Is Genre Dying?
By Marcy Kennedy (@MarcyKennedy)
At the Writer’s Digest conference in New York last January, superstar literary agent Donald Maass proclaimed the death of genre. After the conference, my co-writer Lisa Hall-Wilson even wrote about her impressions of his talk on our now defunct Girls With Pens blog. Maass devotes an entire chapter to the same topic in his recently released book Writing 21st Century Fiction: High Impact Techniques for Exceptional Storytelling.
My guess is that when you read the words “the death of genre,” you had one of two reactions. You either panicked because you write genre fiction like romance, thrillers, or science fiction, or you felt a surge of excitement because you’ve always felt like your book defied genre conventions and couldn’t be classified.
But if you’re a genre writer, you have no need for panic. Genres aren’t going anywhere. They help readers find what they want.
And if you’re not sure how to categorize your book, you might not have reason to celebrate. Just because your book defies categorization doesn’t mean you’re succeeding where strict genre writers fail.
Here’s what I’ve figured out after mulling over not only what Maass said so many months ago, but also reading through the chapter on the death of genre multiple times.
“The death of genre” is a misnomer. It’s not about the death of genre at all. It’s about the evolution of genre, the next leap forward the same way our world experienced a technology boom in the late 90s.
Maass’ call to action is for all writers—genre writers, literary writers, and those who feel like their book doesn’t fit a category.
It’s not about categories. It’s about writing a book that will become a classic.
Genre writers need to learn beautiful writing from literary writers, and literary writers need to learn captivating storylines from genre writers. Story and art become equals rather than adversaries.
Maass writes, “A curious phenomenon has arisen in recent years. It’s the appearance of genre fiction so well written that it attains a status and recognition usually reserved for literary works” (13).
When the two come together, whether you call the book genre fiction or mainstream/literary fiction, it doesn’t matter because you’ve laid the foundation for what Maass calls high impact fiction. The kind that stays on the bestseller lists for months rather than weeks at a time.
As long as you add one secret ingredient to bind them together—powerful emotion.
Believable characters are the vessels for carrying emotion because through them we’re able to face themes that touch the rawest core of our beings.
This is one of the reasons Kathryn Stockett’s The Help became a bestseller.
You might think the theme of The Help is civil rights and equality for blacks and women. While those issues play a huge role in the book (after all, Skeeter is writing a book that tells the real story of black maids in the South), if that was the theme, it wouldn’t connect with people on an emotional level the way this book did. Civil rights is a political issue you vote on, not something that reaches in, grabs your heart, and squeezes it until it aches.
Stockett weaves a much more subtle and poignant theme throughout each POV character’s story–the struggle to feel worthy, worthwhile, loved, and valuable. Each story connects to the theme in a different way, but it’s there under them all. And it’s something we can all relate to in one way or another.
Part of what made the Harry Potter series popular was we could still relate to the stories even though we couldn’t perform magic and would never need to fight a dark wizard. The stories and characters transcended the details of the magical world to tell a story of a boy who longed for a family that loved him, who just wanted to fit in, who struggled to figure out the line between right and wrong, and who learned that some things are worth fighting and dying for.
The lessons in Harry Potter, while secondary to an entertaining story, are what made it so loved by people who wouldn’t otherwise read a fantasy. It’s also what makes them re-readable.
What all this really means is that we stand at a time of amazing potential. Not because of indie publishing, not because of social media—though those help amazing stories spread—but because we could be the next generation’s Dickens, or Austen, or Hemingway.
What it will take is the courage to not settle for writing books that are good enough. And settling for “good enough” is one of the major dangers we face as writers now that self-publishing is not only a viable option but a smart one for many writers.
Each of us has a decision to make. Maybe you don’t care about whether your book is high impact fiction as long as it sells.
But if you do care, before you consider sending your book to an agent or putting it out yourself, take an honest look at whether it has the four elements it needs.
Beautiful prose.
A compelling plot.
Believable characters.
Themes that touch hearts.
I think when we make it our aim to hit all four of those elements, category will be less important to us and everyone who reads our book. And I think that is the phenomenon we’re seeing now.
I’d love to know what you think about all this. Do you think I’m right? Wrong? Will genre eventually die out completely? Which of these four elements do you find the most difficult to get right?
I hope you’ll check out the newly released mini-books in my Busy Writer’s Guides series–Strong Female Characters and How to Write Faster–both currently available for 99 cents.
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Image Credit: Melodi T (via Stock.xchnge)
Oct 25, 2012 @ 12:32:47
I’m one of those who did the happy dance and then ERK as I read this post, Marcy.
I write Contemporary Single Title Romance. It’s the sub-genre that trips me up. My voice lends itself to snark and my personal glee factor loves quirky characters. So. Label it Romantic Comedy, and everyone thinks Chick Lit.
Chick Lit does not have the steam factor I put into my intimate scenes. Think Jennifer Crusie’s early works on steroids. It’s not erotica. How to label it?
Suspense threads run throughout, but they support versus carry the plot. So. Romantic Suspense is a misnomer.
The ERK! happened when the words literary/mainstream entered the fray. I feel as if my “voice” hits mainstream, but literary? Will it hit page-turning and well crafted? I won’t query until I’m satisfied it meets those objectives.
Am I putting “mainstream” and “literary” on an unrealistic pedestal?
Oct 25, 2012 @ 13:51:43
I can see your dilemma in categorizing your book! But I do think this is the best time ever for writers who bend and blend genre. Maass encourages that in his book.
I think you might be putting mainstream/literary on an unrealistic pedestal. What they do that a lot of genre writers (myself included) forget to do is they listen to the cadence of their sentences and try to find ways to make their work more appealing to the inner ear. They play with symbolism and rhetorical devices, etc., etc. I think that’s something we’re all capable of doing during revisions if we’re willing to put in a little extra time. Is it like delicate frosting on an already delicious cake? Yes. But that’s why women spend hundreds on dollars on a wedding cake rather than baking it at home and slapping on a can on Betty Crocker 😀
Oct 25, 2012 @ 15:23:34
Thanks for the clarification, Marcy.
I do watch for cadence and effective use of rhetorical devices a la Margie Lawson (and, my favorite reads).
Oct 25, 2012 @ 15:24:59
Margie Lawson is a perfect example of someone who teaches how to elevate our work 🙂
Oct 25, 2012 @ 12:34:00
Hmmm, I’m not so sure beautiful prose is a necessity these days. (see 50 Shades, and many others). I don’t think striving to write a book that will be a “classic” is necessary either. After all, most of those “classics” are books that bore me to tears.
I don’t think genre is dying. I think it’s human nature to categorize things. It makes us feel happy and secure when we can put things under labels and in boxes. What I do think might be blurring is the thought that you can only write one genre and that’s it. That somehow readers can’t handle it if you branch out and write something completely different every now and then. I think they can, as long as they are warned about it. So in that way I suppose it’s…changing, not dying. But I do think there always will be categories for the different types of stories.
I do think at the end of the day a good story with characters that are engaging (whether likable or despicable) is what endures. At least for me.
Oct 25, 2012 @ 13:39:58
Not all bestsellers will show these qualities. But 50 Shades had an unusual birth and certainly can’t be considered normal. I also don’t think that people will still be reading it 10 years down the road the way they’ll be reading something like Water for Elephants or Harry Potter.
Here’s the thing I think we need to keep in mind about classics–they bore a lot of people to tears now, but at the time, they were the “genre literature” of the day. Read and enjoyed by the masses.
I’m right there with you on genre not ever actually dying out. People enjoy files and categories. But I also love genre blending and I read widely across genres, so I think we’ll see more flexibility in the future.
Oct 25, 2012 @ 19:14:25
Well, really, every genre had to get a start somewhere. Paranormal Romance didn’t always exist as a genre. It’s not dying, it’s morphing into new and interesting ones. Which I think is a good thing. Why deal with only a few headings to file under when you can have more! Kudos to the person who invents their own genre.
I don’t know, some of those classics I’m not sure were ever actually read. I think they were the things you said you read to sound educated but really, never did because you kept falling asleep over it 😀
I bet 10 years from now they’ll still be talking about the 50 Shades phenomenon. As well they should… it changed things just as Harry Potter did. Not in the same way of course ;-p
I’d love to be alive 100 years from now to find out just what that society thinks of our Snookie/50 Shades/Reality TV one.
Oct 25, 2012 @ 13:38:22
I have to agree with Melinda, I don’t think prose has much to do with it anymore. While some readers may revel in a beautiful sentence (all of them are writers) the majority are looking for a catharsis of one kind or another – an escape from a bad reality, a vicarious adventure, etc. This is what we provide and genre is merely the sugar coating for the catharsis pill.
I absolutely do NOT think that genre is planning its funeral, readers find comfort in genre, however, there is a rise of writers that no longer concern themselves with sticking to any one genre. I’m one of them. And – without genre we would have nothing to bend, so I hope that genre lives a good long life.
Donald’s book sounds like a good read, putting it on my to-buy list. Thanks for the recommendation. Great post, Marcy 🙂
Oct 25, 2012 @ 13:43:50
Sounds like we’re all on the same page. No need to buy black for genre just yet 🙂
I’d disagree about the beautiful prose (but then again, I’m a writer). The books I love the most are ones who have those moments of real brilliance along with the emotional catharsis and engaging plot. Books can sell well and be well written without truly beautiful writing, but they feel lighter weight in comparison IMO. Perhaps I’m in the minority?
I would say this book is a must-read. He gives you questions that help you dig deep into the emotional journey of your characters and bring it out on the page.
Oct 25, 2012 @ 19:18:51
See, those type of books are the ones I tend to avoid LOL. I like the quick, fast, escape. As long as it’s written well, that’s all I need. I don’t get lost in the language or a beautiful sentence. Beautiful writing tends to just make me skip pages until something else happens. Wallowing in an emotional journey makes me want to run. Then again, I don’t read “literature” either, as a rule. I tend to avoid Women’s Lit or whatever they call that genre these days like the plague.
And that’s why there’s genres! Different strokes and all that.
Oct 25, 2012 @ 14:08:55
It’s tough to say what will happen with genres, but I don’t foresee an end coming soon. I do see them evolving, becoming broader and more accepting. Regardless of what happens, I delight in the fact that readers are embracing great stories more than ever, and we don’t need to be on American Idol or pro-sports for them to gain esteem.
Thanks for this inspiring post, Marcy! It’s not only thought-provoking but a reminder that the “atypical” aspects of my novels can be strengths.
Oct 25, 2012 @ 20:30:48
I have certain story elements I like more than others, and I wouldn’t know how to find those if it wasn’t for genres. At the same time, I love when a thriller adds romance, or a fantasy adds a suspense element. I’m very much in favor of genre-bending elements because I think they do make for a stronger story and a better reader experience. That and they’re more fun for those of us who write 🙂
Oct 25, 2012 @ 23:45:50
This is a fascinating topic, Marcy! And I think its a great time for writers to have the genre evolution, as you say.
My book is a paranormal blend of horror, scifi, thriller. While its hard to categorize it as a writer I benefit from being part of International Thriller Writers and the Horror Writers Assoc. and was recently invited to be a panelist at a sci fi conference! What a mix right?
The point being while some readers/writers want to stay classic to genre – which I dont think is going away – (Star Trekkie sci fi, for example) many others like the genre blend. And I am chatting with authors and reading books now in all three of these genres to see how they do it, what works, what doesnt for me, etc. Its a fantastic learning experience as each classic genre is so different and its readers/authors are unique to each.
Maybe its this genre blend that is making genre “disappear”. I’m not sure. Whatever it is – these be exciting times!
Oct 26, 2012 @ 00:06:10
Fortunately I haven’t had issues with genres…yet. But somewhere in my mile long list of ‘stories waiting to be written,’ I have a couple that will give me fits when it comes time to put them in a category.
Until then…I’m Scarlet O’Hara. “I can’t think about that right now. If I do, I’ll go crazy. I’ll think about that tomorrow.”
Good information to have though. Thanks, Marcy! 🙂
Oct 26, 2012 @ 00:58:53
I agree with you, Marcy. We have to hit all four elements.
I don’t believe genre will die out completely. The market is just evolving.
Oct 26, 2012 @ 08:57:51
I just bought Donald’s book for myself and a writing friend after reading his last post on Writer Unboxed. Funny how that works.
I think you nailed what we all strive for:
Beautiful prose.
A compelling plot.
Believable characters.
Themes that touch hearts.
Sometimes we fail, but we strive.
Oct 26, 2012 @ 22:54:02
I don’t think genre’s ever going to die. I still believe that romance is the best and biggest selling genre in the world. That doesn’t make all romance books good, but people love them.
And some people don’t want the lines blurred. I don’t want to read a historical novel that’s a little bit science fiction or a fantasy book that’s a little bit western. I want one or the other.
Interesting that Don Maass would boldly make that statement.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
Oct 27, 2012 @ 09:48:50
Hi Marcy, I agree we need genre for people to be able to find books. However, with the onset of e books and self publishing for writers the ballpark has changed. We no longer need to be defined by a particular genre and are able to write in whatever genre we wish. That is why I have chosen the route of S/P as opposed to traditional publishing. As i don’t want to be held down by a particular genre as my interests cover many genres.
Oct 27, 2012 @ 17:33:21
“Genre writers need to learn beautiful writing from literary writers, and literary writers need to learn captivating storylines from genre writers. Story and art become equals rather than adversaries.”
I love that line, Marcy. I don’t think genre is going away, and I think “beautiful” literary works will always be there, but I’m liking the blend that I see occasionally.
I don’t want art for art’s sake. A page of carefully chosen, evocative language makes me put the book down if it doesn’t get me involved. And a fast quick read is nice sometimes if it’s decently written, but most of the time I want a little more meat in my story.
For me, my college writing classes that are definitely geared toward literary writing, and I’m being pushed to use more imagery. If I can put in the work to find the right metaphor, and yet have it still be flowing and enticing, then I’ve succeeded. (Not very often yet, but it’s coming.) I think a lot of the “blend” books are doing that – they’re great reads, but I think we’d recognize a lot of literary art if we stopped reading the story and focused on it by sentence or paragraph.
I’m rambling, but the other thing I want to say is that many literary stories have such a tight focus and are so gritty that they get depressing. The authors want to portray life as it really is, when I, at least, want a story with some sort of satisfying conclusion, without feeling dragged down as I get there. Give me great characters, give me a wonderful setting, give me lovely prose, but for heaven’s sakes, give me a great storyline!
Oct 27, 2012 @ 18:15:31
I agree with you. But I think beautiful prose is the least important. Books are reaching the top 100 on Amazon without beautiful prose…but the ones i’ve read contain believable characters and themes that touch the heart. That’s more important. If beautiful prose is there that’s just icing on the cake.
But I think beautiful prose doesn’t always mean literary. If a book has beautiful prose and that’s it, without the touching themes…etc, then readers skip pages.
Personally, I love a story that has all 4 elements.
Oct 27, 2012 @ 18:23:47
I too doubt genre is going anywhere. When I read fiction, it is exclusively genre, sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal romance with some historical, mostly ancient historical, blended in. I never even browse the aisles of mystery, or literary fiction or westerns when I go to my local bookstore. (With apologies to those genre writers!) My non-fiction reading is all over the map, and I go through phases. I’ll read heavy non-fiction tomes for months, and read fluffy stuff in between. My writing is definitely genre, but that’s what people love because it’s comfortable. Even a new book, when it’s in a loved genre, is like a comfortable, cozy blanket to wrap yourself up in to while away the hours.
Oct 27, 2012 @ 18:27:45
I agree, and have been saying this for years about movies as well as books. It’s a shame that art and entertainment are seen a mutually exclusive things. There’s no reason books and and movies can’t be both.
Oct 29, 2012 @ 03:37:08
I love the idea that the boxes are gone. I write romance with a women’s lit feel. It’s got a touch of mystery and love and life. Families always are part of the story, in one way or another. so what genre? who knows? but I can’t write anything else, so it is what it is. great post, My friend. thanks.
Nov 29, 2012 @ 09:47:44
Genre (or not) is rather beside the point.
A grand story with absolutely scrumptious writing quality, a headlong downhill plot filled with crisis, that’s steeped with a deep emotional core that moves you, and makes you care ever so much about the characters, will stay with you forever.
Nothing changes.
Dec 02, 2012 @ 20:24:49
Great insight here! I feel like we can go overboard categorizing books. “It’s a young adult paranormal urban fantasy with steampunk and romance elements.”
Dec 02, 2012 @ 20:55:35
The danger is feeling like we have to choose a genre is that we’ll write something like that, and in the end, we sound muddled and confused. Definitely something to watch out for.