# The Fiction Genres

This section on the fiction genres is for those of you who have decided to specialize in one of the more commercial categories of fiction - crime novels, horror novels, and so on.

Unlike literary fiction and mainstream fiction, genre novels are governed by rules which you must more or less stick to if you wish to be successful.

(Incidentally, if you are still unsure of the difference between literary, mainstream and genre fiction, you will find full explanations in the Types of Novels Section.)

Notice I say "more or less" stick to the rules. All great novelists, whether they are working within one of the fiction genres or not, write books which are distinctively theirs. It is this originality that has helped them to become the successes they are. Nevertheless, the rules exist.

The trick, then, is to learn what fans of science fiction, say, expect of SF writers, and then to both meet these expectations and throw something original into the mix. The articles in this section should help you to do precisely that.

## Articles on the Fiction Genres

The first thing you need to do is decide which fictional genre, in particular, you intend to specialize in. The best advice I can give is this: write the types of novels that you like to read. But for an overview of all the options open to you, read A Guide to the Genres.

Having decided on your particular genre, you next need to learn its conventions. These are the "rules" I have been talking about, or the elements which all novels belonging to that particular category must have in common. You can find out all about them in Book Genres and Conventions.

Finally, some Recommended Reading on Genre Fiction. Why? Because it is impossible for me - or for anybody, for that matter - to provide expert information on how to write every imaginable category of novel.

Novel Writing Help is all about teaching you how to write novels in general, or any novel. Whether you are writing a Space Opera or a novel for young adults, everything on this site will apply. But for those very specific hints and tips on the particular requirements of fantasy novels, for example, you really need to check out a guide written by an expert in the field - hence the reading list.

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