As my first novel, The Second Coming, is being prepared for publishing, the question above is something that I've been asked quite frequently. The most common response people make, when I explain to them that I'm a writer is: "So, what sort of stories do you write about? In other words - What's your genre?
It certainly wasn't something that I'd given much conscious thought to in the past, but equally I knew once the book was available, it was something that required answering. Whereabouts, in that massive market of novels, would The Second Coming fit? In fact, what is it that I like to write about?
As someone who has spent a lifetime reading books of all descriptions, I like to think I have a pretty good grasp of what a novel sets out to achieve. Yes, it does tell a story, but there is an underlying premise, it seems to me, in every novel. That underlying premise addresses one or more of the great issues of life - and to be honest there aren't that many. The issues I'm alluding to here include: The battle of good vs evil; The questions of why we are here - what is our purpose in life; The great unrequited love, and indeed the great requited love; The questions of death, mortality, the hereafter and heaven; the struggle and triumph over adversity; and finally questions of morality - what is right and what is wrong. All novels address some, or all of these questions and the vehicle they use to do that is their genre.
Genres can range from the bizarre science fiction aliens through to fantasy werewolves, witches, vampires and goblins, or equally they can be about ordinary everyday people like you and me. Whether a novel uses the vehicle of fantasy, murder mystery, suspense, thriller, science-fiction, or romance to tell its tale, ultimately it will be revealing, examining, discussing and sometimes providing answers to the issues mentioned in the previous paragraph.
For me, the vehicle I used for The Second Coming, was the conflict between what our higher power (in this case God) wanted our world to be, and what humanity had allowed our world to become. That, however, was never the issue of the novel - that was just the vehicle I decided to use. At the core of The Second Coming is: 1/ A romance that transcends humanity - a romance that succeeds because of the differences in the participants, rather than despite their differences; 2/ An examination of morality - of what is right and wrong in the world today; and 3/ A celebration of what life should be for each of us - what makes the human experience superior, to even, immortality.
So - what is The Second Coming's genre? If I had to label it, I would call it a "Romantic Fantasy". Having said that, it has plenty of adventure, excitement and suspense to keep most readers interested. One thing it is not, is a religious book - it is far from it. Religion is just the clothes dummy on which I've hung the outfit that is the story.
I hope that gives you some insight into my thought processes and ideas when I wrote this novel and I hope everyone enjoys it for what it is - a simple story of love triumphing over difficult odds.
You can even invest in this novel by visiting Pentian and receive real returns from every sale of The Second Coming.
It certainly wasn't something that I'd given much conscious thought to in the past, but equally I knew once the book was available, it was something that required answering. Whereabouts, in that massive market of novels, would The Second Coming fit? In fact, what is it that I like to write about?
As someone who has spent a lifetime reading books of all descriptions, I like to think I have a pretty good grasp of what a novel sets out to achieve. Yes, it does tell a story, but there is an underlying premise, it seems to me, in every novel. That underlying premise addresses one or more of the great issues of life - and to be honest there aren't that many. The issues I'm alluding to here include: The battle of good vs evil; The questions of why we are here - what is our purpose in life; The great unrequited love, and indeed the great requited love; The questions of death, mortality, the hereafter and heaven; the struggle and triumph over adversity; and finally questions of morality - what is right and what is wrong. All novels address some, or all of these questions and the vehicle they use to do that is their genre.
Genres can range from the bizarre science fiction aliens through to fantasy werewolves, witches, vampires and goblins, or equally they can be about ordinary everyday people like you and me. Whether a novel uses the vehicle of fantasy, murder mystery, suspense, thriller, science-fiction, or romance to tell its tale, ultimately it will be revealing, examining, discussing and sometimes providing answers to the issues mentioned in the previous paragraph.
For me, the vehicle I used for The Second Coming, was the conflict between what our higher power (in this case God) wanted our world to be, and what humanity had allowed our world to become. That, however, was never the issue of the novel - that was just the vehicle I decided to use. At the core of The Second Coming is: 1/ A romance that transcends humanity - a romance that succeeds because of the differences in the participants, rather than despite their differences; 2/ An examination of morality - of what is right and wrong in the world today; and 3/ A celebration of what life should be for each of us - what makes the human experience superior, to even, immortality.
So - what is The Second Coming's genre? If I had to label it, I would call it a "Romantic Fantasy". Having said that, it has plenty of adventure, excitement and suspense to keep most readers interested. One thing it is not, is a religious book - it is far from it. Religion is just the clothes dummy on which I've hung the outfit that is the story.
I hope that gives you some insight into my thought processes and ideas when I wrote this novel and I hope everyone enjoys it for what it is - a simple story of love triumphing over difficult odds.
You can even invest in this novel by visiting Pentian and receive real returns from every sale of The Second Coming.
http://pentian.com/book/fund/652
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