Genres & Gender

I thought that the novel I was writing, set in a fictional world, would be considered fantasy. But I looked at a list of the top 25 fantasy books and they all heavily feature magic. There are certain things I created that don't exist in our world, but no magic. Is there a non-magic subgenre of fantasy? Turns out there is, but seemingly a small one.

If fantasy is not the right category, then where else could it belong?

Not science fiction, not historical, not mystery, suspense, or thriller. Definitely not horror. Not romance. Not dystopian, although perhaps I could push it in that direction if necessary. Looking at this list, maybe what I'm aiming for is mainstream fiction, but those seem to be mostly realistic stories (The Joy Luck Club, The Da Vinci Code, Life of Pi, etc).

I also noticed when I was scanning through the top fantasy book list that all the "coming of age" stories were about boys. What happened to girls becoming women? My main character is a girl set in a group of friends. When exactly do we, of either gender, grow up? I would like to explore just what "coming of age" would look like for a girl, and what it means to be a woman.

From the Beginning

Hello!

I enjoy talking excessively about whatever project is currently consuming me, so I created this blog to relieve my immediate family.

What is my big dream? To become a published novelist. I am 33 years old, and I just figured out what I want to be when I grow up.

Where am I at in the process?

50,000 words into my first draft and it needs about 20k more, but I'm excited. I hope to see it through and wanted to record my journey. I can't promise success but I will do my best to be honest.

Welcome to my life as an aspiring writer.