Your Genre Questions

When Mystery author becomes popular 
Dear Glen, Thanks for your novel planning book. I have written five romance books and a series of five mystery books. My first mystery is published in …

What genre would this be? 
Question: I wrote something but I don't know how to classify it. It's about someone who goes on telling their partner the story of their life and …

What genre is my book? 
Question: It's set in Ancient Rome and has historical elements, though it doesn't really mention anything of importance that would classify it as "historical …

Best tense to use for horror (slasher) novel? 
Question: I am an aspiring author and I'm planning to write a horror novel in the style of a slasher (think: Friday the 13th, Halloween, etc). I'm planning …

Writing Murder Mystery Questions 
Question: Does the Resolution have to be that the detective finds the killer? Or can the reader find out who the killer is by the 4th driver so that …

NA/YA Genre Rules 
Question: I have a hard time understanding the rules of NA and YA genres. For example, I’m writing a fantasy novel with the characters in their 20s, …

Obligatory scenes for Low Fantasy and Mystery 
Question: Love your site! Could you please list the obligatory scenes for Low Fantasy and Mystery (two separate lists). My current WIP is a serial …

Literary Fiction with Contemplation as the Goal 
Question: I suppose the genre will most likely be a Literary Fiction since the focus is on philosophical questions. Can you suggest some works of literary …

Things adults typically do, ways they act, things they say.  
Question: What are some things that are cliché in the adult world (i.e. things typical of adults that teens wouldn't know) that a YA writer could draw …

A compelling ghost story 
Question: I am trying to write a young adult supernatural/gothic ghost story. But that's as far as my mind goes - a young adult supernatural ghost story. …

SF Romance 
Question: I'm writing a novel that is basically a romance novel, but it takes place in 2025 and the protagonists are working in technology field. There's …

making fantasy relatable 
What are your thoughts or opinions on the importance of a fantasy world/setting being connected to our own real world in some way? I got to thinking …

Genres: Do you think this is possible to pull off? 
Hi! I'm currently worldbuilding a story I'm going to write in some years. English is not my mother tongue, so I'll need some time to enrich my vocabulary …

I wrote a Fiction Novel based on true events... 
Question: I wrote a Fiction novel based on a true story with a word count of 30200. Is this too short? I'm a first time Author and intend to go for self …

Writing Disaster Stories 
Hi. Any tips on writing disaster stories? I am writing a novel about a disaster. There's chaos worldwide and people have nowhere to go. It's all about …

"historical" fiction? 
Question: I am researching and writing a book on an historical figure who was born in 1896 and died in 1981. Much of what is known about him is from …

Genre Angst 
BACKGROUND INFO: I have finally accepted that -- in my series of Christian novels -- I must let the reader know in the first page or so of each title …

Difference between teen books and adult books. 
Question: There are lots of books out there today, some are "teen books" written for teens and some are more for adults... My question is, what is …

About LGBT as a genre... 
Question: My novel has a male-male couple in it. While the main focus of the story is not their relationship (it's spy/thriller/crime), and it will take …

Difference Between Comic and Novel Plots 
Question: I'm drawing a comic, or I might say a graphic novel. As its name might be self-explanatory (graphic novel is, well... a novel, duh) I think …

Soft Science Fiction vs. Hard Science Fiction 
Question: What is the difference between soft science fiction and hard science fiction? How do I know which one my novel falls under? Answer: In …

What Genre am I? 
Question: I read a lot and I read a lot of different genres. It is hard for me to start out writing regardless of how many good starters I feel I have …

The Difference Between Psychological Horror and Horror 
Question: I have a great idea for a horror novel but I am confused about the genre categorization. What is the difference between psychological horror …

Truly Inspired to Write 
Question: I believe I am truly inspired to write. I've loved writing for as long as I've loved reading. Over the years I've trying to think of what I …

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is classifying my book mandatory ? 
Hello, I already posted a question regarding the sagging middle syndrome on another category of this site and again thank you for all the time and work …

Flashbacks in psychological thriller.  
Question: The main character in my psychological thriller has amnesia. I had scenes where other characters have flashbacks about parts of his life that …

Genre: Low Fantasy or Alternative History? 
Question: What genre for an MC who gets a chance to live his life over again at a very young age, and decides to use his knowledge of future events in …

Which genre? 
Question: My MC grows a pair of wings a after a spiritual journey (meeting with his inner self through lucid dreams). He is then recruited by a secret …

Writing Children's Stories  
It seems I have good Prose apparently, and I'm good at using a well-enough-defined vocabulary. However, I fear I might have issues then with the concept …

Cheesy Romance? 
Question: I have nearly finished my book, it is about a group of high school friends who graduate and go on a cruise, and on this cruise they find their …

Writing Fantasy Q&A 
Question: What is the difference between high fantasy and low fantasy? Answer: There are several ways people have attempted to define these terms. …

Epic stuff. 
Hello your advice have been helpful. My question is: what makes a book or a story an epic? What are all the elements in an epic? Does an epic have to be …

Difference between YA and teen? And do word counts really matter? 
Question: Is there a difference between YA and teen novels? If so what are they? And do word counts really matter? I've looked it up on the internet …

Difference Between...YA & Adult Fiction 
Question: Hello, I'm pretty sure that you may have answered this question already but I will ask if you don't mind. Is the main difference between …

historical fiction 
Question: If I use real people from 1806 in my historical fiction, do I need to be ready to footnote it? How can I avoid doing so? Change names? Put …

Homophobic publishers 
Question: I would like to know why publishers refuse to publish novels with a GLBT theme to them? I can search the net and find gay/lesbian themed …

Paranormal Romance Questions 
Question: I was wondering if you could give me examples of story goal for paranormal romance stories. I think I'm confusing story goal with internal …

Is this Gothic fiction? 
Question: I never really put any label on my stories because I just write them for fun, but a friend of mine said he could have sworn they counted as …

Is the Epic Sci-Fi Adventure genre dead, or Is There Still Room For It in Today's World? 
Question: I am a writer with big dreams of writing an EPIC storyline. A storyline that dares to go so far as to create a new universe that runs parallel …

Concerning Suspension of Disbelief in Steam / Dieselpunk 
Question: The manuscript I'm writing is a blend of certain tropes from Low Fantasy, Diesel and Steam punks and oddly enough, SciFi. It essentially concerns …

The Genre is Erotica 
Question: OK, I'll just say it: the genre is Erotica. There, now that we got that out of the way... I just really would like an actual writer/author's …

Writing Forbidden Romance 
Question: OK, my favorite genres to write in are mostly fantasy and occasionally steam/dieselpunk, but what I really like to do in those genres (or any …

One freakish crossover... 
Question: OK, I have this idea for a novel that I really want to do, but I really want your opinion on whether or not it's likely to work. I know in …

Humorous Fiction Question 
Hi, I am in the very beginning phases of writing. I have no real writing experience or really even know what I am doing for that matter. It has been …

What Genre is Post-Apocalyptic Fiction?  
Question: Where genre is Post-Apocalyptic fiction? Is it a subgenre? Is it Fantasy, Sci-Fi, or Historical-in-Reverse? Any books on writing that I have …

What genre Is my Book? 
Question: Okay I need a little help here cause I think I am totally lost. What genre is my book? I honestly don't really know how to describe it. …

A New Race 
Question: For my high fantasy, I want to create a world populated ENTIRELY by my own races, but I want them to be (for lack of a better word to use in …

To Write an Epic  
Question: I'm a life-long high-fantasy fan, but instead of being all about novels, my dream is to write an epic. Not just "epic" as in really cool, or …

What is Women's Fiction? 
Question: What is women's fiction ? I know it is a broad audience term, but I was wondering if it is dictated by heroine's age (and vice versa)? For …

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What exactly makes a "gay novel"? 
Question: I'm curious... I've heard of "gay literature" as its own genre. I'm seriously curious of what qualifies a novel to become a gay novel. I like …

Including Research in Nonfiction 
Question: How do I go about including research in nonfiction books? My book includes case studies. Do I add it the the bottom of the case study, if …

re: Stuck Between Two Stones: Fiction or Nonfiction? 
Hello Glen- first, let me give you a bow and hats off on such an outstanding website. Truly it's a writer's very own cloud in heaven! Well, I am finally …

Sex in Young Adult Novels 
Question: If I never go into specifics...how much description is too much for my book to stay young adult? How much sex in young adult novels is appropriate? …

How to write a semi-autobiographical story about perseverance, politics, self-reflection and metaphysics? 
Question: I know the question is kinda vague,sorry. I guess what i want to know is how to find a story goal that can carry the average reader(and anchor …

Nonfiction Help 
Question: I've always been interested in the way that we are all influenced by the expectations of society on us. I have been brainstorming and writing …

Space Opera 
Question: ok i guess this would fall under a sci-fi/action genre. i did a prompt in my college writing class about space pirates and was not having my …

Write a Serious Young Adult Novel 
Question I'm writing a story, and I want it to be directed towards generally teenager age readers, but I am terrified of it being put in the same class …

Story Goal in a Parody Novel. 
Question: I absolutely love humor and recently found the inspiration to write a novel-length parody on the adventure and fantasy genres. I've worked …

Novel problem: how to explain superpowers 
Question: I just have one question about how to explain superpowers that maybe you could help me on or give your opinion to. My novel is about a group …

Children's Animal Stories 
Question: I hope you can give some advice. I would like to write a book of children's animal stories and perhaps publish it online on my website together …