The Fiction Genres: a Reading List
I am not an expert in all of the fiction genres. Nobody is.
With perhaps a dozen main genres of fiction and hundreds of sub-genres, it is down to you to become an expert in the specific niche you intend to carve out for yourself in the literary marketplace.
Why is it necessary to research your chosen category of fiction?
To learn the rules or conventions - both so that you can more or less stick to them (thus making your novel a recognizable member of its genre) and break a few rules, too (which will make your novel distinctive).
(For more on the rules, read Book Genres and Conventions.)
How do you research the fiction genres?
Mainly through reading and analyzing published novels similar to the ones you intend to write. But partly through reading "how to" books like the ones listed below, written by experts in their fields.
Crime and Mystery Fiction
- Writing Crime Fiction - Janet Laurence & Graham Lawler
- Writing Crime Fiction - H. R. F. Keating
- How To Write a Mystery - Larry Beinhart
Thrillers and Suspense Novels
- How To Write a Thriller - Scott Mariani
- Writing a Thriller - Andre Jute
- Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction - Patricia Highsmith
Horror Fiction
- On Writing Horror - The Horror Writers Of America
- Writing Horror Fiction - Guy N. Smith
- How To Write Horror Fiction - William F. Nolan
Romantic Fiction
- A Straightforward Guide To Writing Romantic Fiction - Kate Walker
- 12 Point Guide To Writing Romance - Kate Walker
- Writing a Romance Novel For Dummies - Leslie Wainger
- The Craft Of Writing Romance - Jean Saunders
Science Fiction and Fantasy
- How To Write Science Fiction and Fantasy - Orson Scott Card
- How To Write Science Fiction - Bob Shaw
- Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy - Crawford Kilian
- Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy - David Gerrold
Historical Fiction
- The Art and Craft Of Writing Historical Fiction - James Alexander Thom
- Writing Historical Fiction - Marina Oliver
- How To Write Historical Novels - Michael Legat
Action and Adventure Novels
- How To Write Action/Adventure Novels - Michael Newton
Western Novels
- How To Write Western Novels - Matt Braun
Children's and Young Adult Fiction
- Writing Children's Books For Dummies - Lisa Rojany Buccieri & Peter Economy
- How To Write For Children - Louise Jordan
- Writing For Children and Teens - Cynthia Liu
- The Complete Idiot's Guide To Writing For Young Adults - Deborah Perlberg
Please note that the books listed above will contain a certain amount of general novel writing advice (the kind you get from me!)
But there will also be enough information specific to whichever of the fiction genres it deals with to make tracking them down at Amazon worthwhile.
Next Step...
And that concludes this whole section looking at the different types of novels.
Now it is time to look at The Fuel of Creative Writing: Ideas...
