Is it a mystery — because there are going to be some dead bodies? Or do I stick to my favorite and comfort level of political thriller that can still have all of these other sub-texts?
You might not think it matters, but it does to book stores who have to figure out where it goes on the shelf, to agents, traditional publishers, even Amazon who asks what genre and sub-genre to file an independent book under for searches.
It definitely affects the author because each genre has some general rules.
Back to my personal question: Do you stick to a favorite genre and author or are you reading everything you can get your hands on? Romance, mystery, thriller, classic, literary, young adult, women’s lit, fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, Christian?
You can message me if this is too personal. (Remember the NSA tried to get access to library checkouts to learn more about people, and librarians actually were able to block the government in court and Congress).
Here’s what an author of 17 novels has to say about why genre matters: http://writerunboxed.com/2014/09/30/why-genre-matters/
Of the 100-plus genres, 17 are the most popular: http://writerswrite.co.za/the-17-most-popular-genres-in-fiction-and-why-they-matter
2 Comments
Steve Demaree
8/28/2016 04:40:40 pm

My favorite novel is a whodunit. My favorite author is my wife's husband, although there are others who are better.

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Stacy
8/29/2016 08:13:01 am

I read a lot of different stuff, but my favorites are the ones that take me out of everyday life, but not necessarily to a different planet or dimension. Favorite author - Sarah Addison Allen - real life (southern), with a bit of magic. I tend to stick with - Historical Fiction, YA Fantasy, Sci-Fy Fantasy and Contemporary Romance

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