Hi all. I have been writing a ton of stories lately (I think twenty in the last three months, which is a record for me since I usually make excuses not to write or not finish a story). I get an idea, and start with some planning and such, but for some reason, my stories never seem to fit into a genre particularly well. I've tried writing thrillers, horror, humor, suspense, but I cannot seem to achieve the tone or feel that characterizes these genres. Maybe I don't really know what they are! Any suggestions for how to fit into a genre and write something that is obviously one kind or story or another? And more important, does a story need to be classified as a certain type, or can it just be a good story without aligning itself to any particular theme or genre? Thanks!
Honestly, if you aren't really fitting into a presupposed orthodox view of a genre, use that to your advantage. Just make sure you aren't trying to be something that you aren't however (claiming to be those but not really capturing the same feel/philosophy/aesthetic). To be quite honest, you shouldn't really care that much if you don't fit into a conventional view of a genre. For all you know, you could be straddling multiple boundaries or simply representing it in a far less common way than most would be used to. A story needs no real genre; that's byproduct stuff. It just needs to be good.
Figure out if it is young adult, middle grade or adult fiction (so you at least know which agency(s) to send it to). Then let your agent figure out what sub genre it is if you are having a hard time. You need to fit to your own style and voice. Be yourself. As far as genre, that only matters to which agencies you are sending your work to. Write whatever genre you want.
