Okay, every time you walk into a bookstore you encounter signs above the shelves: horror, mystery, romance. Many of these genres are self-explanatory. But there are many other genres out there: children’s, fantasy, sci-fi, thriller, etc. Some of their definitions might not be as clear as others.

I’ve compiled a list of a bunch of genres and their definitions to simplify things.

Children's or Independent Reader: Children’s or independent reader books are for kids, usually from toddlers to about eleven years old. They usually feature characters (human or animals) in the same age range. A lot of the books aimed for the lower age range have many pictures and are simple in writing and/or theme. But don’t mock this! Because the Harry Potter series falls into independent reader genre and those books are simply among the best books ever written!  

Horror: Horror is one of my favorite genres. Horror books evoke a specific mood. With ghosts, creatures, and blood-and-guts, horror books allow the reader to tremble as they turn the page. The characters are usually found trying to escape some horrible misfortune and must, by some clever means, work together to solve their problems. Second Coming, my first novel,is a horror novel. Check it out to see what I mean.

Thrillers: Many readers confuse this genre with the above. To remedy this, just think of thrillers as suspense or action novels. These books grab the reader and lead them through a rollercoaster ride of emotional trill. There may be fighting, there may be a little bit of mystery or romance—whatever it is, these books keep the reader turning the page. My next book, Luke’s Situation, is a thriller. Because of the situation in which Joe finds himself, the reader is sucked into the story, forced to flip page after page if they want to find out what happens to Joe and his friends.

Fantasy: Fantasy is fantastic! Fantasy books contain elements that people do not encounter in every-day life (ex. Magic, elves, trolls, etc.). The settings may be in our world or someplace else (usually green with lots of animals :P ). The characters in fantasy tales can often use magic, talk to animals, or have some specific talent. Some of the best books are fantasy books. They allow the reader to get lost in a world that they wish they could stumble upon.  

Science Fiction:  Think metal and nuts and bolts. Often these books are set in space or a far-away planet. Sci-fi encompass a lot of science, so it’s not surprising that these books—like Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the moon--somewhat predict the future. The characters may face problems we face in everyday life (or not), but they typically face them in a society set in the future. If not, the characters can just hop into their time machines and go there!

Mystery: It is what it is—a mystery! In these books there’s either a crime or an unsolved murder that the protagonist must try to solve before they come to the end of the book. What makes these types of novels fun is that the reader gets to solve the mystery along with the character as they flip through the pages.

Romance:  How sweet! Even though many books include feelings of the heart between characters, these books make it their main focus. Whether it be between a vampire and a werewolf or a burly fireman and a lonely housewife, there is love in the air. They may have to overcome certain obstacles, but in the end these characters usually find happiness.

Westerns:  “Draw, padner!” That says it all. Think cowboy boots, hats, and six-shooters. This genre is defined by a specific time and place, usually between 1800 and 1890 and in western parts of the US (some may take place elsewhere, however). In these books there’s usually an outlaw, a hero, and in some even the damsel in distress.    

Young Adult:  Just like the children’s genre, young adult books are usually written about characters that fall into the “young adult” age (typically twelve to eighteen). In these types of books, the characters can find themselves in a variety of settings: fantasy, sci-fi, or even horror. There are plenty of issues for them to contend with throughout the books, so they’re wildly entertaining. Sometimes the characters even fight an internal struggle when they realize they like someone and they can’t tell them.

Literary: The best way to define this genre is to ask the reader to think about poetry. Literary fiction is not exactly poetry, but it deals with prose. The author uses eloquent words to fashion a tale—despite the genre—that makes the reader cry out for more. Characters in these tales may find themselves in emotional situations, but it is how these situations are described and how the characters deal with them that makes these types of books so entertaining.  

Experimental: Here we go, let’s try to do something new here. Let’s push the envelope, let’s play devil’s advocate, anything to grab the readers’ attention and get them to run away with an idea. This is typically what experimental fiction does; it goes against convention—either in style or how the words physically appear on the page—to grab the reader and either tell a story a get a point across.

Note: There are many other genres and sub-genres, but these are the ones you’ll typically come across as a reader. Remember, as a writer, if you are going to contact an agent, there are specific agents that represent specific genres. Do not—and I repeat DO NOT—send your horror manuscript to an agent representing romance novels! You’ll will be regarded as a novice writer and laughed at!

For those of you interested in querying (or contacting) agents for your manuscript, please read my post on that subject next week.

This may seem silly but I actually get a lot of questions about point of view.

There are three points of view in writing: First person, Second person, and Third person. Most books are written in either the First or Third person. In order to understand it a little easier, think of each POV as a camera.

First Person

In first person point of view, YOU are the main character, you ARE the camera. You can only hear, see, and feel what the camera (main character) feels.

For example:


The room was painted a dark red, almost the color of blood. There was painting on the wall, a couch dominating the floor, and an end table with a lamp on it. There might have been more but the peephole only allowed me to see so much from my position.


Or . . .

Mark told me it was the truth, but I didn’t believe him. Mark never told the truth, so why should he start now?
 

I approached him the way a cheetah might approach a wounded deer and shouted, “You liar!”
 

First person point of view is great when you want the reader to really get into a character. Like I stated above, the reader hears, sees, and feels everything that character does, so much that they become the character. And writing in the first person helps the reader identify with them that much easier.

The only problem when writing in the first person is that you can never deviate from that character. You can never see what’s going on when they’re not there (because you ARE the person). It will also be impossible for the reader to know what the other characters are really thinking—they can only assume, because the POV character can only assume:

Melissa hated me.

There would be no way for the POV character to know for sure that Melissa hated him, unless Melissa came right out and said it, either by words, actions, or both:


I tried pulling Melissa into my arms but she quickly pushed me away.

“Don’t touch me!” she shouted. “Don’t you ever touch me! I hate you!”

 
Third Person

Third person is a little bit different. There are two main types of Third person: Limited and omniscient.

In Third person limited, the reader knows the thoughts and feelings of the main characters, but only one at a time. The story can also be written from that character’s perspective, as if the camera is focused on that character so much that you start to (but just barely) think the way they do.


Five-year-old Kendra Walkins stared at the clock on the wall. It was large, gold, and had a white face with odd markings where the numbers should have been. It almost looked like someone had tried to spell them out but could only write with vertical lines and Vs. It made Kendra feel disoriented, as if she had stepped into another world.


The reader can tell that Kendra is viewing a clock with Roman numerals. But Kendra, at five years of age, has no knowledge of Roman numerals and therefore can’t make this connection. She just sees the numbers as vertical lines and Vs. Also, because this is a type of Third person POV, the reader knows how she feels when she sees the clock.

In Third person omniscient, there is one camera pulled all the way back so that the reader can take in the whole scene. Yet . . . this camera is special. It’s God-like. It has multiple lenses, like a fly’s eye, so that each lens can focus intently on a different character. In this POV, the reader should be able to know ALL the characters’ feeling at all times. And this goes for secondary characters, too. Since this is confusing, this POV is hardly used. Plus, it would be annoying to execute and would create little suspense (seriously, how much tension could you build when the reader already knew in the first chapter that Katie would say no to John when he proposed to her at the end of the book?).

Many authors write somewhere in between the first two Third person examples, as if the camera is pulled back to take in the whole scene but doesn’t have that special compound lens, like a fly’s eye. They don’t need to know the feelings of EVERY character, and yet they don’t need to follow one character around, they want to be able to jump:


Frank dropped his head, exhausted.  “I don’t want to have this argument again.”
 
“Neither do I,” said Katie. She hesitated, and then wrapped her arms around him.

Frank felt like pinching himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Katie wasn’t usually this friendly, but then again, Frank knew she had never been in love before.


The scene’s written from Frank’s POV but the camera isn’t super close, where you can see very little or anything else. It’s farther back, allowing you to see how Katie feels, too.


Second Person

I saved this POV for last, because it’s used the least of all.

Second person is a lot like Third Person, except that instead of using the pronoun “he” or “she” you use “you.” It’s a lot like an instruction manual in present tense, or those books where you choose what happens next:


You walk to the end of the narrow corridor where you find a window. It’s shut, but you wedge your fingers into the space at the bottom and pry it up with all your might. Then it opens, slowly, squealing like a rusty hinge.

If you go out the window, turn to page 3. If you turn around, . . .      (Just kidding about this part.)


In short, you have First person (YOU are the main character), Third person limited (camera focused intently on one person), Third person omniscient (camera a bit farther back with that God-like lens), or Second person (the “what do you do next” type of writing). Deciding which POV you want to use for your novel can be a daunting decision, but it’s one that you have to make. If you want the reader to associate with the main character, see, hear, and feel what they do, then your best option is First person. If you want to jump around a lot, show different scenes with different characters in them, write from different perspectives, then your best bet is probably Third person. I haven’t found a use for Second in any of my writing yet, but if I do I’ll let you know :P
 

Drafts


Draft 1:

The first draft is the most important draft, yet it’s also the draft that’s filled with the most errors. In this draft you’re writing in a fury, scurrying to get your thoughts down on the paper. You’re writing dialogue, narrating, creating characters, and building worlds. And when you’re done, you’re left with something beautiful, but also with something that needs a lot of work.

Draft 2:

I recommend taking at least 5 to 6 weeks before starting this draft. The reason for this is simple: it allows your mind to relax and forget about the novel (if it's too recent in your memory it'll cloud your judgment). Write a few short stories during this break, blog, work on your marketing, hell, take a walk! I don’t care; just don’t work on the manuscript!

After your mind’s had some time to relax you’re ready to go back. In this second draft you’re reading your work again, rediscovering it. I like to keep a pen and a paper at hand to write down important things. I note inconsistencies with the plot, characters, continuity, and often I discover a theme that I will later build on. I also delete 10% of it! When you’re writing in a fury in that first draft you’re writing down a lot of things that don’t need to be in there!

Ex.

John took in the bookshelves lining the walls, the Egyptian carpet, the single flimsy chair in the center of the room, and the rich mahogany desk. The way Mr. Mac sat behind this last he looked like a judge ready to bring down his gravel. 

 
“Have a seat,” Mr. Mac said, gesturing toward a flimsy chair in front of his desk.

 
John sat on the chair and folded his leg, feeling as if he were shrinking in the presence of this powerful man.  

I wrote this pretty quick but it’ll serve as a good example just the same. Everything bolded should be fixed. IN FRONT OF HIS DESK should be deleted because the chair's location was already described in the first paragraph. No need to repeat it! ON THE CHAIR should be deleted because, duh, where else is he going to sit? On the Egyptian carpet? Yeah, it’s possible, but highly unlikely. If he had sat on the carpet, I would have mentioned that, and then it would have been okay.

This second draft gives us time to correct all of the above and bring out that theme, maybe make the novel a bit more allegorical, or change a character entirely! But once that’s done it’s time for the third draft.

Draft 3:

I write the first two drafts on the computer. It’s just easier for me (and my handwriting is chicken scratch—not even a doctor could read it!). But this third draft should be printed out and edited with a pen. The reason for this is simple: you’re looking at the manuscript another way, in another form. Your eyes will pick up mistakes they couldn’t pick up while reading the manuscript on the computer. Trust me. It works!

I also read the prior drafts to myself; therefore it’s important to read the third draft out loud. Yeah, you may sound crazy doing it—especially if other people are in the house—so find a quiet room and lock the door. You don’t want any distractions. Just sit down and read it through OUT LOUD. By doing this, you force your eyes to move slower and therefore you can pick out errors that you couldn’t before. You will also HEAR how sentences sound. They might sound great in your head but when you read them out loud you might discover they’re confusing or too long. You’re also doing for the same reason you should go to a critique group or hire an editor: YOU  know what you meant to say when you wrote the manuscript, and when you read it to yourself your brain skips over the errors, substituting it with the correction. But . . . if you read it out loud, you’re forced to HEAR the error.

Draft 4:

Now it’s time to have someone else read it. This is when you’re finally ready for the writers’ groups or the critique circles. It’s also a good opportunity to give the manuscript to a few acquaintances or “beta readers” (people who read the manuscript after you, the alpha reader, and will also give unbiased opinions).

You may even want to write down a few questions they have to answer when they reach a certain point in the manuscript. I find this a valuable tool to gauge my ability as a writer. Does the reader understand what I implied? Are they viewing the character the way I viewed them? If your beta readers agree that your character would never kill the president, then you should probably go back and make a few changes. But if three of them say that he would and three say that he wouldn’t then leave it alone. Ties always go to the writer. Having these beta readers is just a good way to pick up some additional errors and see if the general public will like the manuscript.

 
Step 5:

Editor time!!!!!!!

Send that bad boy off to the editor and make whatever corrections you have to.

Note: I generally view drafting the manuscript as building a wall. You start off with the frame, then you move onto the drywall, then sand it, then paint. Lastly, the inspector comes in and checks out your work. He might tell you there’s a wire running through the wall that isn’t up to code and you have to cut a hole in it to remove it, but in the end you discover that it was all for the best. Because, after you fix it up again, you realize that the wall’s even better-looking than before.

Character:

I feel—and so do a lot of other authors—that the most important element in any novel, above plot or story, is character. Without the character, the story goes nowhere. It flops. Keels over and dies. Gag. Shudder. That’s it. The reason for this is simple: think of your favorite novel (I’m going to use Harry Potter for this example) and try to imagine a character from that novel for a second. Easy, right? I bet the moment you thought of that character you knew everything about them. Their appearance, the way they act, the way they talk, the way they carry themselves around others, their motivations, etc. You could do this because the author was very good at creating that character. Jo. Rowling is a master at this in her Harry Potter series. Pick out any character in that series—go ahead, I’ll wait—and tell me you can’t clearly see them in your head. Ron Weasley is a red-headed boy, poor, and overshadowed by his older siblings. Draco Malfoy is a sharp-featured, arrogant little twit who talks down to people. Hagrid is a hairy giant of a man who fails to see the hazard in the dangerous creatures he loves. Each and every character has their own life, their own back-story, their own private ambition. And it’s for those reasons that those characters seem alive, and it’s for that reason that character is the most important element in any story.

When you have a “real” character, he/she propels the story forward. Dialogue no longer becomes a nettlesome task that the reader must trudge through in order to see what happens next in the story but a device to propel the story forward. In extreme cases—first person narratives—the entire story is told through the eyes of a character. And if the reader doesn’t care about that  particular character (or any character for that matter), or if the reader thinks they’re fake, then they will no longer want to read about the rest of the story, no matter how interesting it may be.

There are a number of ways to create real, believable characters. The easiest is to write those characters down on a piece of paper. The harder way—the way I'm usually guilty of—is to discover who they are as you're writing and then go back later and add in their attributes or make the necessary changes. Either way, the first thing you will need to write is the character’s name. This may not seem important, but it actually is. Do you really think it would be appropriate to name a small, frail, and meek character Rosco Stone? Unless you’re deliberate trying to make a joke, I don’t think that name would fit that character at all. Rosco and Stone are both strong names. For a frail character you might want to use the names Bartholomew, Milton, Stuart, Beatriz, Phoebe, etc. You can even use onomastics (study of names, origin of names) if you wish to add clever depth to your characters: Rosco Stone is a burly prize-fighter with hairy knuckles, Dr. Valentine is a love-struck hypnotherapist who lusts for his patients, even the famous Willy Loman is a tragic hero.

The next thing you’ll need to do is decide what flaws this character has. Nobody wants to read a story about a perfect character: Nora is the Valedictorian of her class. She tutors her underclassmen. She volunteers at animal shelters. She says her prayers. Bottom line: Nora is boring. The reader would rather read about a Nora with some depth. A Nora who does those same things but then comes home, kisses her parents goodnight, and then opens her window so the guy she just met at the drugstore can climb in and fuck her because she’s secretly a nymphomaniac. They want to read about a Nora who has OCD and has to touch everything 12 times, a Nora who can’t say or do a anything mean even when she is being physically abused, even a Nora who might be missing an arm. The important thing here is to step away from the cookie-cutter image of the perfect 1950s family. Nobody lives like that now (and I highly doubt anyone lived like that back then, too). People are three-dimensional, they think things, they act the way they do because of how they were raised, they talk the way they do because of what television shows they watched and who they hang out with, they dress the way they do because of the job they have.

Try this:

Write a detailed blurb about each character. Include what sports they like (if any), if they had a good childhood, if they graduated high school, if they’re in a gang, if they read, if they wear glasses, if they shave, if they have any tattoos, if they smoke. Slowly you’re going to get an image of a character. Example: Snake wears a motorcycle jacket, he chews on a tooth-pick, he slicks his hair back with the gel he stole from his mother’s boyfriend. Although this may seem like the typical image of some motorcycle punk it might not be. It’s up to the writer to decide. By asking questions, the writer can determine this: Why does Snake call himself Snake? Why does he dress the way he does? Was he beaten as a child? Is he secretly afraid that he’ll get hurt if he doesn’t put up a strong image? Does he have anything that he hides, such as the fact that he writes poetry? Now we’re getting somewhere! Snake

Another way to add depth to your character is to look at how he or she speaks. I’m sure your college-educated character isn’t going to speak like this: “She ain’t got no fuckin’ idea who she talkin’ to!” She might want to use complete sentences and proper English. If she’s from the south, she might have a southern drawl. If she’s a Cali-girl she might use the word “like” about ten times per sentence. If she’s in a gang, she might want to use some slang or even talk the way she does in the example. The options are limitless. Just remember this: the character drives the story forward. The way they look, dress, and speak will tell the reader what type of person they are and how they will act in the novel. If you have different characters, each shaped differently (either slightly or drastically), it will be very easy for the characters to interact with one another and move the story forward in an interesting manner. There will be jokes between them, confrontations, camaraderie. But the most important thing is . . . they will seem real! That’s what will keep the reader interested. That’s what will keep them turning the pages. They will want to know what happens to these characters, because they either care for them or hate them.