When you're trying to classify the story you're writing/about to write into a certain genre... STOP.
There is no need to do that until you're finished with the entire thing and writing your query letter to an agent. Picking a genre ahead of time might consciously or subconsciously limit the story you tell, and you might fall into writing stereotypes of that genre because you have that mindset of "this must be fantasy so it has to fit rules of fantasy" or whatever genre you're thinking of.
I believe genres were actually created by publishers simply so they could categorize books for marketing. So don't even worry about what genre your book is until you hit the publishing stage.
In fact, cross-genre and multiple-genre books are sometimes the most fun because they can involve themes across wide spectrums, rather than falling into a tiny little niche. Although there's absolutely nothing wrong with niche-writing! Just saying don't limit yourself to a single genre if the story you're trying to tell sometimes leaks into another.
A story is a representation of real or imagined worlds and lives, so look at your life. Do you fit into a single genre? Is your entire life defined by romance? No. You have home issues, school issues, maybe drug issues or action conflicts, relgion, coming-of-age, bullying, mental health, physical health, humor, etc. In the same way, a story doesn't need to be defined by a single genre. It can if you want it to, but it's not a requirement.
One of my favorite books of all time, The Picture of Dorian Gray, doesn't fit into anything. It's (probably) literary, supernatural/paranormal, satire, i don't even know. SparkNotes says the genre is: ":Gothic; philosophical; comedy of manners" (no idea what commedy of manners means...) So that should tell you that picking one genre and sticking to it is not necessary to write an awesome book!
Bottom line: Write the story you want to write. Don't think about whether it fits in a certain genre or not. That's for the publishers to worry about.
Completely unrelated: Big Hero 6 won Best Animated Movie!!!! WOOO!!!!
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Yuffie's Writing How-To's
RandomA story isn't just a bunch of words slapped onto a page. It's a living, breathing manifestation of your imagination. This guide explores aspects most guides don't touch on such as memorable protagonists, world building, character psychology, and bac...
