Which Pigeonhole is Yours?

Too many think that a genre is "limiting." A genre serves a very useful purpose: It's Marketing 101. People are looking for more of what they love; after a while, they realize that they like particular types of stories while disliking other types; genres help them look for those stories they are looking for more of while helping sort out the others. Because of this, it helps to define your story as belonging to a particular genre; it helps people who may be interested in what you have to say find you that much easier.

The Basics

You need to exercise some discretion when it comes to picking a genre. Too many beginners think they need to list every genre that applies to the story; it doesn't. Try to limit the choices to the top two or three genres that apply, and only if they really apply. Just because your mecha comic has a running joke doesn't make it a comedy; it's only a comedy if the whole comic is supposed to make you laugh. However, "military", "young adult", "science fiction", or even "invasion" may be better choices.

And don't try to pull off the drama/comedy hybrid; if the comic has a lot of drama in it, as well as comedy, just ignore the comedy part. ABC Networks tried "dramedies" in the mid-1980s; although the shows (such as "The Wonder Years" and "Doogie Howser") were popular and critically acclaimed, and are even thought fondly of today, they quickly ran from the "comedy" aspect of the concept and became half-hour dramas. Only use "comedy" if the story is meant to be humorous; comedy has gotten a reputation as "that genre marketers put it in when they have no idea what to do with it" and so readers are a bit wary of the genre.

It's Not That Limiting

Second, don't feel that it's limiting: Genres are wide open spaces and you can always make up new genres. You can even go Chinese menu with them. Have fun with it; there have been mecha westerns, medieval magical girl horrors, and even futuristic magical soap operas. My personal favorite has to be the one the movie "Radioactive Dreams" uses: SF/Action/Adventure/Detective/Cannibalism/Independent Film/Disco/Post Apocalyptic/Greasers/Hippie/Satire. You need to keep in mind that genres are extremely general classifications and that they are more for marketing than anything else. All it takes to be considered a "western" is horses, a frontier, and a lot of desert. And even those are negotiable; it's sort of interesting to see what mixes some writers have come up with; don't be afraid to take the basics of a genre and toss it in with something else.

Going Down to Brass Tacks

Here are twenty genres taken down to their extreme basics for you to start with:

Science Fiction is all about technology and the issues created by technology. The key here is that the technology and concepts need to involve mankind's technological progress or lack thereof; even a story about cavemen can be considered SF if the themes involve the effects of technology, such as spears, fire, or even sharp sticks on caveman culture.

Fantasy has to involve the supernatural, be it magic, supernatural creatures, or even superpowers. The cultural considerations may be considered, but usually it's enough for there to just be supernatural elements.

Historical could have happened; it definitely happened before the modern era. While the default has no magic or tech that didn't exist in the era in question, there is no reason it can't be combined with the fantasy or SF genres. The idea is usually to explore the way people used to think and contrast it with modern thought, but that isn't mandatory.

Modern happens in the modern era, or a generation or two away. If it concentrates on an event, then "historical" is a better fit.

Noir is modern but exaggerated. It's darker (no one is innocent and life is cheap), more violent, and the heroes are more gray than white. No one is pure and it's just a matter of time before someone betrays you.

Pulp has its characters bigger than life, such as an assassin that never fails or a heist where the pros have ridiculous skills. The rules of reality break down a little, so luck and karma are part of the world's physics.

Comedy is not as easy as it sounds, and too many people try anyway…The basic idea is to poke fun at conventions or just have fun.

Drama is serious. Shakespearian/Greek Tragedy serious; even the smallest action sometimes has dire consequences. While it doesn't need to be that serious, it does take itself seriously.

Romance is when most of the challenges and drama are based on two people finding each other and looking for a long-term relationship. Or one heck of a one-night fling.

Erotic is when the story takes a backseat to the sex; the story usually exists solely to get characters from one sex scene to the next.

Harems are generally a group of girls with special abilities who have found themselves under a boy's authority (note the "generally"). Usually combined with romance or erotic, but can stand by itself if heroic ideals are being explored.

Mystery has a story with an emphasis on solving some sort of crime. The crime will be solved, even if those responsible don't face direct consequences; however, even if mortal authorities don't punish the offenders, the universe usually will.

Horror is when the story unnerves or scares the reader. Generally allegorical, and can be Lovecraftian (psychological horror featuring other-dimensional beings), splatter (fear factor depends on intense and messy physical violence), or thriller (straight psychological horror).

Action/Adventure is all about B&W morality with an emphasis on action. There may be some philosophical musing, but the final showdown is on who wins, even if it's a moral victory.

Martial Arts is Action Adventure, but the emphasis is on martial arts. There will be some philosophizing, and the final victory will show the superiority of the hero's philosophy.

Super-hero is when Action/adventure features characters with bonafide pseudo-scientific abilities. There is some emphasis on how the possession of those abilities changes society as we know it, but that isn't mandatory.

Magical Girl involves a girl or group of girls with magical abilities that require some sort of transformation in order to become powerful. It's like superheroes, but the impact is usually limited to the girl's school.

Boy's Adventure usually features a B&W morality with an emphasis on overcoming challenges. Usually, some sort of bully (a villain with an overwhelming advantage over the hero) who must be overcome or some sort of master challenge that must be overcome.

Mecha is a specific sci-fi sub-genre that features human-controlled robotic vehicles, generally human-shaped. Usually military, but can be combined with any other genre to effect.

Post-apocalyptic is when the world as we know it has collapsed. Technological comes in hi-tech/scary and low-tech/not-as-scary flavors. Generally acts as a warning tale. Add mutants to taste.

Western generally looks like the American Southwest, with a B&W morality (or at least, evil actions have nasty consequences), and emphasis on story-telling rather than violence (although it can be highly violent, the emphasis is on story and symbolism). Technology is generally limited to transport and ranged weapons.

So these are the basics. Get out there and have some fun mixing them up, you silly kid.