Title: Ultimate Guide: How To Navigate Genres and Subgenres Like A Pro – Writer’s Edit
Headings: Ultimate Guide: How To Navigate Genres and Subgenres Like A Pro
Ultimate Guide: How To Navigate Genres and Subgenres Like A Pro
Popular Genres and Their Subgenres
Crime and Detective
What are the most common crime and detective subgenres?
The hardboiled detective
The whodunit
The cosy mystery
The police procedural
Is crime the right genre for me?
Fantasy
What are the most common fantasy subgenres?
High fantasy
Low fantasy/Urban fantasy
Fairy tales, folklore and mythology
Is fantasy the right genre for me?
Historical fiction
What are the most common subgenres of historical fiction?
Fictional biographies
Historical romance
Historical mysteries
Nautical and pirate fiction
Is historical fiction the right genre for me?
Romance
What are the most common romance subgenres?
Contemporary romance
Historical romance
Multicultural romance
Paranormal romance
Is romance the right genre for me?
Science Fiction
What are the most common sci-fi subgenres?
Time travel
Military and war
Apocalypse and post-apocalypse
Climate change fiction
Cyberpunk
Is science fiction the right genre for me?
Tips for nailing your novel’s genre
What to do before and during the first draft
Read and research within your preferred genres
Check out bestsellers and publishers for each genre
Explore the possibility of crossover genres
What to do after the first draft
Write an effective synopsis
Consider how your novel can be promoted within a particular genre
Over to you
Bernadette Mung

Content: Science Fiction
What are the most common sci-fi subgenres? Time travel
Military and war
Apocalypse and post-apocalypse
Climate change fiction
Cyberpunk
Is science fiction the right genre for me? Tips for nailing your novel’s genre
What to do before and during the first draft
Read and research within your preferred genres
Check out bestsellers and publishers for each genre
Explore the possibility of crossover genres
What to do after the first draft
Write an effective synopsis
Consider how your novel can be promoted within a particular genre
Over to you
Popular Genres and Their Subgenres
Crime and Detective
Crime fiction is a genre that fictionalises crime, criminals and the detection of crime. From Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s infamous Holmes and Watson duo, scouting the streets and countrysides of Victorian England for the perpetrators of ghastly crimes, to the modern sleuths cracking open cold cases to uncover the truths behind decades of lies, crime fiction undoubtedly presents an irresistible tale for the voracious reader. In many ways, this genre wields a magnifying glass that ‘reveals the fingerprints of history’, by examining the underlying conflicts of motives, morals and human depravity. Crime fiction satisfies in us a secret yearning for justice, the unappeasable appetite for a fair world, which begins in childhood and never leaves us. It satisfies our need for conclusions, both moral and narrative.” — Nick Elliot
Though the earliest known fictional works on crime date to the early 1800s, the genre became popular from the 1850s onwards. The emerging dominance of the genre is thanks to several factors of the era: the prominence of social justice issues, the rise of mass media publishing and the paperback, and the class conflicts and associated working class life.