The Genres I Prefer to Write Within and Why

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My Preferred Genres

For the past few weeks, we’ve explored Literary and Commercial Fiction and the content genres typically found under the category of Commercial Fiction. This was to lay a foundation for today’s post, where I describe the content genres I prefer to write in (and read) and why that’s the case. As explored previously, commercial fiction is a category for stories written for entertainment, consumed by the mass market, and generally more plot-driven. than character-driven. They are considered more accessible to the general reader. Under the umbrella of commercial fiction fall many external content genres that include action, horror, romance, crime, performance, and thriller fiction. Science fiction and fantasy are marketing labels for stories that fall under a variety of the above content genres and are not in themselves genres. I tend to write fiction that most closely falls under the Thriller and the Love (Romance) genres. Usually, I combine the two in what is popularly labeled “romantic suspense” or “romantic thriller.”

In future blog posts, I will detail what the Thriller and Love (Romance) genres are all about. For the purposes of this post, I will briefly define them in a paragraph or two and then describe how I gravitate toward these genres in the stories I write, including the trilogy I am working on and hope to see published within the next two to three years.

The Thriller genre combines three external content genres: Action, Horror, and Crime. They take the talented and driven protagonist of the action genre and pit them against the Horror's powerful and formidable villain (antagonistic force) as they investigate a master crime (Crime Genre), strive to stop the Villain and make them pay for their evil deeds. Thrillers are typically fast-paced, though some are more suspenseful than active, and elicit in the reader feelings of excitement, anticipation, surprise, anxiety, and, in the end, triumph (or bitter defeat). The Thriller genre has many sub-genres, including the serial killer and the woman or child in jeopardy tropes. One popular example of a thriller novel is The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. Another example is The Client by John Grisham. In the marketing category of Christian/Inspirational fiction, one of my favorite thrillers is The Water Keeper by Charles Martin, and the following two books in the “Keeper” trilogy, The Letter Keeper and The Record Keeper. I love these books for the suspenseful action, the romantic subplot, and the inspirational themes surrounding the love of God and His Grace.

The Love Genre is one of the most popular under the commercial fiction umbrella, and often, the subplots of other content genre books involve love stories and romance. The story’s main focus in this genre is on the love relationship between two protagonists and the conflict that threatens to keep or tear them apart. The need of the protagonists boils down to belonging and connection in many forms, including desire (courtship), commitment (marriage), and intimacy (both platonic and erotic). The love genre explores the value spectrum moving from hate to love and evokes in the reader feelings of romance without any personal risk. As mentioned, the love genre can be more literary in nature, exploring more complicated characters and themes or more suspenseful or fast-paced with well-developed plots. Some examples of popular love genre novels include Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, “Brokeback Mountain,” by Annie Proulx, and Vision of White by Nora Roberts.

My Current Project

I admit it: I’m a Thriller and Love Genre junkie!

I am in the final editing stages of the first book of a trilogy I have been working on for over five years. I call it the Ashes Trilogy, the first book titled From Sackcloth and Ashes. When I first began writing From Sackcloth and Ashes (FS&A), it was titled something else entirely and looked quite different from how it is today. I had no idea how to write a novel, and instead of carefully developing characters and plotting my story, knowing what genres my novel fell under, I wrote by the seat of my pants, making things up as I went. What a mistake. I soon learned that one of my first and biggest mistakes was having no idea what my controlling idea (theme) was or the genres my story fell under. It wasn’t until I did a lot of self-study in the art of writing that I realized my error and had to go back, tear my first draft to pieces, and start over. I sat down and figured out what I wanted to say through the novel, who my characters were (in detail), and what genres the story best conformed to. Knowing these things, I could then study the obligatory scenes and conventions of the genres and incorporate them into my plot. I discovered that I tend to write suspense, which falls under the umbrella of the Thriller genre, an external content genre in commercial fiction. I also incorporate a strong romantic (love) subplot into my storylines, which means I have to abide by the scenes and conventions commonly expected in the Love genre. What I end up with is a “romantic thriller.” That’s not technically a genre, but it best describes my writing. Because my themes are based on Christian beliefs and values, my book will be marketed as Christian/Inspirational fiction.

FS&A is a tale about seeking both justice and granting grace and forgiveness. Its message is that justice can only exist when people stand up against institutionalized corruption and oppression of law enforcement and the legal system by the socioeconomic elite. My main protagonists, Wil Endicott and Faith Eidler, team up to investigate the murder of their mutual loved one, Maggie Belanger. They soon discover that a powerful influence covered up the truth surrounding Maggie’s murder, allowing a serial killer to get away with his crimes for over twenty years. This powerful influence stands between Wil and Faith and obtaining justice for Maggie and other victims of the Highway 2A Killer. In the process of their investigation, Wil and Faith fall in love, but the same force that stands in the way of their investigation poses a threat to their budding relationship. The books that follow FS&A follow Wil and Faith past the investigation into Maggie’s death into a greater fight against the elite that uses money to assume power and influence over the legal system and lives of everyday people. Their adventures involved fast-paced chases and following intriguing clues to solve a fifteen-year-old mystery while exploring the protagonists’ need to complete the grieving process and find truth and justice as well as connection and belonging.

I’m excited about From Sackcloth and Ashes and look forward to sharing more about my novel as I proceed with editing, publication, and marketing. Thank you so much for reading! Do you have a preferred genre or genres you write in or read? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear what you think.

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Pauline J. Grabia

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