Exploring Genre 2017

by Jeanette O'Hagan

This year, the cross posts between Christian Writers Downunder and Australasian Christian Writers are focusing on genre. I've found it an interesting series and some more in depth look at different sub-genres in more depth. So just to recap -

Why Genre?

Iola Goulton started off the year asking the question - why genre?  She reminded us that genre's are useful for managing reader expectations and in helping to target promotion and marketing.

Then over the next several months we've looked at specific subgenres - or some broader categories - in fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

Fiction

Fiction has a number of broad categories such as romance, speculative fiction (science fiction and fantasy), crime and detective fiction, historical dramas, thrillers, military, women's fiction and literary - among others.  Fiction can also be aimed at children (picture books, chapter books, middle-grade), young adult (teens), new adults (teen-early twenties) or adults.

Romance

While romance can often be a subplot or theme in a range of other genres, in category romance the focus is on the relationship and the obstacles to a romantic relationship between the hero and heroine or romantic couple.  Category romance is hugely popular and generally has some firm expectations. It can also range from sweet to steamy (or blend into erotica, which is really another category).

There are a wide range of sub-genres with romance.

Carolyn Miller introduced us to historical romance (romance set before the present day) and in particular regency romance - romance inspired by Jane Austen and set in or around the regency period - eg. early 19th century.  You can find her delightful post here.

Nicky Edwards took us on a tour of rural romance (set in the country) and medical romance (with nurses or doctors as protagonists and which includes medical drama), usually set in contemporary times. You can read more here.

Speculative Fiction

Speculative Fiction images a different reality - whether that be a variation of earth as we know it or different world altogether. It is generally divided into Science Fiction (where science or a imagined science explains the world) or Fantasy (in which a non-scientific - often super-natural - explanation is given), though these can cross-overs such as science fantasy and mixtures. There is easily over 100 sub-genres within this field - including crazy mash-ups like gaslamp fantasy or weird west.

Adam Collings  introduced us to Space Opera - epic Science Fiction set in space with a focus more on the story than a detailed or hard science - think Star Trek or Doctor Who.  And, also the Superhero sub-genre which can used a scientific (Superman) or a supernatural (eg Thor) explanation for the special powers.  Read more here.

Jeanette O'Hagan introduced Secondary World and Portal fantasies - both of which are set on an alternative (non-earth) world. In the first the world exists without reference to earth, whereas in the second, the protagonist travels through a door or portal to the other world. Read more here.

Ian Acheson introduced us to Supernatural Fiction - which focuses on supernatural beings such angels, demons and/or ghosts (and is related to paranormal and urban fantasy). It can have a faith or Christina focus or be more 'secular' in its approach. Read more here.

Shorts

We also looked at 'short fiction' from flash to novellas (though it could also be non-fiction). Read more here.

Poetry

Poetry can be non-fiction or fiction, it can be strongly narrative (ballads, for instance) or focus on a moment or a feeling or be metaphorical.

Valerie Volk gave a wonderful introduction to Poetry (here)  while the following week we explored Free Verse (poetry without a set rhyme) and Verse Novels (telling a narrative in verse)  (read more here).

Non-Fiction

And finally, Nola Passmore introduced us to creative non-fiction (and how that differs from reportage). Read more here.


It can be tempting to see genre as a straitjacket or a way of pigeon-holing our fiction.  It can be seen as restrictive or reducing writing to formula (the HEA, the red herrings and clues, etc).  Some genres have stricter guidelines  - the category romance, the cozy mystery - while others almost by their nature tend to push the boundaries  or like cross-overs with a meld of different genres (speculative fiction, Young Adult).

Writing within a genre still allows amazing variety and ingenuity, especially when there are so many.

ACW & CWD are thinking of extending this dip into genres and subgenres next year. With that in mind,

Have  your found the series helpful? How?
What did you learn (if anything)?
And are there any particular genres you'd love to find more about?

List of posts (chronological order)

Genre  

Space Opera and Superheroes

Portal Fantasy and Secondary World Fantasy

Poetry

Free Verse and Verse Novels 

Regency and Historical Romance

Rural and Medical Romance

Supernatural Fiction

Short Fiction

Creative Non-Fiction

Spaceship image courtesy of digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Cover Image Valerie Volk  In Due Season
Other images copyright Jeanette O'Hagan

...............

Jeanette started spinning tales in the world of Nardva at the age of eight or nine. She enjoys writing secondary world fiction, poetry, blogging and editing. Her Nardvan stories span continents, time and cultures. They involve a mixture of courtly intrigue, adventure, romance and/or shapeshifters and magic users. She has published numerous short stories, poems, two novellas and her debut novel, Akrad's Children. Find her on Facebook or at her webpages Jeanette O'Hagan Writes or Jenny's Thread.

Exploring Genres: Nonfiction

In this cross-post between Australasian Christian Writers and Christian Writers Downunder, I’ve been tasked with writing about the different types of nonfiction. This genre covers a lot of ground, from biographies of famous people to new ways with tofu, from annual reports and training manuals to news articles and blogs. First, let’s get some definitions under our collective belts.

What is Nonfiction?

In the broadest sense, nonfiction is anything based on factual information. This differs from fiction built around true events or characters. Tracy Chevalier imagined a backstory for the girl in Vermeer’s iconic painting Girl with a Pearl Earring. We understand that she took some literary licence in doing that, but it doesn’t matter. We’re happy to get swept up in the story. In contrast, readers expect that nonfiction is true, or at least a well-argued and reasoned version of the truth.

Reportage vs Creative Nonfiction

I also want to make a distinction between straight reportage and creative nonfiction. In reportage, you present the information as objectively as possible. For example, journalists report the news using the 'who, what, when, where, why and how' questions.

An intoxicated Lithuanian clown was injured this morning when his skateboard collided with a penguin on the Gold Coast Highway. The penguin remains in a fishy condition at Sea World.

Other types of nonfiction that might come under the reportage umbrella include dissertations, scientific papers, and annual reports. These documents can include opinion, interpretation and analysis, as long as such commentary is logical and consistent with the available evidence.

In creative nonfiction, you still deal with facts, but you use literary devices to convey them in an engaging way (e.g. scenes, dialogue, imagery). For example, a straight news article might report that missiles were fired over Tel Aviv, while a piece of creative nonfiction might show events through the eyes of someone holidaying in Israel at that time. (See Anna Elkins’ travel essay Of Danger and Beauty for an example).

If you would like to find out more about writing creative nonfiction, I highly recommend Lee Gutkind’s book You Can’t Make this Stuff Up: The Complete Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction from Memoir to Literary Journalism and Everything in Between. If you would like a quicker introduction, I have a four-part series on creative nonfiction on my website. Just go to my writing tips blog and see Posts 33 to 36.

In the remainder of this post, I’ll highlight some of the main types of creative nonfiction.

Biographies, Autobiographies and Memoirs

Biographies, autobiographies and memoirs all tell about the life of someone, but they differ in terms of the author and focus.

A biography is written by someone other than the subject. For example, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxis.

In contrast, autobiographies and memoirs are written by the subject. It’s your story told in first-person. While there is some overlap between the two, memoirs tend to cover a particular theme or a shorter period in the person’s life rather than trying to include the whole saga. Jo-Anne Berthelsen’s memoir Soul Friend tells the story of her special relationship with her spiritual mentor, Joy. Other aspects of Jo-Anne’s life are only mentioned insofar as they relate to that main theme. Memoirs also typically involve more reflection, as authors look back on events and discuss what it means to them now or what they might have done differently.

For some tips on writing life stories, please see Posts 8 to 11 on my blog.

‘How-To’ Books

As the name suggests, these types of books give readers practical instructions for accomplishing certain tasks. Whether it’s upcycling or unicycling, preparing a sermon or peppering a salmon, there’s bound to be a book or article to show what you need to know.

Christine Dillon’s book Telling the Gospel Through Story is a good example. Christine draws on her experiences in cross-cultural mission work to show readers how they can use stories to talk to people about their faith

There are also a myriad of writing craft books that show you how to show, and tell you how to tell. Some favourites of mine are Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell and Story Genius by Lisa Cron. (Click here to see my post on how to use Cron’s techniques to deepen character in fiction).

Self-Help Books

Self-help books are like ‘how-to’ guides for your life. Some of these books help you deal with challenging situations (e.g. abuse, addiction, depression, parenting, singleness), while others help you to lead a more fulfilling life.

A number of Christian living books fall within this category. In her book Beyond Betrayal: How God is Healing Women (and Couples) From Infidelity, Lisa Taylor shares her own story, but also discusses research, strategies and resources to help people who’ve been through similar experiences. Other examples include Bill Hybel’s Simplify: Ten Practices to Declutter Your Soul and Cloud and Townsend’s Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life.

Expository Books

I’m using this term in a very broad sense to refer to books that describe or explain information surrounding a particular topic. It could be a book about brain surgery, global warming, literature, theology, politics, cricket, history, psychology, or the companions of Dr Who. The main aim is to inform the reader about the topic. For example, Mark Worthing combines literature and history in his book Narnia, Middle-Earth and the Kingdom of God: A History of Fantasy Literature and the Christian Tradition.

Most theological books would come under the expository banner (e.g. God’s Priority: World-Mending and Generational Testing by Anne Hamilton). Devotional books or Bible studies could also fall within this category, though the more applied devotionals may fit better in the self-help category.

Poetry and Song

Whoa! What are poetry and song doing in a post about nonfiction? Long before books and television were readily available to the masses, true stories were passed from village to village by poets and balladeers. These methods are of course still used today. In the latest Poetica Christi anthology, Wonderment, I have a poem called Apollo 8 in which I tell the story of the astronauts who read from the book of Genesis in a Christmas Eve broadcast from lunar orbit in 1968. You can hear part of the original broadcast here. Even if you don’t know a lot of poetry, I’m sure you can think of dozens of songs based on true stories (e.g. Hurricane by Bob Dylan, I Was Only 19 by Red Gum and The Outlaw by Larry Norman).

Wrap Up

As I mentioned earlier, there are dozens of sub-genres within nonfiction and I’ve only scratched the surface. There is also a lot of overlap across categories. For example, Ruth Bonetti combines family memoir with the political undercurrents of the times in her award-winning book Burn my Letters: Tyranny to Refuge.







Even if you mainly write fiction, you could make the odd foray into the nonfiction world. Perhaps you could write a magazine article about the nineteenth century fashions worn by your heroine or the science behind the gene therapy in your young adult thriller. Anthologies also provide opportunities for short nonfiction pieces (e.g. The Gecko Renewal and Other Stories of Life edited by Tabor College lecturers James Cooper and Mark Worthing).

What are your favourite nonfiction books and why? I’d love to hear your examples.

Nola Passmore is a writer and editor who has had more than 150 short pieces published, including fiction, poetry, devotions, magazine articles, academic papers and true stories.  She and her husband Tim own their own freelance writing and editing business called The Write Flourish.  She is currently writing an ever-changing novel and will have the draft finished before Christmas ... really!

Web site:    http://www.thewriteflourish.com.au  

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TheWriteFlourish

Twitter:       https://twitter.com/NolaPassmore
Pinterest:    https://www.pinterest.com.au/nolapassmore/

The Genre Interview with Jeanette O'Hagan

Welcome to the Genre Interview. Brisbane author Jeanette O'Hagan has agreed to answer our questions.


What genres do you write?


Jeanette: I mainly write fantasy fiction and poetry - though I do have an interest in memoir and non-fiction - and my first and only science fiction piece has just been published in the Mixed Blessings: Genre-lly Speaking anthology.

I am currently working on a sequel to my recent release Heart of the Mountain and on a fantasy fiction series Akrad's Legacy which is secondary world, courtly intrigue with fantasy elements.



What market do you write for (Christian or general, clean reads etc)?

Jeanette: My aim is for cross-over fiction - i.e. fiction that appeals to the people outside the church with a subtle faith element.


In which genres do you have books available for sale?


Jeanette: Fantasy fiction, a contemporary inspirational women's fiction anthology, mixed anthologies and poetry.


How many books have you published in each genre?


Jeanette: I have a fantasy fiction novella sized e-book (Heart of the Mountain, published August 2016) and also fantasy short stories, a contemporary inspirational short story and a number of poems available in nine different anthologies published between December 2015 and September 2016.


Are you published traditionally, indie, or hybrid?

Jeanette: I've Indie published the short novella (Heart of the Mountain) and two anthologies - Glimpses of Light (Nola Passmore and I edited GOL & a total of 21 authors contributed) and Let the Sear Roar (Madeleine Calcutt was the editor with a total of 9 authors). These books are published under my imprint By the Light Books.

I've also had stories and poems published in other anthologies by other publishers or groups: Tied in Pink and Like a Girl by Far Horizons, Another Time Another Place by Swinburne Students, Mixed Blessings: Genre-lly Speaking by Breath of Fresh Air Press, two poetry anthologies by Poetica Christi and one by FAWQ.

Did genre influence your decision to choose a particular publishing model?

Jeanette: No, not really - more opportunity.

Are your published works available in print, ebook, or both?

Jeanette: Both - though the short novella is only available as an ebook & the three poetry anthologies are only available in print.

Why do you write what you write? Do you feel called to write?

Jeanette: I write what I love to read. I write to express my feelings and imagination. I write to celebrate my wonder in God's creation and in His love for us, His children. I write out of my love for story.

About 8 years ago, a door slammed shut on a ministry dear to my heart and, while I grieved that loss, God began whispering that He had other dreams and plans for me. Gradually, the door to writing opened as another way to express His call on my life. I learnt about and enrolled into a Masters course on Writing, I went to (what became) the Omega conference and met other Christian writers and discovered other opportunities -- to learn and to write and to be published. I do feel a calling to touch the imagination of readers and to seed a wonder and desire for God's beauty, presence and love.

I think fantasy fiction has great potential to share spirituality and Christian hope in a non-confrontational way.

Many thanks to Jeanete O'Hagan for sharing her thoughts on genre.

Jeanette O’Hagan enjoys writing fiction, poetry, blogging and editing. She is writing her Akrad’s Legacy Series—a Young Adult secondary world fantasy fiction with adventure, courtly intrigue and romantic elements. She recently launched Heart of the Mountain: a short novella. Other short stories and poems are published in a number of anthologies including Glimpses of Light, Another Time Another Place and Like a Girl.

Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and, more recently, a Master of Arts (Writing). She loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life and communicating God’s great love. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and children.

You can find her at her Facebook Page or at Goodreads or on Amazon or on her websites  JennysThread.com or Jeanette O'Hagan Writes .

ACRBA Tour Shoes Off Feet Up by Ellen Carr

6 – 10 June

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is introducing

Shoes Off Feet Up

(By HopePost Publishing, 25 November 2015)

by  Ellen Carr

About the Book:

Shoes Off, Feet Up: Poems of everyday life and faith invites you to sit down, put your feet up and read awhile. It celebrates life with all its fun and adventures, its blessings and encouragements and its challenges. Some of Ellen's poems touch on the light-hearted and humorous side of life, some rejoice in the joys of life and nature, while others deal with the deeper issues of living with faith in God. 

You are invited to dip into this book and find some treasures. You will be blessed, encouraged and amused by these poems, and occasionally you will be challenged. Shoes Off, Feet Up ~ poems you will want to return to again and again. 

Ellen Carr is an award winning author who lives in Melbourne, Australia. She writes about life, nature, things of amusement, and of her faith in God. She enjoys seeing the funny side of life, as well as pondering things of more serious importance.

About the Author

Ellen Carr lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her husband,Rod. She has two adult daughters, Sarah and Alison, who have flown the nest. When she isn’t busy writing, Ellen delights in pottering about, drinking coffee, singing in a community choir, volunteering as a Christian religious studies teacher, travelling, and spending time with family and friends. A retired teacher, Ellen has always enjoyed writing. She has written educational material, radio scripts, short stories, and of course, poetry. Writing from her heart, her works are about life, nature, amusing situations, and her faith in God. Her faith and her daily walk with God are high priorities in her life, followed by
family, friends and fun. She enjoys seeing the funny side of life as well as pondering things of more serious importance.

Many of her award-winning poems and stories have been published at FaithWriters.com, an online Christian writers’ website, and some poems appear in Glimpses of Light, an Australian anthology, which raised money for CBM (formally Christian Blind Mission).

Several of her pieces will appear in the upcoming series, Mixed Blessings. Her poem, Twelve Long Years, included in this collection, was awarded a Judges’ Commendation in the Tabor Adelaide
Creative Writing Awards competition.

In addition, her poems have been read on the radio program, Songs of Hope, on 88.3 Southern FM, in Melbourne, Australia. She also wrote the lyrics for a song, The Peace of God, played on that same station. Other poems have appeared in church news sheets, religious educational material, magazines, and on Ellen’s blog.
You can find more of her work, and a link to her blog, at her website: Ellen Carr, Postbox Poetry and HopePost Publishing, at: postboxpoetry.wordpress.com

My Top Ten Reads 2015 - Andrea Grigg

Oh, how I love reading! There are never enough hours in the day for it as far as I’m concerned. Here is my selection for this year, in no particular order. A couple of my choices might surprise you J

1.    Jaded – by Varina Denman

This is Varina’s first novel, and the first in the Mended Hearts series. It held me spellbound from beginning to end. Ruthie was shunned by the church as a child, but things change when she is attracted to the new preacher in town. A beautiful romance, not only between a man and a woman, but also between God and his church. (Read my review here)

2.    Justified – also by Varina Denman

This is the second in the Mended Hearts series and can be read as a stand alone. Unmarried and pregnant, Fawn is riddled with guilt and yearns for grace. The local football coach doesn’t judge her, and also treats her with respect. Is it possible Fawn’s broken dreams can be mended along with her heart? (Read my review here)

3.    Sway – by Amy Matayo

     This contemporary romance gripped me by the throat. (Read my review here) It still leaves me open-mouthed whenever I think of it! Kate and Caleb have an instant connection and it doesn’t take long for their relationship to intensify—only to discover it will never, ever, work. I was hooked from the first page

4.    London Tides – Carla Laureano

   

  This is the second book in the MacDonald Family Trilogy, Five Days in Skye is the first, but London Tides can be read as a stand alone. Photojournalist Grace returns to London hoping to reconnect with former fiancé, Ian. Ten years ago, he gave up everything for her, only to have her run out on him. Can their relationship be restored? (Read my review here)

5.    Love is the New Black – Cameron Semmens.

      A departure from the norm for me. Poetry isn’t usually my thing, but this book most definitely is. I will dip in and out of this one over and over.

      (Read my review here)

6. Inbetween (a Katie Parker Production, Book 1) – Jenny B Jones

     Another departure from the norm for me. Inbetween is a YA novel and I absolutely loved it! Katie Parker’s mother is in prison, her father is AWOL, and she gets sent to a squeaky clean family to live. I fell in love with the troubled Katie. She made me laugh, she made me cry, she made me want to take her home. NB: this book is free on Amazon.

7.    The Flower Arrangement ­– by Ella Griffin

Please note: This is a general market novel, and some language and scenes may offend. The reason I’m including it is that it is written from several characters' viewpoints, and yet the author has managed to write each of them in deep point of view. I loved the stories which all stem (pardon the pun) from  Blossom and Grow, a florist shop in Dublin, and all tie in together. With loads of fresh writing and original figurative language, The Flower Arrangement is a book I will read to improve my craft as well as for the enjoyment of the story.

8.    J J Smith’s 10 Day Green Smoothie Cleanse – by J.J.Smith

Told you there’d be a few different ones in here! My hairdresser recommended this to me and I have to say it’s changed my life! I lost a chunk of weight over the ten days (which I never do) and a month on I’ve kept it off. I’m also sleeping better and my energy levels have increased. The smoothies are delicious and varied and totally doable. I’ll be doing another detox in the New Year. As you do J

9.    This Quiet Sky (an historical novella) – Joanne Bischoff

     Oh my goodness. Talk about an emotional journey! This story is about 16-year-old Sarah Miller and Tucker O’Shay (a boy with a fatal illness) who becomes her algebra tutor. If this novella doesn’t choke you up I’ll be very, very surprised. This Quiet Sky is one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever read.

10. Just One Summer – box set

      Four award-winning authors: Nicole Deese, Tammy L Gray, Amy Matayo and Jenny B Jones. Four clean romances. It’s a win-win! Thoroughly enjoyable.

      

So there you go. Hope you enjoy one or two of these as much as I did. See you next year!

    

      About Andrea Grigg

      I am an author of two Christian contemporary romances: A Simple Mistake and Too Pretty, and I'm working on my third. My website is under reconstruction at the moment but you can contact me on Facebook or Twitter. I would love to hear from you!

     

Book Review: Love is the New Black, by Cameron Semmens

Review by Andrea Grigg

I’m not normally a huge poetry fan, but when I picked up Cameron Semmens’ Love is the New Black from the bookstall at our lrecent Christian Writers’ Conference, I had to have it!

My copy of Love is the New Black is a third edition. It was first published back in 2009, under the title 23 Versions of Psalm 23, but since then, Cameron has added fresh material, and I love it!

The book is divided into eight sections:

1.    Love, Loved, Loving

2.    23 Versions of Psalm 23

3.    Brilliant Bible Bits

4.    Behold, Christmas Retold

5.    Questions, Questions, Questions

6.    The Messiah’s Message on the Mount

7.    Prayers for Wonderers and Wanderers

8.    Appendices Please!

Cameron’s Christmas story, Star! Stable! Saviour! was featured on our ACRBA tour on Tuesday. (You can read that here) I adore this book, as have all the children I’ve read it to. It’s fun to read as everything begins with the letter ‘S’ – how clever is that? In the same vein, section 3 of Love is the New Black contains 12 poems, each one highlighting a letter of the alphabet.

Here’s an example from ‘Messiah Makes Meal for Massive Multitude’:

Midday, and the Messiah mentioned to his mates,

            ‘Migrate with me to a meadow

            For a moment’s meditation.’

The Messiah and the Messiah’s mates moseyed to the marina

            Where the mono-masted mono-hull was moored.

The multitude mobbing the Messiah mourned the moving,

            and enmeshed in Messiah-mania,

             moved methodically meadow-wards.

Brilliant, isn’t it?

Section 4 is particularly pertinent, being all about Christmas. While there are a number of humorous poems, there are also many thought-provoking ones. There are four under the heading of Imagine this Christmas, from the perspectives of Mary, Joseph, a shepherd and then God himself. I found them particularly touching.

My favourite section though is the one containing the versions of Psalm 23. There are many entertaining poems, like The Twenty-Third Jedi (Yoda is my shepherd, want not shall I), or The Lamb’s Side (My Lord is the shepherd, I shall not bleat) but while the poems may be funny, they tug on the heartstrings too. I read a couple to my Bible study group and there were some tears amongst the laughter.

Here are the first two stanzas of The 23^rd Calm …

            (breathe)

           

            The Lord is my shepherd,

            I shall not stress.

           (breathe)

           He makes me lie down in green pastures for natural aromatherapy

           He leads me to quiet waters to ensure good hydration

           He restores my stillness.

           He guides me in paths of tranquility for His name's sake.

           (breathe)

And the first two from The Desperate Prayer of the Sheepish Believer …

            Lord, I feel sheepish all the time,

            but I’m still not sure if you’re my shepherd, cos

            I still want.

           

           And I'm not sure I want to lie down in green pastures - 

           there could be snakes!

           And what if I slip on wet rocks beside the still waters?

           Cos I know still waters run deep

           and I'm not a very good swimmer.

See what I mean? Cameron's poems are totally relatable, entirely relevant and truly remarkable. 

I recommend you try Love is the New Black for yourself. It also would make a fabulous Christmas present!

 Andrea writes contemporary romance. Her first book A Simple Mistake was a finalist in the CALEB Awards 2012. Her second novel Too Pretty was released in 2014 by Rhiza Press. 

Andrea would love to hear from you via her Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/author.andreagrigg