Which comes first, the story or the genre? - Page 3

blacbird · 04-08-2012, 06:42 AM

Depends on the writer, of course, but any writer damn well better have a story, or the genre won't matter two dog farts in the woods on a moonless night.

caw

thothguard51 · 04-08-2012, 06:44 AM

I write SF&F so I know before I start what genre I write within but the story is still important to me...

Swordfish · 04-08-2012, 06:48 AM

In any story I've written, I never thought about a genre until after it was finished. I rather just write the story as I see it and then try to fit it somewhere

Nightingale · 04-29-2012, 09:02 AM

I write and then determine what genre the story fits into.

Once! · 04-29-2012, 02:02 PM

Hmm. I'm really not sure. I used to say that you should write what you want to read. If it's good then other people will want to read it too.

But I've just finished writing a zombie novel. A comic zombie novel told from the first person perspective of a very polite vegetarian zombie who doesn't eat anyone. The first couple of pages are in the horror SYW, if you'd like to take a look (shameless plug!).

And then I've joined this website only to be told that zombie novels are yesterday's news. No agents are repping zombie novels. If you haven't already got a publishing deal, then forget it. Come back in a decade or two.

All of which suggests to me that you can't ignore genre altogether. No matter how wonderful your book is, the agent will need to know how to pitch it, the publisher will need to have confidence that it will make money, the bookshop owner will need to know what shelf to put it on and a deeply suspicious reader will need to be convinced to part with their hard-earned.

It's bad enough persuading the reader to have faith in an unknown. It's doubly hard if you've chosen a tricky, contentious or overworked genre.

Zombie comedy, anyone? Anyone?

04-08-2012, 06:44 AM	#52
thothguard51 A Gentleman of a refined age... Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Out side the beltway... Posts: 7,960	I write SF&F so I know before I start what genre I write within but the story is still important to me... __________________ Knowledge is learned while wisdom is earned. Currently working on... From, The Tales of Netherron, Book 1, A Game of Pawns Book 2, Pawn takes Queen, Book 3, Pawn's Gambit, In the pipeline, Children of Netherron, follow up trilogy Guardians of Netherron, prequel trilogy http://nickanthony51.wordpress.com (on hiatus) Nick Anthony

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04-08-2012, 06:42 AM	#51
blacbird That hairy-handed gent Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Who ran amok in Kent Posts: 26,229	Depends on the writer, of course, but any writer damn well better have a story, or the genre won't matter two dog farts in the woods on a moonless night. caw

04-08-2012, 06:48 AM	#53
Swordfish figuring it all out Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Florida Posts: 64	In any story I've written, I never thought about a genre until after it was finished. I rather just write the story as I see it and then try to fit it somewhere

04-29-2012, 09:02 AM	#54
Nightingale practical experience, FTW Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Under a rock Posts: 169	I write and then determine what genre the story fits into.

04-29-2012, 02:02 PM	#55
Once! practical experience, FTW Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Godalming Posts: 550	Hmm. I'm really not sure. I used to say that you should write what you want to read. If it's good then other people will want to read it too. But I've just finished writing a zombie novel. A comic zombie novel told from the first person perspective of a very polite vegetarian zombie who doesn't eat anyone. The first couple of pages are in the horror SYW, if you'd like to take a look (shameless plug!). And then I've joined this website only to be told that zombie novels are yesterday's news. No agents are repping zombie novels. If you haven't already got a publishing deal, then forget it. Come back in a decade or two. All of which suggests to me that you can't ignore genre altogether. No matter how wonderful your book is, the agent will need to know how to pitch it, the publisher will need to have confidence that it will make money, the bookshop owner will need to know what shelf to put it on and a deeply suspicious reader will need to be convinced to part with their hard-earned. It's bad enough persuading the reader to have faith in an unknown. It's doubly hard if you've chosen a tricky, contentious or overworked genre. Zombie comedy, anyone? Anyone?