Defining Your Novel's Genre

I am at the crossroads of a seemingly impossible task, one of defining my novel's genre. In a world where genre-bending is as common as houseflies, when submitting a manuscript to an agent or publisher, it is still necessary to know where your novel belongs.

Let's look at my manuscript Gorgon-zola!, a manuscript that can seemingly fit on many bookshelves.

First, it's a book about a feisty Italian 30-something woman who finds out that she's the reincarnated Medusa, and you can imagine the boy trouble she has. After all, it's difficult to settle down with a man when every time she gets angry, she's in danger of paralyzing him. She does find Mr. Romeo, in the guise of a reincarnated hero, who just happens to have a fear of snakes. But is it romance? Not unless it's a main component of the story. Whereas my heroine and hero definitely have the hots for each other, unless the story is about my heroine finding true love, then it's not romance.

Second, it's a book with multiple Grecian gods and goddesses playing a starring role. They can disappear and reappear at will, and even summon martinis. So is it fantasy? There's no different world, different culture, and no fantastical creatures.

Third, it's a light summer read, one that I can see a woman taking to the beach for her most personal of relaxation times. She can struggle along with my heroine as she tries to master her powers and she can identify with a woman who sometimes just wants to be left alone. Does that make it chick lit? There's not as much humor as Bridget Jones' Diary.

Fourth, it deals with issues like trust, and solitude, and even briefly touches on religion. After all, it's kind of hard not to when Greek gods and goddesses are forcing you to take sides. It's also for women, so does that make it women's fiction? Women's fiction typically requires greater stoicism, and the tone of my book just isn't ready to go there.

Fifth, it takes place in "real life" and has a magical twist, so does that make it magical realism? Magical realism is often literary fiction with just a dash of "something else" thrown in. Gorgon-zola! is definitely a far cry from literary fiction.

So what's an author to do? Sometimes when you're at your wit's end and you want to call your novel a jack of all trades, you can fall back to those who have come before you. Find a book that you love that reminds you of your own precious novel, and head over to a review site, or read the back of the book. How was this novel described? Another idea is to pick the one that comes the closest and use the tried and true "chick lit with a touch of fantasy". Or ask a critique partner what they think.

And just remember, it's okay to be wrong. It's your compelling query and writing that will capture the eye of an agent and publisher. The market is continuously changing and combining genres in new and interesting ways. Just maybe, the next big genre catch phrase will be that perfect home for the novel you've just written.

Photo of the Week: The Temple of Philae

Rising up like The Lady of the Lake's secret abode, the Temple of Philae in Egypt struck me as one of those magical places that are seldom visited. To get there, we sat aboard a small motorboat which noisily pushed itself in the most economic unfriendly way towards this island. Egrets wandered by with a sense of apathy, as if they've seen far too many tourists before. This was a pilgrimage site for those who worshipped Isis, and as the Egyptian goddesses of magic, she definitely had a hand here.

Photo of the Week: Technicolor Floor Cleaner in Spain

Since I'm abysmally slow in updating my friends and family with pictures I've taken while travelling around the world, I'm going to start my picture of the week feature. This way I can post a tantalizing piece of my journeys every week. I hope you enjoy.

I took this picture in a grocery store in Barcelona. The colors are so vibrant, it looks a bit like kool-aid, but its not. It's floor cleaner. Imagine leaving this type of thing around with a small child. Yikes.

NPR's Top 100 Science-Fiction & Fantasy Books

Wondering if people adore your favorite sci-fi/fantasy reads as much as you do?

NPR conducted a survey this summer to find out. The ballots have been counted, all 60,000 of them, and NPR has just posted the winners. There's a convenient printable top 100 list, and the complete list of 237 finalists. What a great way to spend the rest of your summer, curled up with an old favorite, or with a fresh, new paperback on the hammock.

Top 100 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books

Complete List of 237 Finalists

How to Outline Your Next Novel

One of the single biggest questions asked of any author is "did you outline?" If you ask three different authors this question, it's one of those times where you will get five answers, all of them different. It's one of my favorite questions to ask at any panel, just to prove a point: there is no single right way to write a novel. Everyone does it differently. The point is learning your own style. Sometimes this means following in another's footsteps, and sometimes this means muddling through on your own.

If you do want to outline, how should you begin? I have come across more than a hundred blog posts and articles discussing the merits of outlining or letting your characters have their heads and run freely, but not very many on how to actually outline. If you need a how-to, check out one of these wonderful websites:

• Randy Ingermanson's "Snowflake Method". This theoretical physicist designed this method for growing your novel. It has step-by-step detail on how to outline, as well as a link to software that you can purchase.

• Alicia Rasley's 1998 Article on sff.net called "Outline Your Novel in 30 Minutes". A quick and easy way to get started.

• Creative Writing Now's "How to Make a Novel Outline". Here you can find a simple method, tips and dangers, and worksheets for novel, character and scene development.