Ally Aldridge Tips, Writing

What is your genre?

Genre Classification

Classifying your genre will be one of the first things you do.  However, this may not be as simple as it sounds.  Many novels, scripts and other works of art will combine elements of more than one genre within the story that is told.  However, there will still be one main genre that flows steadily throughout your story (or series).

I watched Reign on Netflix.  This series is classified as a Costume Drama.  The main character is Mary Queen of Scots so some might say it is a Period Drama or Historical fiction, but to make compelling viewing the gripping storylines are fictional and I’ve seen it described as Fan Fiction.  In addition, there is a lot of Political Drama and Religious Conflict.  Many of the storylines are romantic making it Romance fiction.

https://youtu.be/8v8jS5_w8wA

Understanding Definitions

Sometimes the genre can be tricky to pinpoint as the definitions can be confusing and sound similar to each other.

I’ve had this issue trying to understand what is Magical Realism’? Or, what’s the difference between Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance?  Then, some genres are based on the target audience of the reader i.e. by age (MG, Tween, YA, etc) or gender (Chick Lit) or personal identification (LGBTQ, Multicultural).

To tackle this, I suggest looking up the definitions online from more than one source.  Also, check how novels similar to yours have been classified.  Read novels of the genres you are considering and see which feels most similar to yours.

It is important to get this correct to enable the right readers to find your novel.

What if it is many genres?

Say you’ve written a YA, Historical Horror with a cross-dressing African bi-sexual and all the genres remain strong throughout the novel?

Then you have to ask yourself how similar novels have been classified or which market you feel your novel will thrive most strongly (i.e. if there is a current demand for Horror fiction, perhaps place it there).

Target audience:

Write for Kids has an article that goes into more detail on this subject – click here.

  • MG (Middle grade):  For age 8 to 12.  Length = 100 to 150 pages.  The main character should be of a similar age.  These books often form large series as children of this age will bond with the character and form an attachment.
  • Tween:  For age 10 to 14.  Length = around 150 pages.  The main character should be of a similar age.  These books are for children who have outgrown MG but are not ready for YA:  
  • Young Adult:  For age 12+. Length = 150 to 225 pages.  The main character should be of a similar age, although due to the more mature theme the protagonist is often cast in their final year of high school:
  • Coming Of Age:  This fiction will deal with the struggles of the protagonist going from being a child to becoming an adult.
  • Chick Lit:  Literature for young women.  The story will relate to the struggles young women face in a humorous way (i.e. dating, health, careers, finance, etc).
  • LGBTQ:  The story will revolve around a character that is either lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender or questioning their sexuality.
  • Multicultural:  Books about people of colour and first/native nations.

Common Genres:

These are the main genres most people think of when classifying fiction:

  • Adventure:  Often involves the characters being in danger and going through a series of events on a journey to reach their goal.
  • Romance:  The novel usually follows a couple falling in love, often with lots of misunderstanding or barriers to give the story a journey.
  • Erotica:  The novel will have steamy scenes as this is what the reader is investing in.  Usually, there is a romantic plot to carry the story along but not necessarily important.
  • Horror:  The novel should be scary and make you want to sleep with the light on. The idea is to strike fear into the reader and the characters.
  • Crime/Detective:  Usually involves a murder but could be any crime.  The protagonist could be trying to catch the culprit or could be the criminal.
  • Mystery:  Involves following clues to solve a crime or to find out information.
  • Fan Fiction:  The stories are based on characters from other artists works (i.e. Film, TV Show, Book, Play, etc) or famous people (i.e. a boy band, a royal, or an actress).
  • Suspense/Thriller:  This story should have you sitting on the edge of your seat as you join the characters in evading whatever is lurking in the shadows after them.
  • Comedy/Humour: Written in an entertaining way with the goal of making the reader laugh.

World Setting Genres:

  • Historical:  The story is set in a historical period of time – it is important to do your research to ensure you get your facts correct.
  • Western:  Set in the American wild west between the eighteenth and nineteenth century.
  • Ghost/Supernatural:  Story will challenge the fabric of our world.  It often includes elements of other genres but the main focus is usually ghosts, spirits, demons, possessions and witchcraft.
  • Fantasy:  Characters are set in an otherworldly setting.  The story would not work in our world.
  • High Fantasy:  The races and the world is made up.  The main character is often a hero on a quest, usually good vs evil.  Often includes battles involving combat or magic.  This is your traditional classification.
  • Hard Fantasy:  This involves heavy world building.  The story will have a thoroughly developed world with geography, law, languages and reasons for why things are or are not (think Tolkien)
  • Techno Fantasy:  Has the heart of fantasy but has a strong technology vibe.  This could be through using technology to create something or someone.  It could be where technology has come to life, for example, a car with a mind of its own.
  • Urban Fantasy:  The story is set in the real world (usually present but can be set in the past or future).  The story usually involves fantasy characters i.e. another race, species or paranormal or supernatural beings.
  • Paranormal Romance:  Usually involves a romantic relationship between a human and supernatural (i.e. a vampire, witch, shapeshifter, ghost, time travel or someone with psychic abilities).  Themes will mix with fantasy, science fiction and sometimes horror.
  • Magic Realism:  Story involves magic or supernatural but presented within a realistic environment.  The magic events are ordinary occurrences and not explained.  There is something deeper connected to enlightening your mind of conventional constraints.
  • Science Fiction: Often set in the future or on another planet.  The story is based on scientific ideas or imagined ideas.
  • Hard Science Fiction:  The story will be supported by scientific facts and theories making the story more realistic and possible.

Length Classifications:

More information on this can be found on Fiction Factor:

  • Micro Fiction:  Up to 100 words.
  • Flash Fiction:  100 to 1,000 words.
  • Short Story:  1,000 to 7,500 words.
  • Novelette:  7,5000 to 20,000
  • Novella:  20,000 to 50,000
  • Novel:  50,000 to 110,000
  • Epics/Sequels:  110,000+

Jewel of the sea

My novel Jewel of the sea (formerly Drift) is:

  • YA fiction: This is because my protagonist is a fifteen-year-old girl.  She does turn sixteen within the novel and there is scope for a series.
  • Coming of Age:  She starts her period, learns to wear makeup, has her first kiss, etc.  Then there are all the firsts with her changing body… like becoming a mermaid.
  • Romance:  The plot is driven by her crush on her best friend who is dating Kya.  Kya’s brother (hot swim team captain and Mariah’s nemesis) offers to help break the couple up if she’ll kiss him – let’s just say it gets complicated.
  • Paranormal romance:  She doesn’t know she is a mermaid and able to shift between her human and mermaid form.  And she has weather manipulation powers.  Plus the complicated romance (see above).
  • Urban Fantasy:  The fantastical elements are set in a real world environment – it is loosely based around my hometown.
  • Novel:  Currently it is 80k but I am constantly revising it.

I have classified it as a YA Urban Fantasy Novel.

What genre do you write?

Does your novel have multiple genres?

Please let me know if these descriptions helped you classify your novel’s genres.

This article was previously posted on my old blog and has been updated.

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Ally Aldridge Goals, Novel, Tips, Writing

I did #JanWritersChallenge

The challenge was on Instagram and set by @marielipscombwriting.

This is the first time I have done a photo prompt challenge but I really enjoyed it. It got me posting everyday and gave me a range of ways to share my writing and passion through photos.

Here are the highlights:

Top three photos from the challenge

This pictures are the ones that recieved the highest engagement on Instagram.

Day 25 #AuthorSelfie

I have never had a photo do so well. I thing it was boosted by the increased engagement due to the daily activity but I got over 300 likes in less than 24 hours. This is ten times more than what I would get on a popular photo.

Day 9 #WhatMotivatesYou

I think my new writer following was able to relate to this photo as I regramed a photo from @gracethewriter8 that really resonated with my dream. It is that hope that one day I will make it that keeps me going.

Day 15 #BeProud

This was the day that I shared a picture of myself with my family.

My favourites

I couldn’t see how to share my writing online unless it was text. I really enoyed these photos as I was able to share with people my stories:

Day 17 #TheUltimateDream

I felt embarassed to admit my dream but then I thought “What the heck!” It turns out that a lot of writers share my dream.

Day 19 #MoodBoard

I decided to do the Mood Board for Jewel of the sea to give a feel of the novel. It was my first time creating one.

Day 4 #CharacterFlaw

It actually made me think about what makes my characters weak or unattractive.

Day 5 #CharacterStrength

I found reflecting on their weaknesses helped me to identify their strengths. It also made me want to go back and edit their weaknesses.

Day 6 #TheLoveInterest

I decided to focus on just Jace as he is the love interest in both the projects I am working on. It is a love triangle and I decided to write it from both girls sides as seperate stories.

Day 7 #TheVillans

I went for the villian that is the catalyst for the story. Even though she doesn’t feature in Jewel of the sea, her actions is what send the crows to go soul snatching on their doorstep.

Day 10 #FavouriteLine

I really enjoyed this as I have a few favourite lines in my project. The ones that I smile whenever I read and I hope my readers enjoy too.

Day 13 #Weather

The Brits love talking about the weather and my novel is no exception because in Jewel of the sea, Mariah has weather maniuplation powers.

Day 23 #YourMCsHands

For some, I guess this might not have been a very exciting prompt but for Mariah it was another excuse to show offer her powers.

#FebWritersChallenge

I enjoyed January’s challenge so much that I am going to do it again!
@marielipscombwriting has created a new list of promps for this month.

Do you use Instagram to share your writing projects with followers?  Have you done a writing challenge?

If you enjoyed this post you may like:

NaNo Progress Diary (the end)

Reflecting on Camp NaNoWriMo (July 2018)

NaPoWriMo Wrap Up – Alison Aldridge

Literary dates calendar

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Ally Aldridge Books, Festival, Tips, Writing

Literary dates calendar

As a writer, I wish there was a resource with links to literary competitions, online events and festivals where I can copy the content to my own diary. But, I’m yet to find one.

So, I created my own. And, I am going to share this with you.

Google calendar

I created a public Google calendar so you can see everything I have added. If you want to copy an event then you too will need a google calendar (it is free with a free Google email account).

I hope you find this resource useful.  If you notice my calendar is missing any events that you feel ought to be included, please comment with the link.  I’ll then check it out and add it to the calendar to help other writers out. 

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Ally Aldridge Blogging, Goals, Novel, Tips, Writing

Tips for Surviving NaNoWriMo

If you follow my blog then you know that on Mondays, I like to share posts by other bloggers that I have enjoyed.  Today, I am sharing with you an article by Stacey Jane McIntosh. 

Tips for Surviving NaNoWriMo 

Stacey is attempting NaNoWriMo and attempting the the full 50k words.  This isn’t her first time and in her article she shares what she has learnt to help other writers.  If you are doing NaNo, this is worth a read!

staceyjainemcintosh.com/2018/11/09/tips-for-surviving-nanowrimo/

Who is Stacey

Stacey writes paranormal romances and Celtic fairy tales – she sounds like my type of girl and I should probably go check out her books.  She blogs about what she is reading and writing so if that appeals to you, then give her a follow.  

Would you like to be featured?

I am always looking for new bloggers to feature on my blog.  If you are interested, please comment to help me find you blog.  I often share articles on writing, blogging, parenting or organic beauty.

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Ally Aldridge Goals, Novel, Software, Tips, Writing

How to prepare for NaNoWriMo? #amwriting

What is NaNoWriMo?

It stands for National Novel Writing Month. The event started with a November challenge to write 50k words in 30 days.

Now, the event runs on other months of the year and you can set different word count goals.

How to get started

Firstly, you will need to create an account on NaNoWriMo. Here you can record your progress and if you complete the challenge you get a certificate. There are also other benefits (keep reading to find out more).

One benefit are the free participant images that you can use to show you are taking part on social media.

Story idea

It’s best to have an idea of what story you will be working on before you start. Coming up with ideas is never a problem for me. Staying focussed on one is where I struggle – I’m confident NaNo will help fix that.

I asked Instagram and Twitter which project they thought I should work on as I was couldn’t decide.

Set it in stone

Update your NaNo account with details about the project you have chosen.

Write a blurb (the text on the back of a book) and, if you have already started the project, include a sample (I.e. first chapter). You can update this at any point during/after the challenge.

I like to use Canva to quickly make a simple book cover image. It’s also great for making social media pictures.

Outline

NaNo can be intense and it can really help if you know where your story is going. An outline is a brief overall plot for your story and helps you stay on track. It can also be useful at the end for writing your synopsis.

I shall be using the snowflake tool in Wavemaker to do this.

Character Development

It can help to know who your main characters are and their names. Especially, if like me, naming your characters takes time.

Click here for my article on naming characters.

World Building

Wherever your story is set there will be an element of world building. You need to consider where they live, the type of homes and people, jobs, education and how it is run.

If you are creating a new world then this will need more thought as you will need to consider everything from species to habitats and vegetation.

My story is set in a post-apocalyptic environment and therefore needs a lot of world building as the nature of our current state has changed drastically.

The setting of your story can be as vivid and diverse as any character. Places have history and can change a lot over time.

Software

By signing up on NaNo you will gain access to some great deals just for writers and some of these are for writing software.

This year, I have chosen to use Dabble Writer again as I love how easy it is to use and it keeps track of my word count so updating NaNo is a breeze.

Click here for my review of this product. I’ll review it again at the end of NaNo as I understand it’s even better now. It is free to trial during November for NaNo!

Writing Buddies/Camp NaNo

Sometimes they run a There are online camps for NaNo participants. It will group you with people that have similar goals or projects. Then you keep each other motivated as the challenge isn’t easy. I loved this during the July challenge but sadly it looks as if camp is running for November.

If you get a group that’s not very active, share how you are doing on social media. Writing doesn’t have to be a lonely business. Connect. Other writers are out there and want to see you succeed. You can do it.

Write

The charm of NaNo is that it gets you in the habit of writing. Try to write every day. Every bit you do is progress.

If you don’t hit your goal, keep writing. If you only achieve 20k, that’s still 20k more than when you started. Don’t quit. Writers don’t quit.

November is notoriously a busy month for me and if it wasn’t for NaNo I’d likely not get any writing done. I never shy away from the challenge and one year I will achieve… maybe, this year.

Good luck

Let me know if you are taking the challenge and wish to be NaNo buddies.

Links to articles regarding my previous attempt are:

  If you want know how I got on read my NaNoWriMo diary entries for Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four or NaNo Done.

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Ally Aldridge Tips, Writing

#PitMad

What is #PitMad?

Last month I did #PitMad. This Twitter event is where writers tweet a pitch for their book. Interested editors/agents like the tweet to request a submission. Writers then check the submission guidelines and submit if they are interested.Twitters can support writers by retweeting the pitch – but must not like (only agents/editors can like).

The event took place on 6 Sept. Pitches must fit in one tweet and be for a complete and polished manuscript. You can tweet three times for each novel within the 24h period. The tweet can be the same pitch or different. You can pitch more than one novel during the event.

There were loads of amazing pitches. I easily could have given into the voices of doubt in my head and been intimidated. But, if I don’t try new things, I’ll never learn. If I shy away from putting myself out there then I’ll never achieve my dream of being published. It was scary but I’m pleased I did it.

I only joined the event during the final hours. If I were to participate again in future, I’d spread my three tweets out throughout the day.

I noticed many writers compared their book to two titles already in the market. I’ve never done this so it might be good for future thought.

Request

I did get a like! Getting a like was very exciting, I felt as if I had finally made it and my husband had to remind me that although they’ve requested I submit, it doesn’t mean they will sign me.

In fact, turns out, just because they requested my manuscript doesn’t mean I have to submit to them. After looking at their website, I choose not to submit…

Why? The publisher is a new print launching in the Fall. That’s not a problem. Their website was incomplete and their facebook page had only been active for three weeks. I could have ignored all this if I could find out about the agents background in publishing but there is nothing. No history.

My heart sank as I realised, this might not be the big break I had thought it was. I’ll keep my eye on Burchette and Ferguson but until I know more about who is behind the company and what they can offer me, I will leave it for now.

The future

The next #PitMad is on 6 Dec and I’d love to hear your tips so I am better prepared next time. Have you done #PitMad? Can I see your pitch? How do you decide what book is most like yours? Do you think I was right to ignore my request?

I’d like to do more Twitter events. I wish there was somewhere I could go to find out about events taking place. Do you know of such a place?

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Ally Aldridge Tips, Writing

#AskAnna

Earlier this month, Curtis Brown held a twitter event called #AskAnna where Anna Davis was online to answer questions about writing and publishing.  She is an author and worked in publishing for over a decade and delivers some of the CB Creative courses.

The event was good fun – although, a little slow to start.  Afterwards, I thought of more questions I wish I had asked but this was my first twitter Q&A that I’ve participated in. Usually, I can’t attend as I’m at work.

If you couldn’t make it, you’ll be pleased to know I saved the Q&As I found most useful from the event (start at the bottom and scroll up):

I hope CB do more Twitter events in future and that I can attend. This was good fun. Best of all, it was great to be invited to ask questions as I then knew we were welcomed and not a nuisance. I would love to hear of more a Twitter events – have you done any?

In 2017, I completed the Curtis Brown course Start Writing Your Novel.  Click here to read my review about it. I’m really tempted to do more courses with them but at the moment, I don’t have the time or money.

The Literacy Consultancy looks really good but, again, I don’t have the money to pay for their services at the moment. They edit and review manuscripts and advise of marketability and who to approach and have a mentor scheme where someone with experience supports you with in-depth advice on your novel. I can’t believe I’ve not heard of this organisation until now! Have you?

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Ally Aldridge Tips, Writing

How to work with your social media platforms

Ari Meghlen has written a very personal post loaded with tips from his experience using social media for marketing his writing.

This article is full of realistic advice for those that are struggling to juggle it all. Afterall, as writers, our projects should come first.  This is how to balance the two.

How to work with your social media platforms

How to work with your social media platforms
— Read on arimeghlen.co.uk/2018/04/16/how-to-work-with-your-social-media-platforms/

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