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Nathan Bransford

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What’s the Genre of Your WIP?

November 3, 2010 by Nathan Bransford 122 Comments

Now that NaNoWriMo is in full effect, I thought I’d return to a post from approximately a year ago to see which way the genre winds are blowing in late 2010. Will the breakdown be the same as last year? Is there a genre or two that are growing in popularity?

Poll below.

Also, I know genre distinctions are blurry, so just pick one in case there’s overlap. And remember, when in doubt: go with the section of the bookstore your book would be stocked in. As before, I added “paranormal” to the categories even though it’s not typically a bookstore section simply because there are so many people writing about vampires, werewolves, etc.

My answers is still the same as last year: middle grade science fiction.

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Filed Under: Genres Tagged With: You Tell Me

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jessica says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:32 pm

    I've been seeing a ton of steampunk going on amongst writer friends lately, most of whom were writing paranormals last year.

    Reply
  2. Anima says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:33 pm

    My book is sort of like the Indiana Jones movies. What genre is that?

    Reply
  3. Marian Allen says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:34 pm

    Mine is part of a series. I have roughs of two more, done in the previous two NaNos. After this one, I follow your instructions for making a series bible and then I polish!

    Marian Allen

    Reply
  4. Josin L. McQuein says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:35 pm

    Mine started off as what I thought of as YA fiction, but others who've seen it in progress say it's tipped into sci-fi, so I guess I have to reclassify it.

    Reply
  5. Misa says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:36 pm

    I voted for "science fiction", but it's actually erotic science fiction romance.

    *beams*

    Reply
  6. Stephanie says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:36 pm

    Women's fiction here!!!!

    Reply
  7. Liana Brooks says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:36 pm

    Mine is a near-future spec-fic/sci-fi novel. So far, it's going well.

    Reply
  8. Joanne Sher says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:37 pm

    Mine is historical (to be more specific, Biblical) fiction. Not doing NaNo though. Interesting!

    Reply
  9. Becca says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:39 pm

    Why isn't there a young adult suspense category?

    Reply
  10. CjEggett says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:41 pm

    Thought there would be more Supernatural/Paranormal votes so far!

    An attempt at a supernaturalist list for twitter here: http://twitter.com/#!/CjEggett/nanowrimo-supernaturalist

    Reply
  11. Nathan Bransford says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:42 pm

    becca-

    There's YA mystery, intended to include YA mystery/suspense/thriller – I didn't want to write out everything in that category because it would have been too long.

    Reply
  12. Lexi says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:43 pm

    I don't know – Unofficial Girl begins with a science fiction experiment which sets off a series of events involving romance, spies, and a life-and-death hunt through London.

    Reply
  13. Anonymous says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:44 pm

    Did chick-lit become humor or women's fiction?

    What happened to mainstream or adventure?

    Reply
  14. Mira says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:45 pm

    Yay – a post from Nathan. I was starting to have withdrawal symptoms. 🙂

    Hope New York is treating you super-duper.

    I choose prescriptive non-fiction, although humor, memoir, picture books and….I don't what to call them, these other thingies…are also genres within which I write.

    And papers. Academic papers. Are you sure you're not interested in representing my school papers, Nathan? This week, I'm doing an observation study on the DMV. That's where I observe people in the DMV, and write a paper on what they did. This is a very exciting study, and there should be a HUGE audience for my results. Let me know.

    Go Giants!!!

    Reply
  15. Laura Maylene says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:45 pm

    Is this supposed to be for our NaNoWriMo novels, or any WIP? (My Nano novel and my "real" WIP are in different genres.)

    My word verification right now is "seducr," which tells me maybe I should try to add romance to the list…

    Reply
  16. Mo Fuzz says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:49 pm

    I know it's too late but Literary Commercial Fiction is the best way to categorize what I write.

    Is it appropriate to use that term in a query?

    Thanks, Nathan.

    Reply
  17. Woofer says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:51 pm

    Mine is horror, like last year.

    Reply
  18. Hannah Jenny says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:55 pm

    Fantasy! At least, I think if it's set in a fantasy world quite different from modern-day normal that happens to include werewolves it's still primarily classified as fantasy . . .

    Unfortunately, this is the same one as last time and it's not much closer to being finished 🙁

    Reply
  19. Matthew Rush says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:55 pm

    Why isn't there a YA Rural Fantasy option? I thought we talked about this Nathan.

    Congrats on being world champs by the way. It's really nice to see someone who isn't NY/PHI/STL on top.

    Reply
  20. Jenny says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:55 pm

    Mine's steampunk, which I suppose falls under fantasy (it's more magically-oriented steampunk, not very science-y, so I don't really view it as sci-fi)

    🙂

    Reply
  21. Sherri says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:56 pm

    Mine's a ghost story, so I'm going with paranormal. Not quite fantasy, but no vampires. *shrug*

    Reply
  22. Kathryn says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:59 pm

    Romance for me. It'll be my first time doing a romance, so I'm pretty excited. And nervous, but that's normal.

    Reply
  23. M.A.Leslie says

    November 3, 2010 at 6:59 pm

    After reading Bookends blog earlier today I realized that my work is best classified as, cross-genre fantasy romance. It is a mouth full but it best discribes what I am writing.

    Reply
  24. Remus Shepherd says

    November 3, 2010 at 7:04 pm

    I chose Science Fiction because that's what almost all of my novels have been. But the WIP…the WIP is more of a contemporary Lovecraftian story. I didn't think Cthulhu fit in with paranormal. (He certainly doesn't sparkle in the sun.)

    Reply
  25. Joseph L. Selby says

    November 3, 2010 at 7:04 pm

    Given the detail you gave to the YA and MG markets, I would have thought separating urban fantasy from fantasy would have also been appropriate.

    Reply
  26. lexcade says

    November 3, 2010 at 7:06 pm

    mine's a fantasy that will end up being entirely too long. one of the downfalls of being a pantser.

    Reply
  27. Max says

    November 3, 2010 at 7:07 pm

    Mine is a high concept adventure story, but I put sci-fi because the inciting incident involves an another-worldly source.

    Reply
  28. Red says

    November 3, 2010 at 7:08 pm

    I'm a little strange, I guess. I have one Sci-Fi novel, one modern Romance/Adventure novel, one Fantasy novel, and one trashy Romance/Erotic novel all in the works at once. *sigh* Now, if I can just get one of them finished to my liking…

    Reply
  29. Book Bird Dog says

    November 3, 2010 at 7:10 pm

    Memoir which might turn into fiction.

    Reply
  30. Istvan Szabo, Ifj. says

    November 3, 2010 at 7:13 pm

    Fantasy in beta status where I've tried to leave all the fantasy cliches behind and create a brand new world with it (Based on the beta reviews it seems the novel is succeeded on this front.). My other WIP is a dark sci-fi story, which will be a comic novel.

    Reply
  31. wonderer says

    November 3, 2010 at 7:17 pm

    My WIP is straight-up fantasy.

    I've also written urban fantasy, YA fantasy, steampunk, and historical paranormal. My next WIP is likely to be either steampunk-flavoured science fiction or YA science fiction.

    Why yes, I do enjoy playing in all corners of the SF/F genre…

    Reply
  32. Tara Dawn says

    November 3, 2010 at 7:18 pm

    Pseudo sci-fi dystopia novel with a love story… I threw it under sci-fi. Why not? 🙂

    Reply
  33. Anassa says

    November 3, 2010 at 7:18 pm

    I voted fantasy because I'll be pitching it as urban fantasy, but it's got a bunch of sci-fi elements.

    Reply
  34. Lisa Kilian says

    November 3, 2010 at 7:21 pm

    A fellow writer friend turned me on to a new and upcoming genre called New Adult fiction or something of the like. Written for post-grad twenty year-olds, not appropriate for a young adult crowd, but not technically a true adult fiction.

    This is what mine falls under.

    Lisa K

    Reply
  35. Rusty B. says

    November 3, 2010 at 7:22 pm

    Mine is science fiction/ fantasy blend with a slight tinge of horror targeted for 12+ gifted kids, though some kids down to 10+ might can read it. It is set in present day and the story interacts with present day Earth. I don't know what exact genre classification that makes it. Anyway, it's a 4 part serial.

    Reply
  36. Jenna says

    November 3, 2010 at 7:25 pm

    I wish NaNo had your options. My book is classified as "Young Adult" in NaNo since the protagonist is seventeen, but it's also a sci-fi and I wish I could choose both options for it.

    Reply
  37. Brooklyn Ann says

    November 3, 2010 at 7:39 pm

    Not doing NaNo this year because I'm finishing my paranormal romance and then revising another.

    Reply
  38. Anonymous says

    November 3, 2010 at 7:43 pm

    romantic drama

    Reply
  39. Elaine AM Smith says

    November 3, 2010 at 7:45 pm

    I clicked MG Sci-fi but it didn't register.
    Did you block the genre to keep it all to yourself? I'm thinking you did.
    😉

    Reply
  40. J. T. Shea says

    November 3, 2010 at 7:48 pm

    Is rawhide a genre? Oh wait! You said WIP! Well, I'm still wipping mine into shape, but Young Adult Dieselpunk is probably the most succinct description. Of your listed categories, Nathan, I could have selected Fantasy or Science Fiction or YA Fantasy or YA SF. I selected YA SF as the best fit.

    As I've commented before, Irish bookstores have Teenager sections, but no YA sections. My series would probably end up in the Teenager or Fantasy or SF sections, the last two sections often being combined. There are no MG sections because Irish schools have classes, not grades, and none are described as 'middle'. Do American bookstores really have SEVEN different YA sections and MG sections?

    Anima, my WIP also resembles the Indiana Jones series. Indy is Action/Adventure with Fantasy elements, but has more recently been claimed by Dieselpunk. Interesting how the religious/occult fantasy of the first three movies is replaced by Science Fiction in the fourth movie. Interesting too that Nathan lists no Action/Adventure category. I wonder where he would shelve Indy? Apart from a 'Movie tie-in' shelf.

    JACOB WONDERBAR sounds like MG Fantasy to me, although it does feature Extra-Solar Planetary Flatulence…

    Reply
  41. Jillian Brookes-Ward says

    November 3, 2010 at 7:52 pm

    Romance, always romance…

    Reply
  42. Caroline says

    November 3, 2010 at 8:19 pm

    Does 1954-64 count as historical? It's Gypsy meets The Bean Trees during the Cold War.

    Reply
  43. T. Anne says

    November 3, 2010 at 8:22 pm

    Woman's fiction for me. I'm continuing a novel I began last month but am determined to input 50K this month! So far I've upped my word count by close to 6K.

    Reply
  44. D.G. Hudson says

    November 3, 2010 at 8:28 pm

    YA and MG writing have grown in popularity (which isn't surprising when you consider a few factors). I don't read them but I can't miss them in the bookstores.

    My revision WIP and new WIP (being mapped) are genre fiction aimed at the adult audience.

    Markets are fickle, I'm banking on that. What's in today may very well be out tomorrow. So the best thing to do is to keep writing, testing the waters, and learning.

    What do you glean from this information, Nathan? It would be interesting to know if the types of responses in this vote will equal or come close to the types of queries you receive in your in-box.

    Reply
  45. k10wnsta says

    November 3, 2010 at 8:30 pm

    I wonder why there's no YA – Literary Fiction.
    What would Catcher in the Rye and Huckleberry Finn qualify as? Obviously they're timeless and qualify under the general lit-fic banner, but their demographic is typically younger readers.
    Is it because their technical proficiency can still be appreciated by adults as well?

    Frankly, I find the brunt of the YA label to be a cop-out.* It's allowed too many authors who haven't honed their writing skills or world view beyond that of a teenager to publish books all willy-nilly. I'm sure some would argue that if they're getting published and kids are reading it, that's all that matters, but I would beg to differ. The fodder teenagers are reading nowadays is teaching them that mediocre writing isn't just acceptable but it's rewarded. As a result, aspiring young authors never feel the need to set lofty literary goals for their own work.
    Basically, it's compounding the problem of the collective dumbing-down of society (although probably not as much as television shows like Ghosthunters, UFO Hunters, and whatever 'psychic' show is having its 'fifteen minutes' this week).

    *(No offense to anyone classifying their work as YA. There are certainly quality books in the genre – they just seem to be getting fewer and further between. So make your work extraordinary!)

    Reply
  46. k10wnsta says

    November 3, 2010 at 8:37 pm

    Speaking of setting a higher standard for writing:
    I'll give a cookie to whoever spots the glaring grammatical error in my comment above.
    Here's a hint: I misappropriated a word.

    /begins baking cookies

    Reply
  47. kevinluttery says

    November 3, 2010 at 8:38 pm

    Mine is adult mainstream, though I see no category for it.

    Reply
  48. Jodi Henry says

    November 3, 2010 at 8:40 pm

    It's adult urban/dark fantasy for me. Leaning more toward the darker side of things for NaNo.

    Best

    J

    Reply
  49. Anonymous says

    November 3, 2010 at 8:44 pm

    My first NANO, I did an urban fantasy romance…basically hot werewolves running from the bad guys and falling in love. 🙂 Hey, it was SO FUN to write.

    This year I'm doing a dark action-adventure comedy where I hope to break most of the rules of novel writing.

    🙂

    WHat fun is NANO if you don't stretch.

    Tirzah Laughs

    Reply
  50. Kristal Shaff says

    November 3, 2010 at 9:07 pm

    MG Fantasy. :o)

    Reply
  51. Poetry of Flesh says

    November 3, 2010 at 9:10 pm

    Currently working on a creative non-fiction novel focusing on three generations of family, the emotional and psychological traditions that are passed on, as well as the inability to truly defeat the parent/child role, and how the one-two punch of that combination can cause a person to break. Not sure exactly where to classify that, as it isn't a memoir (while it focuses on members of my family, it's not about me), but it's not literary fiction.

    Reply
  52. Ariel Swan says

    November 3, 2010 at 9:54 pm

    Women's fiction with a supernatural thread – I think. That is what I have been querying it as anyway. Think Alice Hoffman with more ghost and less fairytale.I'd love to run into other writers of this genre in the bloggersphere – but they seem to be few and far between.

    Reply
  53. Linda Poitevin says

    November 3, 2010 at 10:19 pm

    Urban Fantasy. More specifically, a supernatural suspense/police procedural with strong romantic elements (but not a HEA)…but it will be shelved in the Fantasy section, 'cause I'm pretty sure book stores don't have that particular category. 🙂

    Reply
  54. Sierra McConnell says

    November 3, 2010 at 10:21 pm

    Is "help me my characters are out of control and they are taking over" a genre?

    No, that wasn't a cry for help! I swear! I'm not typing anything that isn't the MS or work!

    Honestly. They are taking over. What happened to my summary?

    Reply
  55. Joe G says

    November 3, 2010 at 10:48 pm

    What about magical realism?

    Reply
  56. mt si dad says

    November 3, 2010 at 10:49 pm

    YA – General. NaNoWriMo to start it off. Coming of age in the 50s. Jackie Robinson, Lyndon Johnson, Joe McCarthy, and others appear.

    Reply
  57. Andrea Strong says

    November 3, 2010 at 11:02 pm

    Mine's Romance. More to the point Christian Romance. (There's quite a difference between the two).

    I guess the question isn't limited to NaNo writers. I had to think about if there would be Early Reader or Picture Books with 50k words. That was hard to imagine.

    Reply
  58. rachelslessonslearned says

    November 3, 2010 at 11:19 pm

    I selected literary fiction, but my WIP is more accurately called experimental crime noir literary fiction. Ha. Its a genre I've never tried before–I usually read and write fantasy. So far its been fun and disturbing to write.

    Reply
  59. Becky Levine says

    November 3, 2010 at 11:31 pm

    I'm so happy to SEE YA Historical Fiction as a category in your list. 🙂

    Reply
  60. Leah Petersen says

    November 4, 2010 at 12:18 am

    Among the many things to worry about while trying to get published, at least this one hasn't been difficult for me. Mine's straight-up adult sci-fi. Oh, it has its interesting complicating elements (gay main character) but it's about adults in the future. Clean-cut categorization.

    Reply
  61. Leah Petersen says

    November 4, 2010 at 12:19 am

    And my one in the wings is pure epic fantasy. The main character is 16, but that doesn't usually matter in epic fantasy, in my experience.

    Reply
  62. Gina says

    November 4, 2010 at 12:29 am

    I recently learned that what I'm writing is called New Adult literature. My characters are early twenties- too old for YA, too young to be real adults. I'm excited to (try to) add something to relatively uncharted territory. But also scared it will may spur rampant rejections!

    Reply
  63. Taymalin says

    November 4, 2010 at 12:35 am

    Mine is an urban fantasy (I voted paranormal, though there are no witches, vampires or werewolves). It has very strong suspense/thriller elements as well.

    Word Ver is bedho–which sort of relates to my story in a disturbing way.

    Reply
  64. Anonymous says

    November 4, 2010 at 12:51 am

    Didn't see a category for lgbt fiction, so I clicked other. And I'm kind of curious about what the rest of the "other" people are writing.

    Reply
  65. Becca says

    November 4, 2010 at 12:53 am

    Late, but thank you Nathan. I haven't been able to get an answer to that before.

    Reply
  66. Laura says

    November 4, 2010 at 1:11 am

    MG-Horror is I'll be writing next, but there wasn't a place for that so I put "other". It isn't "paranormal", there are no vamps, witches, or anything supernatural. Just a good old fashioned creepy monster (a biological oddity). I'm sorry that there weren't places for YA-Horror and MG-Horror, though you included Sci-Fi for each. I love Sci-Fi, too, and read a lot of it, but I love Horror more (and it sells better anyway). Please include "Horror" in your kids choices next time so the horror-writers don't feel like poor cousins.

    Reply
  67. Mystery Robin says

    November 4, 2010 at 1:22 am

    I called it sci fi – it's really steampunk, but with no magic elements – just alt history, so I didn't say fantasy. I think you could make an argument either way, though. 😉

    Reply
  68. Dick Hannah says

    November 4, 2010 at 2:03 am

    Last year it was Mystery, this year it's true thriller. Anyway we can split that category up next year so the subtleties of my vote can count? Also, I understand that there are already a ton of categories on your list. . . why do these two so easily get lumped together? Couldn't a case easily be made that the two are distinct, and if you don't know for sure which yours is, you should probably do a bit more editing? Just thoughts.

    Reply
  69. Ishta Mercurio says

    November 4, 2010 at 2:27 am

    I put YA paranormal, but I am simultaneously working on several picture books, both rhyming and otherwise.

    Reply
  70. Kristi Helvig says

    November 4, 2010 at 2:45 am

    I finished a YA sci-fi two days ago and it's going out to my critique group this weekend. I'm super excited about it, even though there are no space monkeys involved.

    Reply
  71. Kate says

    November 4, 2010 at 3:08 am

    I don't know what I want to write. I have YA, erotica, romance, and mystery all in the works right now. But the one I'm focusing on now, because I can't really focus on anything until I get this out of my system, is sort of noirish-mystery-romance.

    Reply
  72. Michael says

    November 4, 2010 at 3:16 am

    I fear I won't be able to sell it (assuming it's even worth reading), but it's space-opera Science fiction loosely informed by the history of Ireland, especially the 1916 Uprising and the Irish Civil War, as well as by Irish Literary Fiction. I know; weird, right?

    It's got aliens who conquered humanity and turned them into a second-class worker caste, a lost homeworld, an epic journey, secrets and dualities a-plenty, all wrapped up in the trappings of spaceships and plasma weapons.

    Reply
  73. Tara Maya says

    November 4, 2010 at 3:18 am

    My NaNoMo this year is hard sf. Totally untrendy. I don't care–I've wanted to write this story forever and never had time. Not that I have time now either.

    Reply
  74. Heidi says

    November 4, 2010 at 3:45 am

    Middle Grade Magical Realism.
    Does that count as Fantasy?
    It has fantastical elements, but is rooted in the real world.

    Reply
  75. Grace says

    November 4, 2010 at 4:35 am

    I'm doing a historical mystery, neither of which I have ever attempted before. It's interesting so far. My subconscious seems to have taken over the plot.

    Reply
  76. Donea Lee says

    November 4, 2010 at 4:39 am

    I completely suck at the genre thing…as someone else said, my project (series) is based in today's world, but has fantastical elements in it – curses, a time-travel element. There's mention of a witch, but I wouldn't call it "YA paranormal" and "fantasy" makes me think of castles and dragons and wizards, so… *eek* Help?

    Reply
  77. hannah says

    November 4, 2010 at 7:18 am

    YA. I called it fantasy, but it could be paranormal, I suppose…I don't really know the difference. Maybe a future topic for you to go over?

    It's a ghost story, which I've since realized a lot of people are writing. Pretty cool.

    Reply
  78. Enid Wilson says

    November 4, 2010 at 8:42 am

    I think what writers like to write can be very different from what readers like to read.

    My Darcy Mutates

    Reply
  79. Dan Holloway says

    November 4, 2010 at 9:59 am

    transgressive.myc

    Reply
  80. Rick Daley says

    November 4, 2010 at 11:13 am

    Mine is middle-grade fantasy.

    A research team drilling ice cores at the North Pole finds something amazing buried deep in the ice: a book that tells the origins of Santa Claus.

    This story-within-a-story explains everything from the origins of Santa’s white hair and red suit to his ability to fit all those presents in one sack.

    It has a sense of adventure to it, it's kind of like Santa Begins.

    WORD VERIFICATION: arsterna. Pig Latin for Narster.

    Reply
  81. Guinevere says

    November 4, 2010 at 12:33 pm

    My NaNo is literary fiction, but really, I'd term it "New Adult" if that category really took off. My other WIP, once NaNo is over, will be paranormal YA. I'm all over the place with what I like to write, but I'm trying to stick with one audience – the YA/new adult sort of thing.

    Reply
  82. Monica says

    November 4, 2010 at 1:15 pm

    Hi.

    I clicked Historical Fiction, but really it could be Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, too. And I'm not doing NaNo. I'm doing it on my own. If this book is done by next November, maybe I will do Nano then. =]

    Monica
    thisismybookonly.blogspot.com

    Reply
  83. Tracy Sharp says

    November 4, 2010 at 1:34 pm

    Suspense/thriller and also working on a horror novel.

    Reply
  84. Steppe says

    November 4, 2010 at 2:38 pm

    I voted other. Although when seeking publication I'll find a category to fit into. I would describe my style as scientific supernatural thrillers. I base the stories on all the information I have gleaned from governments religions and long time dedicated scientific amateurs and professional sources added to forty-five years of extended personal exploration. Physics changed forever in 2002 and most science fiction writers have not adjusted – caught up. Information theory has come to be the dominant lenses after string and brane-m theory were found to be too difficult to utilize. The Americans, Chinese, and Russians have each spent multiple billions in researching Quantum Consciousness as an extension of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle and the eternal dilemma between a universe composed of waves and oppositely a universe composed of point like particles. The results of the research scared everyone deeply but the Americans the most. I learned what they know from key(-man)former contract workers and career military. I understand their fear and cautious denials. It makes for great speculative fiction though if you have the true forms and formulas.
    It took four hundred years from the Da Vanci's plane schematics to the Wright Brothers plane. I don't have four hundred years to spare. Long range transportation-communication services are already being installed for China and Russia. America is becoming a third world country very very very very rapidly. The disease of conceit taking its toll rapidly.
    My underlying purpose is to expose the ideas to a broader audience while becoming a very effective writer in terms of plot, pacing and magnetic characters of both dark and noble motivations

    Reply
  85. Lady G Pendragon says

    November 4, 2010 at 2:57 pm

    I currently believe that I'm writing YA dystopian, but my last WIP was more of YA magical realism…I dabble in all the realms of YA and focus on what interests me most at the time.

    Reply
  86. Anonymous says

    November 4, 2010 at 3:31 pm

    Currently I am writing mystery, sci-fi adventure stories.

    Reply
  87. Fawn Neun says

    November 4, 2010 at 3:40 pm

    No NaNo for me this year–busy doing edits for my publisher.

    Reply
  88. lesleylsmith says

    November 4, 2010 at 3:47 pm

    Science Fiction. 🙂

    Reply
  89. Katrina L. Lantz says

    November 4, 2010 at 3:59 pm

    Mine's YA urban fantasy (you could stretch and call it paranormal romance, but it isn't one of those regular paranormal creatures, so I ticked the YA fantasy box).

    Good idea, getting a sense of the Nano novels this year. I'm sure you'll be seeing too many of them in your inbox next month. *cringes for you*

    I promise to edit my Nano novel before querying. I promise to edit it a LOT.

    Reply
  90. TexasLorie says

    November 4, 2010 at 4:04 pm

    ******

    My NaNo is YA thriller. I haven't started typing it yet, but the MS is complete in my head — except for a few twists before the end.

    Nathan – congrats to the Giants , their pitching was awesome.

    *******

    Reply
  91. Patti says

    November 4, 2010 at 4:05 pm

    Mine is an off-the-wall kind of sci-fi noir adventure. Nothing like crossing genre'!

    Reply
  92. Chris Phillips says

    November 4, 2010 at 4:49 pm

    Mine is a political steampunk Early Reader called, HARVEY KENNELLIS RIDES A TRAIN THROUGH THE SKY.

    Reply
  93. Rachel says

    November 4, 2010 at 5:25 pm

    I said mine is women's fiction. Last year I said literary fiction, but I'm not feeling so lofty. 🙂

    In any case, I didn't finish last year and am starting over, so it's sort of the same book. Same beginning characters at least. Maybe someday I'll take writing seriously? In the meantime, I'm just having fun!

    Reply
  94. PJ Lincoln says

    November 4, 2010 at 5:26 pm

    Wow. The poll results seem to indicate that the writing trends haven't changed much over the past few years.

    Looks like you're still seeing lots of vampire and YA queries, Nathan.

    Reply
  95. Michelle says

    November 4, 2010 at 6:37 pm

    YA Sci-fi.

    Reply
  96. Kristin Laughtin says

    November 4, 2010 at 6:40 pm

    I put fantasy even though mine has some paranormal elements (but not vampires, werewolves, ghosts, or angels). I think most people think "romance" when they hear "paranormal", and that's not what I'm writing, so I just went with fantasy. Most of my other stuff is SF, or has strong elements of both SF and fantasy/though. 😀

    Reply
  97. Levi Montgomery says

    November 4, 2010 at 7:28 pm

    Not a NaNoWriMo, 'cause I write on my own schedule, but it's a (deep breath) post-apocalyptic dystopian science-fiction future history teen romance with overtones of steampunkery. An alien invasion turned off the electricity 72 years ago, and now Amarylla and Marlowe are trying to turn it back on. So far, the only sparks are their own.

    Reply
  98. All Too Human says

    November 4, 2010 at 7:54 pm

    trying my hand at humor and experimenting with making the whole thing public (as a motivational tool). i wonder how sick of myself i will be after 50,000 words of me trying to be funny.

    Reply
  99. evelonies says

    November 4, 2010 at 10:54 pm

    my nano book is ya contemporary fiction. i'm hoping to enter it in the delacorte writing contest.

    my other wip is ya fantasy.

    Reply
  100. Kristy says

    November 5, 2010 at 12:43 am

    I have some angst and fretting going on here which is reflected in my blog post today, but after some additional fretting and thinking and talking with my husband, I feel like I know where I am taking my work now. I put it in the category of "women's fiction," but I feel as though it will be more down and dirty and thought provoking than your average chick lit (But isn't that what everyone thinks about their own, perhaps? Or, I have a big fat head). Whatever. On with the writing.

    Reply
  101. deedeemckenzie says

    November 5, 2010 at 1:08 am

    I'm going for literary fiction.

    Reply
  102. Eric says

    November 5, 2010 at 1:48 am

    It's got dragons, so it might appear fantasy, but it's really science fiction.

    Reply
  103. Leah says

    November 5, 2010 at 2:10 am

    Wow, the answers so far are EXACTLY the same as the ones from last year. Adult literary fiction, Mystery/suspense/thriller, and fantasy, and YA fantasy. Though YA general and SciFi are on the rise as well as MG fantasy.

    Definitely interesting.

    Reply
  104. The Red Angel says

    November 5, 2010 at 2:33 am

    I'm writing a romantic comedy. =)

    Reply
  105. Paula Kelley says

    November 5, 2010 at 2:42 am

    I'm writing in the "Satire, Humor & Parody" genre. That one is listed in the NaNoWriMo choices section, why did you leave it off your list?

    Reply
  106. Augustina Peach says

    November 5, 2010 at 3:05 am

    It makes me sad to see so few people are writing historical fiction on any level. What am I going to read in the future???

    Reply
  107. Adam Heine says

    November 5, 2010 at 3:21 am

    For those interested. As of 1,880 votes, the biggest changes from last year to this (meaning a change of more than 1%) are:

    Literary Fiction -2%
    YA (SF) +3%
    MG (Fantasy) +2%

    And that's it. I'm going to call Hunger Games as a strong reason for the 3% increase in YA SF, but what do I know?

    Reply
  108. Kerrie T. says

    November 5, 2010 at 4:07 am

    I know Women's Fiction is the PC genre for my book, but dude, it's totally chick-lit. Pure fluff, which is my favorite thing to read…and I'm 30, and a mom, and a semi-smart copywriter.

    Reply
  109. Simon Haynes says

    November 5, 2010 at 7:31 am

    Middle grade SF here – I'm writing a couple of Hal Spacejock Junior books. It's a refreshing break from 95000 word novels, and it's nice sticking to one viewpoint and a single plot strand.

    Reply
  110. Adele Richards says

    November 5, 2010 at 8:40 am

    I think I've spent too long on Facebook – while reading through the comments I kept wanting to 'like' them.

    (Would be kinda fun to have that facility here though and see which comments gain the most lurve!)

    (Oh and I'm MG Mystery)

    Reply
  111. GN says

    November 5, 2010 at 8:43 am

    It's mid teen/YA fantasy with a dollop of sci-fi. No zombies/vampires/werewolves, but definitely features a few mythological creatures!

    Reply
  112. Anonymous says

    November 5, 2010 at 12:12 pm

    I'm curious…it seems like a lot of people are doing steampunk. Is this the next big thing?

    Reply
  113. Stephanie McGee says

    November 5, 2010 at 3:38 pm

    I put YA science fiction, but it's more steampunk/science fantasy.

    Reply
  114. Steppe says

    November 5, 2010 at 4:34 pm

    I'm writing an outgrowth of steampunk I refer to as Atomic Punk, Same general setting with a small cast of characters and main protagonist they circle around plotwise who have accessed the full range of technology (still not available)that governments would kill to acquire; including ships as information tranfer agents and the bridges through the timescape fabrics to safeky operate them. In effect they become the dominant Time Mafia that lies behind behind many key events of human history.

    Reply
  115. Stephen Prosapio says

    November 5, 2010 at 5:07 pm

    My vote is under semi-protest as apparently "Paranormal" now refers to everything *except* ghosts???

    Reply
  116. Ashley says

    November 5, 2010 at 5:41 pm

    I answered science fiction, though it leans cyberpunk. 😀

    Reply
  117. abc says

    November 5, 2010 at 6:31 pm

    I so wish Nathan Bransford was posting more this week. Being the first week of NaNoWriMo, I could really use some more pep talk from my coach! What is it about a Friday in November that makes one so melancholy and so in need of milk chocolate?

    In other news, I'm chaperoning a junior high dance tonight! I bet I'll be hearing some Usher.

    That is all. abc

    Reply
  118. Mira says

    November 5, 2010 at 7:02 pm

    You know, I wish people would stop giving Nathan a hard time about the catagories (especially since half the time, the catagory is there, just spelled differently).

    He's posting from New York, and I think he's going above and beyond, as he always does. He listed tons of catagories.

    I find the poll really interesting mostly in looking for trends. It doesn't matter to me if I'm specifically represented – but then, frankly, I'm sort of weird. If I could have my very own Mira genre, that no one else every wrote in, that would make me supremely happy.

    Anyway, I think the world of Nathan, and I don't want him to feel unappreciated.

    Reply
  119. ariel says

    November 5, 2010 at 7:11 pm

    just joining up here…! i am in the very unpopular category of memoir!

    Reply
  120. Yunie says

    November 6, 2010 at 1:00 am

    I'm ashamed to say that I'm doing a paranormal fiction. After the Twilight craze, it seems like overkill buuut.. that's why I cut vampires out of it. It's the first in a series that is tentatively hoped to be a trilogy.

    Reply
  121. Marion Sipe says

    November 6, 2010 at 7:48 am

    My book this year is fantasy with my my favorite blend of sub-genres: political/adventure. 😀

    Reply
  122. Amy LV says

    November 9, 2010 at 4:57 pm

    Hi Nathan, Would you please add 'poetry' to your list? It is such an important genre, so neglected in the world sometimes. Thank you. A.

    Reply

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About Nathan

Hi, I’m Nathan. I’m the author of How to Write a Novel and the Jacob Wonderbar series, which was published by Penguin. I used to be a literary agent at Curtis Brown Ltd. and I’m dedicated to helping authors chase their dreams.

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