In the Southern Gothic vs. Gothic discussion, we happened upon a debate about genre as marketing vs. genre as writing. So, just out of curiousity of what type of writers we have here, how would you classify your writing, and where in the bookstore (a normal bookstore) would it most likely be shelved?
I know some of us write in a lot of genres, but I imagine most of us have a predominant tone or genre to our writing. Richard Matheson wrote across genres, but you generally find him shelved in Horror because of books like I Am Legend, Stir of Echoes, and Hell House.
I'll start:
What I normally write: Tragedies, Rural Gothic, and Horror.
Where I am mostly likely to be shelved: Horror
I write fiction which sometimes has genre elements, but if I ever had an oevure in-print, it'd probably just be in the Fiction section, the same way Huxley and Vonnegut wrote some sci-fi, but they're not on the Sci-Fi shelf. I'm not saying I'm as good as they were, but the degree to which my stuff involves genre tropes is comparable.
I generally gravitate towards hardboiled/noir/pulp stories. If you want to be even more specific, I have lately been focusing on tales revolving around the Mexico or close to the border, and yep, there's apparently enough people doing the same for it to have the name of border noir or southwest noir.
I'd probably be shelved in mysteries.
Normally write: transgressive, horror, sci-fi
Most likely shelved: fiction/literature
This is generalized. I've started probably 5 novels, but only taken 2 of them to 3/4 completion. The one I'm working on now, which I intend to finish and hopefully publish, would likely be considered transgressive. Short fiction... varies. A lot of that ends up as horror or "sci-fi", often with some kind of philosophical or religious bent, but some is more literary, straight drama, or is subtle enough in the more fantastical elements (or so focused on other things) that it probably wouldn't appeal much to anyone who's really into horror/fantasy/sci-fi. Going on what I feel like my novel ideas have turned towards, I'd probably be considered transgressive, and probably shelved in general fiction. In theory, the latter could change to horror, depeneding on how the next 2 novel ideas I really want to work on pan out. I don't like to get too far afield anymore. My settings are mostly more realistic, and my stories tend to revolve around one or two very unrealistic elements that weave themselves through.
Shelved: Fiction
I write: Fiction
I jump around very often, but most of them are sci-fi or fantasy.
Not a clue, to be entirely honest.
I'd love to know what those of you who've read some of my work think about where it fits, and why.
I guess I mostly write some kind of fantasy. Sometimes (often) horror. Sometimes horrible fantasy.
I guess I would be shelved in your local B&N under F&SF.
I am waiting on a more definitive answer to this question, however.
I would love to have the issue of where to shelve me because it would mean someone cared enough to make space.
I tend to gravitate torwards horror and neo-noir.
Coincidentally, the Southern Gothic Vs Gothic thread was a bit of an eye-opener for me. I've been trying to not shove myself into a genre, I just write. But if I did have to slap genres on my writing...
What I Normally Write: Suburban Gothic, Soft Horror, Weird Tales
Where I'd Be Shelved: Horror
I write bizarro fiction. It is never my intention to write for a specific genre. It's just what fits. My books are generally in the fiction or the small press section. My first one has been in the science fiction section. Perhaps books released in the future will be in that section as well. The next book of mine that is coming out is a modern day retelling of the King Arthur myth, so perhaps the fantasy section would be appropriate.
Shelved: Fiction
I write: Fiction
Same here. Generic answer but I don't really know where I fit. I like bits of magical realism. I like bits of the strange. I like things that are strictly reality based. I like pulp-y noirish type stuff. I've dabbled in all of these and I don't see myself as ever going hard in one direction or the other. It's like gumbo.
I have the same issue when people ask what my bands sound like. "Ugh, I don't know. Rock? Well, it has a lot of funk. We love James Brown. But also riffs like Sabbath. Oh, and yeah there's this more soul tune we do where I try to channel James Jamerson. And oh yeah, there's kind of a singer-songwriter one too but then it has this nasty riff. We also do this straight up 12 bars blues one called Fatty Veggie Burrito about our distaste for Phish. Oh, and I also like doing Death Folk, revenge ballads and spaghetti western. We're trying to work in more surfy stuff too. And I was saying the other day how it'd be cool to have some kinda spy songs. So. I guess we're rock?"
I like my writing to be like music I play. All over the place but it sounds like us (me). Long winded way to say I have no fucking clue where I'd land on any shelf.
I have no idea. The Gothic v. Southern Gothic thread was fun for me because lately I have been trying to pay attention to genre and subgenre in other's work so I can figure out where mine fits. I would love there to be a "John Hughes Meets Dirty Sex" genre, because then I would be set. There would still be a few stories I have that wouldn't fit there, but it would narrow a lot of other stuff down.
Genre: Noir/Pulp
Shelved: Mystery
My attempts to integrate myself into niche markets have all failed spectacularly.
I write Fiction.
I write to wrong the the wrongheaded.
To cause them to be more wrong?
I write Noir-Horror/Speculative/Science-Fiction/Fantasy. My heroes are flawed and morally conflicted. They are often criminals or at best work for the wrong side of the law. I enjoy writing about those characters. The shiny, heroic, do-gooder type used to appeal to me, and I do enjoy reading those kind of stories, I just don't like writing them. Show me a hero and I'll find something wrong with him, show me a do-gooder and I'll break down that wall and I'll show you what they're hiding in their hearts. There are noir elements in the majority of my stories.
I'd be shelved in Science-Fiction/Fantasy, because that's where most Horror resides in the stores. If there's a dedicated Horror section, that's where I'd want to be shelved.
I thought I knew what I liked to write (fantasy/sci-fi/suspense) but then I started school and it has made me really reconsider. Now I like to attempt my hand at political fantasy/sci-fi/suspense fiction.
Is horsefucking a genre? Is dead babies a genre?
Horsefucking is bound to be a genre after Fifty Shades of Grey.
One of my pieces was described as "Being John Malkovich meets Two Girls One Cup". So I guess I would be put in the Christian romance genre.
I write crime and horror. Would probably be shelved in horror more often than not.
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I write dark fiction, by nature, tragedies. I've written in a lot of different genres (horror, fantasy, SF, noir, etc.) but would probably call my work the following, although not always at the same time:
Neo-noir, transgressive, speculative, grotesque thrillers.
NN = dark contemporary fiction based on noir, the mood and tone, but less formulaic
Transgresse = man vs. society, rebelling against the rules, the norm
Speculative = asks "what if" and applies usually to fantasy, SF and horror
Grotesque = the unusual, in place and time, as well as frequency
Thrillers = typically fast paced, action, something always happening
Shelved: Crime, thriller, horror, SF, fiction, short stories.
I write under the genre of 'mal écrit' It's a French term...
I write under the genre of 'mal écrit' It's a French term...
Nice.
I've always thought I wrote Mystery but folks reading my stuff have compared it to Hitchcock and Sci-Fi. Usually my stuff has a hint of reality in it. That's for works that I would consider submitting somewhere. For other work, I just write whatever.
Kym
Ha! 3 messages from those who google translate'd 'mal écrit' lol!
