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The “What Is the Genre of My Book” Question

January 7, 2020

Writing

book title, fiction, genre, literature, marketing, writing

I have yet to meet a writer who hasn’t at some point wondered “What’s the genre of my book?” so let’s tackle this question and see why (if?) it matters.

The genre of a book is an issue that plagues writers, readers, librarians, publishers, and generally everyone dealing with books and literature.

In today’s post we’ll see how you can define the genre of your book. But here’s a twist in the plot: I’ll also inspire you to ask yourself whether determining the genre of your book is something you actually need to care about at all.

genre of my book
Determining genre – such as “Romance”, “Fantasy”, or “Romantic Fantasy” – is a marketing decision. The issue is, to which extent should it affect the creative process?
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How to Control the Narrative Pace

December 10, 2019

Fiction Writing Tips, Writing

affect, narrative, pace, writing

Controlling the narrative pace is an aspect of writing that most authors aspire to learn. However, it’s also a fairly misunderstood concept. To learn how to control the narrative pace you must know three things: how, when, and – most importantly – why.

First of all, a quick definition: The narrative pace (or narrative pacing) of a story refers to the speed at which the author offers the story. Obviously, this isn’t linked to the speed at which the events of the story occur.

Indeed, as we’ll see in this post, the discrepancy between the two is a key component. The difference between these two – speed of narrative versus speed of plot – is integral in figuring out how to control the narrative pace.

How to control the narrative pace
To learn how to control the narrative pace, you must understand three things: how, when, and – most crucially – why
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Degrowth for Writers: Forget Sales, Focus on Meaning

November 5, 2019

Society, Writing

art, degrowth, marketing, society, writing

Most of us are think they are familiar with the term “growth”, thanks to media brainwashing. The economy this, the economy that. But how many are as familiar with the term degrowth? Even if you are, you’ve probably never heard it in connection with writing. What is degrowth for writers, and why should you care?

As with so many other things, it’s a matter of expectations. I’m amazed at how many people, how often, how inescapably, fail to answer this simple question: What do you want from your actions? What is it that you expect from your writing?

Answering such questions honestly is the only way thinking individuals can live with themselves.

degrowth for writers
“Riches don’t make a man rich; they only make him busier”
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