Last week, we shared a blog about our Children's and Young Adult books , with a promise to share some bookish ideas for adults the following week. And here we are! We don't really go in for the "books for him/her/it" thing, and a number of our books don't fit snuggly in with market genres, so instead we're going to give you a brief introduction to our books as individuals. Why? Because our books are as unique as our readers: we do not like to pigeon-hole. Proudly introducing our books... Filled with nature, memories, and ecological warning, Child of the Earth is a companion book to Susan's monthly blogs . Child of the Earth takes the reader through a wildlife year in rural Lincolnshire and very rural Northern Scotland. Interspersed with short fiction, poetry, and pictures, it truly is a gem of a book. But you don't need to take our word for it - this book was a Wishing Shelf Book Award Finalist . The beginnings of a family saga, Day's Dying Gl...
Tuesday 26th November - Categorising and Genres
It's important for readers and writers to understand a little bit about genres. It means that a writer can tailor their work to readers, and it means that a reader can have a good guess of whether they'll enjoy a certain book.
There are certain tropes that people expect from certain genres, so make sure you know what they are before categorising your book. For example, if you're writing Romance then you need to make sure that the couple get together at the end of the book. Oh, and they've got to have some troubles along the way too, of course!
By all means, kick back against the trend and defy stereotypes, but if you don't stick to certain tropes then you may end up with disgruntled readers.
Important Notes
I have recently been teaching my class of P4/5 about different genres, and it has really helped me peel back the genres to the bare bones. This is how I described some of the main genres to the kids:
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| Books have, and always will be, categorised into types. It helps writers and readers succeed. |
It's important for readers and writers to understand a little bit about genres. It means that a writer can tailor their work to readers, and it means that a reader can have a good guess of whether they'll enjoy a certain book.
There are certain tropes that people expect from certain genres, so make sure you know what they are before categorising your book. For example, if you're writing Romance then you need to make sure that the couple get together at the end of the book. Oh, and they've got to have some troubles along the way too, of course!
By all means, kick back against the trend and defy stereotypes, but if you don't stick to certain tropes then you may end up with disgruntled readers.
Important Notes
- A book can be more than one genres. I categorise Taking Wing as Fantasy Adventure, therefore combining the genres of Fantasy and Adventure.
- Middle grade, young adult or new adult are not genres. They're age categories. There are still different genres inside these categories.
I have recently been teaching my class of P4/5 about different genres, and it has really helped me peel back the genres to the bare bones. This is how I described some of the main genres to the kids:
- Fantasy is something that cannot happen
- Science Fiction is something that cannot happen...yet
- Comedy is a funny story
- Adventure is an exciting story, often involving a quest
- Horror is a story that's designed to be scary
- Fairytale is a magical story, often with a happily-ever-after ending
- Romance is a story about a couple with a happily-ever-after ending
Of course, this is only a smallish list of a few genres. The literary world is full of fascinating genres.
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