Having trouble picking a Genre

This is going to sound very trite, I'm sure, but here goes.

Write it, then worry about how to categorize it.

The "genre" doesn't matter until you have a finished book.

From what you've said, I would describe it as science fiction because that's the setting in which the story takes place. It seems like it will be the cradle that holds the rest of the story. Your logline implies the mystery/crime aspect without actually needing to label it. (Although I suppose you could say that is it a futuristic mystery novel...)

Maybe write the draft and see what category it fits in the most once you've actually spent some time in the world with the characters? Once you have the draft, you can start to think about how you want to book to be perceived at first glance. When readers pick it up, do you want them to pick it up because it will appeal to their love of science fiction, or because they'll be entertained by a gripping mystery? Whichever way the draft ends up leaning will most likely be the one to develop as the primary focus of the novel. And it may change as you write the actual novel.

It sounds like you're very well organized, though! I wish you luck writing the draft. Having touches of various genres in a story is always fun to play around with

Story structure and Marketing genre are two different things.

To paraphrase others: Write the story so that it makes sense within the structure you have selected. Worry about where and how this story will be sold (aka the 'genre') only once the story is complete.

-cb

Myrealana said:

This is going to sound very trite, I'm sure, but here goes.

Write it, then worry about how to categorize it.

The "genre" doesn't matter until you have a finished book.

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I agree. Though it takes place in the future, kind of sounds like more of a thriller.

It doesn't sound like litfic at all.

Maybe scifi thriller. Write the book and ask your betas what they think it is.

It's probably speculative fiction, but it sounds like you have a bunch of possibilities. There is an upside, though, in that you can market it to a number of audiences. But like others have said, write your story without worrying about genre and everything will fall into place when it's finished.

I just wrote a blog piece about the multi-genre issue with my novel.

It sounds like science fiction to me. Science fiction and fantasy are interesting as far as genres go because they are categorized based on the setting. Beyond that, you can write any type of story in science fiction and fantasy, but that doesn't change the genre.

You can write a thriller or a mystery or a romance. Anything you want. But the fact that you're writing in a future setting with the potential for interplanetary travel makes it science fiction.

Even literary science fiction is still science fiction (though some literary writers hate it when they get lumped in with science fiction).

I agree it doesn't sound like lit fic, but I'd like to ask you why you think it could be categorised as such? Because there can be lit fic books that are also SF.

Another vote for it not sounding like literary fiction. More like either thriller or science fiction. Although it's possible it's just SOUNDS like it's not literary fiction, but in fact is. It really depends on the execution.

Like I have a story where it's about an immortal woman. Sounds like... what is that, paranormal? (I've been up since 4am and my brain is no longer working today. I'm having trouble thinking of the word.) Anyways, but the very first page involves a dead body and assuming a new identity. Now it sounds like a thriller or mystery, right? Nope, it's actually literary fiction. Because the story is actually about the relationships of this immortal woman and the heartache it brings her to outlive everyone.

Once you have your manuscript completed it'll be easier to tell.

It doesn't sound literary to me either, unless you plan on emphasizing experimental writing, unusual narrative structure, or very deep, psychological themes that extend beyond the story at hand. More than the action itself. There are differing definitions of literary, but my understanding is that it's a style of writing that emphasizes the writing itself (which may be kind of experimental) and creates prose that is supposed to be at least somewhat artistic. This doesn't mean weird or flowery, but there's likely more emphasis on description and how the writing creates a mood or illustrates something deeper about life in general. Literary fiction may also be more about illustrating a point about the human condition than just about telling a story to entertain. It generally has a plot (in spite of snarky assertions to the contrary), but it may be beneath the surface. It is tough to explain, because commercial and genre fiction can have excellent writing and characterization and address deeper themes too, but it's about the relative emphasis, I think.

To muddy the waters even more, there's so-called upmarket commercial fiction, that combines elements of both.

Your setting suggests SF, especially if it's set in space and the story relies on future technology or sociology of some kind to really work. If the story's more contemporary or very near future without an emphasis on hypothesized futuristic technology or future social organization, then maybe it would be more of a thriller.

There's also a genre called psychological thriller, and to be honest, I have no idea what that is or what an example would be.

spottedgeckgo said:

I haven't started my first draft...

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Found your problem.

Write it. It will become what it will become.

Jeff