Category Archives: Genre

Literary Fiction vs. Genre – what’s the difference?

Posted on August 23, 2012 by

There are three genre novels up for the Giller Prize Reader’s Choice. Two are mysteries, one is science fiction. All these books were identified by their publishers as “eligible” literary fiction. A genre novel has never won the Giller. Elana Rabinovitch, … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Awards, Genre | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Giller Prize and Genre Fiction

Posted on August 11, 2012 by

Interesting interview with Elana Rabinovitch last year in the National Post (reproduced here in part) on the question of genre fiction: Q The list of eligible books on the Giller Prize website – those are put forward by the publishers? … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Awards, Genre | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Steampunk: Another Genre

Posted on January 30, 2011 by

Our AW pal, Kristoff,  has just sold his dystopian steampunk fantasy fiction novel for megabucks, following an auction. It’s a genre I was unfamiliar with. Dystopian is straightforward enough: it’s the opposite of utopian. But steampunk? Kristoff  was kind enough … Continue reading →

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Another success story under the heading, Never Give Up!

Posted on January 24, 2011 by

Today’s guest blog is from another AW writer who went through 185 rejections before finding success. She even switched genres! Her genre was initially horror. But, thanks to the feedback she received from an agent, even though he passed on the manuscript, it’s now … Continue reading →

Posted in Dealing with rejection, Don't Give Up, Genre, Getting Published | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Noir cosies (or when cozies go bad)

Posted on January 10, 2011 by

Hilary McLeod, another Canadian author, takes issue with my definition of a ‘cosy’  in my post, ‘What’s Wrong with a Cozy’? I thought I’d simply reproduce her comments here, instead of leaving them buried in the comments section. “I’ve been … Continue reading →

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Another writer’s take on genre

Posted on December 31, 2010 by

I happen to hate Dan Brown’s books and like Stieg Larsson’s (Ibought all three of the girl who kicked butt and loved Salander, Blomqvist not so much). But here’s a novellist who says that all these books are amateurish and poorly written. Now, … Continue reading →

Posted in Genre, Plot, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

And now, the ‘police procedural’

Posted on December 18, 2010 by

Penguin Canada has described The Beggar’s Opera as a ‘police procedural.’ “What exactly is that?” several colleagues of mine asked. Well, the ‘police procedural’ follows the police through their investigation into a murder rather than focusing on the victim or the murderer. … Continue reading →

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Next genre: the Noir

Posted on December 17, 2010 by

Now that everyone knows what a cozy is, that brings us to its polar opposite: the ‘noir.’  The noir (and yes, it’s based on the French word for ‘black’) is often written from the point of view of the villain, sometimes … Continue reading →

Posted in Genre, Getting Published, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment