The Fiction Genres We Can Write In: From the Romance to Speculative Fiction

The genres listed here are not all of the possibilities for the fiction writer. Wikipedia offers a resource which covers in short every major genre. This should be studied for the aspiring writer of any genre. But, Wikipedia only offers the bare bones. Consider doing a basic internet search for "Fiction genres."

There is no general rule on what genre to write in. We can choose to write the western because we read westerns. We can choose to explore a field we know nothing about. Many published writers do not read in the same genre they write in. Ray Bradbury did this, and said he was afraid the ideas would filter into his own work. But, neither side wins out in the end because some writers work in multiple genres. Look at Stephen King: he has not only written horror, but fantasy ("Dark Tower") and has even approached writing non-fiction articles. This article will focus on the four fiction genres in short.

Speculative Fiction - Wikipedia has fantasy and science fiction in separate genres. Many writers in both fantasy and science fiction hate the term "speculative fiction," namely science fiction wizard Samuel R. Delany. But, in the spirit of brevity, we will combine them. Speculative fiction is growing in popularity. Look at the moves made of Phillip K. Dick and J.R.R. Tolkien. That is just the beginning to what speculative fiction has done in the fields of film. J.K. Rowling is one of the most popular writers of the 20^th century with her "Harry Potter" novels. If you choose to write in this genre, you will have a lot of competition. However, good speculative fiction is something to be admired not just for the money but in how it has evolved as a form. If you do choose to write, consider the problems within the short story markets (lots of competition for a small amount of money) before you embark on the shorter form. Novels are what sell in almost every genre.

Crime/Detective/Mystery - Crime fiction has sold well since the days of Dashiel Hammet and Raymond Chandler. Again, there is no major market for the short form, but crime fiction novels do sell. Many popular movies like "Payback" have been made from crime novels. The detective novels are popular to this day. Many writers, like Robert Parker, find one character and stick to them for a series of novels. This can be done in a different fashion with fantasy.

Horror - Horror fiction seems to be on a downturn of late. Still, authors like Stephen King are making millions from it. The decline of the short story hits home here again. Consider reading "On Writing" by King if you want to learn from the master of the form.

Thrillers/Action- Thrillers are made into movies more than any other genre. The term is broad; often the titles can apply to somewhere else. Action works with thrillers because they tend to go hand in hand. A good writer of thrillers is Dean Koontz.

Romance: The last genre should also bring in westerns. Many westerns have romance elements in them, but so do most novels. Romances by the likes of Daniell Steele are a huge market for aspiring writers. Some of the best westerns like "Lonesome Dove" and "Legends of the Fall" were romance hid underneath a western cover.