The story is all important!
I am a storyteller first, I worry about writing a good story, and then I worry about genres & age groups. I write anything from picture books and middle grade to young adult and adult. Genres are important so that the reader, can find your book, especially with adult books, but I maintain that the story is all-important.
Genres can be tricky, since they often have subgenres. For example, Urban fantasy. But genres aren’t meant to make a writer’s life complicated, they help a reader know where to find your book in a bookstore. Online markets prefer books that fit into multiple genres so they can list your novel in two or more categories. Genres are not important when writing your story. Make the plot one that agents, editors, and readers can’t put down, & then find the closest fit. However, a few genres tend to have specific rules about plotlines. For example, in Cozy Mysteries the murder should be introduced in chapter one.
Age Groups can be more complex to deal with. Children prefer a main character their age or a year or two older, but the topic needs to deal with issues appropriate for their age level:
Picture Books: Ages 3 to 7 (Board Books for younger readers and Easy Readers for older readers). Children this age are Searching for Security. Even while playing and having fun, they need to know their parents are there for them with love, protection, & life’s necessities.
Middle Grade: Ages 8 to 13 (Chapter Books with a limited number of illustrations for younger readers & Tween fiction involving dating for older readers). Children in this age are Searching for Identity. They are not certain who they are or what their abilities are. They often do things in groups to obtain peer approval, because they lack self-confidence & self-identity.
Young Adult: Ages 14 to 18 (New Adult for college-age readers). Teenagers are Searching for Independence. They are famous for their rebellion against their parents, sometimes called “attitude.” Psychologists have described this as subconscious psychological efforts to separate themselves from their families, so they can become adults. New Adult is about college-age students dealing with new-found independence.
Adults: Adults are easier to write for; they read in a wide range of ages & topics. Anything that doesn’t fit in the children’s categories. I once sold a short story about a little boy dealing with his father’s death to a dark fantasy anthology. I didn’t consider marketing it as a children’s book, because it dealt with issues of life and death.
My favorite rule for is: Take your reader where they are not expecting to go. This applies to all genres & age groups. I write the story I want, & then I consider the above age guidelines as I write the rough draft. I often hear people discussing a writer’s voice. Each genre & age group should have a unique voice or all your works will sound the same. You should find a unique voice for each book, even if you write in the same genre/age group. Since I tend to write books that cross genres, I only consider genres when I’m ready to approach an agent or editor.
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