As writers who are their own unique person with their own unique talents and interests, it can sometimes be hard to find which genre we work best in. Most writers later in their careers find a way to master All The Elements and become the avatar of writing, but some beginners find that having a niche can help develop a style and be a good start in a writing career. That being said, here are some tips to find what works best for you:
Fantasy
Fantasy, in essence, is literature which includes some elements of magic in its writing. It’s a genre almost every writer knows, and it’s a great start because there’s so much free reign on what you want to do.
People who work best with fantasy:
- Worldbuilders. What makes fantasy so unique is that not only are there many ways you can tackle it, like high fantasy, low fantasy, and paranormal, but someone with a talent for creating cultures, geographies and languages will excel in this genre
- Anthropologists. All that being said, fantasy is also especially good for the study of people under circumstances unknown to this world. It takes a unique set of skills in order to personify a made-up tribe or group of people.
- People Using Imagery. Fantasy is also known for its elegant language and imaginative descriptions of forests, potions, magic, and battles. Writers who enjoy putting in a lot of imagery in between the action of their stories will prefer the writing styles associated with fantasy.
Resources for Fantasy Writers:
Science Fiction
Science Fiction, also called “sci-fi” for short, is writing or any other media about what the world would be like if it was technologically advanced past modern recognition. It is classically associated with space, but can also be seen in modern cities, also branching into a growingly popular genre called “cyberpunk”
People who work best with science fiction:
- Logical Thinkers. The writing style associated with science fiction usually has a logical order of events, or a very structured way of making sure one thing happens as a result of another thing, maybe one that the reader even forgot about. A science fiction is always one step ahead of the reader.
- STEM students. It helps to understand the rules of your fictional universe if you already know the rules of your real one. I’m not saying become a theoretical physicist, but it’ll be easier to imagine your made up futuristic technology if you have at least some grip on the technology of today.
- Plot Manipulators. Something that tends to give science-fiction its cutting edge is how it forces the reader to heavily engage in it so as not to loose track of what’s happening. Scifi writers like to keep their readers on their toes, which is why someone who likes mapped-out changes in their stories would like science fiction.
Resources for Science Fiction Writers:
Beginner Tips for Writing Science Fiction
Realistic Fiction
Realistic Fiction pretty much says it all in the name. It pretty much takes life how we see if and talks events or situations which didn’t happen, but could. In my opinion, I would say that this is probably one of the easiest genres to start out with, especially since it doesn’t require the same amount of world building as the first two genres I talked about.
People who work best with realistic fiction:
- People Watchers. For those of you who aren’t familiar, “people watching” is the fine art of simply sitting where you can see people walking by – maybe a coffee shop, the park, even your bedroom window – and observing what people do. People watching helps realistic fiction writers understand the mannerisms of the people around them and lets them imagine backstories of the people they see.
- People with Memorable School Experiences. This doesn’t particularly mean people who had a bad time at school, but people who remember their school years, or people living them right now, will have an easy time understanding the characteristics and personalities of people around them. Schools are a unique place to be because they both encourage individualism while also maintaining cliques for people to group into.
- Introverts/People with a Strong Sense of Self. The ones who understand themselves are also the ones who can better understand others. If you spend a lot of time pondering over your own thoughts, then realistic fiction might be for you. It’s a great way to express your feelings in a straightforward manner while also better understanding yourself through your characters.
Resources for Realistic Fiction writers:
Historical Fiction
Historical fiction is like realistic fiction, except it usually takes place in past events, or in an alternate past, in which history was changed slightly which altered the course of time.
People who work best with historical fiction:
- Researchers. For those of you who like to research, this is definitely the topic for you. Writing a historical fiction novel means paying extra close attention to the time period, especially the politics of the era you’re writing about. This research in particular takes a lot of time, though so be warned.
- History buffs. This one should come as self explanatory, but it’s best to write about something you’re interested in. For example, don’t write a historical fiction novel based off the Roman Empire if you don’t find that time period interesting. Trust me, it won’t be worth writing to you anymore.
- Perfectionists. Historical fiction derives a lot of its appeal from its exactness in historical accuracy and facts. If you’re someone who likes things to be just the way they were meant to be, then this might be a genre for you. Meticulously crafting your story around a real event is difficult, but by no means impossible.
Resources for Historical Fiction writers:
How to Write Historical Fiction
The Impossible Task of Writing Historical Fiction
I hope these tips have helped you, and good luck!
A Guide to Decide Which Genre to Write
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