THE Group for Authors! discussion

I "co-wrote" (mainly edited, but I had to take "author" status to publish it through CreateSpace, because the main author was completely computer illiterate), and I had a very hard time fitting it into a genre (more precisely, a historical sub-genre). Being set between the Depression and World War II, it technically qualified as "historical" fiction, but it didn't actually revolve around a historical event, as I think most people expect of something with a "Depression" or "WWII" label. The family is traveling from Missouri to Wisconsin, but to call it "travel" fiction sounds more vacation/adventuring (you go there, but you come back again) than this was, too. Again, it technically "fit," but not well.

I've finally decided "journey fiction" would be the best descriptor for it. I would also include Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books, westward expansion stories like The Grapes of wrath, and even shipwreck stories like Swiss Family Robinson.

I know I have an interest in reading these kinds of stories, but they seem to be scattered all over the historical fiction sub-genres. Are there enough others interested for it to emerge as a distinct sub-genre?

"Journey" stories set in past times, in my opinion, are still historical fiction, even when their authors do not narrate a particular historical event. The depiction of the people of the time, how they lived, and what conflicts that arise due to the culture and morals of the time make the story historical.

On GR "genres" are crowd sourced from how books are shelved. You might need to make a case for "journey fiction" at the Librarians group. You'd also have to use a shelf name for those books you think are part of the genre. (I've never heard of it, speaking personally.)

"Historical fiction" - some are very picky about what is or isn't historical fiction. I'd probably shelve it that way, from the description.

I often find the journey, even if physical, is more often about their emotional journey. This from Wiki: A Bildungsroman relates the growing up or "coming of age" of a sensitive person who goes in search of answers to life's questions with the expectation that these will result in gaining experience of the world. The genre evolved from folklore tales of a dunce or youngest child going out in the world to seek his fortune[16]. Usually in the beginning of the story there is an emotional loss which makes the protagonist leave on his/her journey. In a Bildungsroman, the goal is maturity, and the protagonist achieves it gradually and with difficulty. The genre often features a main conflict between the main character and society. Typically, the values of society are gradually accepted by the protagonist and he/she is ultimately accepted into society—the protagonist's mistakes and disappointments are over. In some works, the protagonist is able to reach out and help others after having achieved maturity.

The expansion of primary genres and the sub-genres that have evolved within the literary world during the past several decades have reached a point where the traits utilized to distinguish one from the other have become so blurred and intermingled that many avid readers no longer identify with any one specific genre. Instead, their personal choices in reading material are determined primarily by the story line, entertainment value, and the writer's technical and narration skills, regardless of subject matter.

Rather than add genre and sub-genre segments, complicating the scene even more, the time may be rapidly approaching to abandon such identifications all together.

Jim wrote: "The expansion of primary genres and the sub-genres that have evolved within the literary world during the past several decades have reached a point where the traits utilized to distinguish one from..."

Agree. Lordy, there are too many "genres" already.

Luna wrote: "I often find the journey, even if physical, is more often about their emotional journey. This from Wiki: A Bildungsroman relates the growing up or "coming of age" of a sensitive person who goes in ..."

That's just it. There's very little "internal" to the story, because it's an entire family that's moving, and the emphasis is on what they encounter as they travel. People react to the book like they would if you gave them an old photo album. "We hand one of those...I remember when we did that..."

I actually considered calling it a bildungsroman, but the time span (about four months) isn't really long enough for much growth to occur. (At the suggestion of a friend, Cal added a budding romance with the oldest son, otherwise, I'd say the characters didn't change noticeably as they traveled.)

Luna wrote: "I often find the journey, even if physical, is more often about their emotional journey. This from Wiki: A Bildungsroman relates the growing up or "coming of age" of a sensitive person who goes in ..."

An interesting insight, Luna. The coming into wisdom and maturity is the theme in a lot of my novels particularly in Peeling Oranges from a male perspective and in Finding Penelope from a female perspective.

An interesting insight, Luna. The coming into wisdom and maturity is the theme in a lot of my novels.

There's already a category for what you phrase a 'journey' novel. It's a 'quest novel'. But, as Jim aptly points out, there's already an overflow of genres and sub-genres. We don't need more.

J.R. wrote: "There's already a category for what you phrase a 'journey' novel. It's a 'quest novel'. But, as Jim aptly points out, there's already an overflow of genres and sub-genres. We don't need more."

Nope. Definitely not a "quest."

Wendy wrote: "I "co-wrote" (mainly edited, but I had to take "author" status to publish it through CreateSpace, because the main author was completely computer illiterate), and I had a very hard time fitting it ..."

I like the word journey for what I have written and much of what I like to read. The subtitle of from Fjord to Floathouse is "one family's journey from the farmlands of Norway to the coast of British Columbia." In one way it is based on my family history search but mainly it tells of that immigrant couple who came from far away to a new and very unfamiliar land, their adjustments and the lives of their children and grandchildren.

Myrtle wrote: "Wendy wrote: "I "co-wrote" (mainly edited, but I had to take "author" status to publish it through CreateSpace, because the main author was completely computer illiterate), and I had a very hard ti..."

Yeah. That's what I've got.

James wrote: "Luna wrote: "I often find the journey, even if physical, is more often about their emotional journey. This from Wiki: A Bildungsroman relates the growing up or "coming of age" of a sensitive person..."

James, Coming of Age might be your category.