The Pathological Genre

There’s an aspect of fiction writing that authors should not concern themselves with.  We’re burdened with enough requirements, pressures, and demands.  Don't take on more than you need to.

I’m referring to the concept of genre.

At the opposite end of the spectrum from us authors are our readers, who are wholly consumed with genre.  It is their life support and is the air they breathe.  Lovers of romance novels are attracted to romance novels.  Fans of comedy, history, or suspense are attracted to those stories.

But you, dear authors, should have no part of it. I say this because,

1. Most stories are a combination of genres.

2. Most people in the fiction industry (including the supposed experts) can’t tell the difference between genres anyway.

If you don’t believe me, read the post linked here.  Then, examine the list linked below of sixty-six novels which Goodreads classifies as “multi-genre.”

66 multi-Genre Novels

It appears that virtually any novel can be “multi-genre.”

I recall years ago, when I would pace for hours up and down the aisles of Blockbuster Video, searching for a movie to rent.  I was continually astonished to see so many videos catalogued in the wrong genres.

Virtually any movie nowadays claims to be a comedy.  I’m sorry, but the following movies are not comedies:

• The Odd Couple (1968)

• M*A*S*H (1970)

• Harold and Maude (1971)

• Being There (1979)

• Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

• Tootsie (1982)

• The Secret of NIMH (1982)

• Moonstruck (1987)

• Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)

• Fargo (1996)

• The Cable Guy (1996)

• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

• Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

• Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

• Marley & Me (2008)

• World’s Greatest Dad (2009)

• Lobster (2015)

• The Martian (2015)

• Jojo Rabbit (2019)

• The Menu (2022)

There may be some offhand comedic elements in these movies by a struggling character, but these movies center squarely on very heavy social issues.  If you watch any of these movies intending to get some laughs, you’re going to be disappointed and frankly shocked.  This isn’t because they’re not exceptional movies.  They’re just not comedies.

What to do about this?

Instead of worrying about genre, write whatever comes from your heart and mind.  Bear your soul as you describe in exquisite detail the sufferings of your characters.  Dismiss the very existence of genre.

For example, I’m considering writing a novel about the following:

People on an island in the Mediterranean Sea, back in the sixth century A.D., come across magnetic rocks.  They eventually learn that with them, they can generate electricity (which requires magnetism) and, eventually, rudimentary radio signals.  These discoveries give them an edge over their enemies.  When the discoveries finally begin to cause the downfall of their budding “advanced” society, they decide to reject the technology. They bury their equipment and return to living like everyone else at the time.

What would be the genre of such a story?  Historical fiction?  Who’s to say such a thing never happened?

After you write the last word of your novel, and after you have self-edited every one of its pages at least three times, you can then sit back and ask yourself, “What genre is it?”  Only then should you consider contacting your literary agent or self-publishing your novel on Amazon or another platform.

Psychotherapy

Speaking of bearing our souls, the same “labeling” occurs in the psychotherapy field.  Wikipedia lists well over 200 human mental disorders.  It is commonly believed that some people may have one or two of them.  However, most people have indications of or propensities for a fair number of them at once, but at low enough levels that don’t significantly interfere with their lives.

The following graph portrays a simplified example of a “mental disorder” chart representing the emotional and mental lives of the typical person:

Only if one or more of those disorders begin to affect your life significantly are they considered “pathological.”

Likewise, if a movie is clearly a comedy or a fantasy, it is labeled as such.  However, most moviemakers, in an effort to please everyone, attempt to incorporate all 200-plus genres in their movies, resulting in a graph that shows nothing but solid blue.

That’s precisely what you, as authors, should not do. Don’t follow the example of the declining movie industry, or you may end up needing some psychotherapy yourself.