Vacitos! It’s Tuesday again, and today, I’m spinning a yarn not about plot twists or cliffhangers but about the often perplexing world of literary genres. Why is it that nailing down a genre can feel like trying to catch fog in a net? Let’s unravel this together.

Characters That Defy Boxes: The Heart of Genre Fluidity

When it comes to creating characters, I’m all about the real deal—people who could walk off the page and into your life, complete with all their quirks and contradictions. These characters don’t just live; they breathe, they make mistakes, and they surprise us (and sometimes themselves). But here’s the rub: when your characters are this three-dimensional, they start to wriggle out of the neat little genre labels we try to stick on them.

The Realism in Contradictions: Why Characters Shouldn’t Fit a Mold

Real life isn’t a straight-up comedy, thriller, or romance, and neither are real people. We’re messy. We laugh at funerals, find hope in despair, and love in the strangest places. Our stories reflect that blending elements of mystery, drama, and, yes, even the supernatural because humans complicate things. So when you read any of my books, and certainly the current one Under The Flamboyant Tree, you will see that it straddles various genres: Contemporary Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Drama, and Magical Realism, to name a few. This bothered me at first because, as an indie author who wears many hats, I think of marketing a lot. This aspect of the business becomes more complex when a book is a bit of a gender-bending rebel. Knowing I am not the only one, makes me feel good.

Genre as a Spectrum: Learning from Authors Who Defy Conventions

Consider N.K. Jemisin’s groundbreaking Broken Earth series. It’s a masterclass in defying genre conventions. On the surface, it’s fantasy with its end-of-the-world stakes and seismic superpowers. But slip a little deeper, and you’ll find it’s also a commentary on race, oppression, and the environment—issues that resonate in our very real world. These books don’t just create a world; they hold up a distorted mirror to our own, challenging the reader to look beyond the ‘fantasy’ label.

Then there’s Helen Oyeyemi with books like What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours. Her work is often labeled as magical realism, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Within her pages, you’ll find a labyrinth of interconnected stories that defy easy categorization, blending myth with reality, and turning the everyday into the extraordinary. Oyeyemi’s writing thrives in the spaces between genres, her prose a tapestry of the tangible and the mystical.

We can’t forget about Octavia Butler, who with books like Kindred transcends time-travel science fiction. The novel also delves deeply into the historical and horrific realities of slavery, making it a poignant exploration of American history and racial issues. Butler’s work is a genre-fluid dance that sways between the speculative and the painfully real.

In their own unique ways, each of these authors stretches the boundaries of genre. They blend, they bend, and they invite readers to enter worlds where categories are as fluid as the characters and narratives they create. These authors are not just telling stories; they’re weaving new literary fabrics from threads of different genres.

By embracing the full spectrum of genre, these authors have carved out new spaces for their stories, encouraging us as readers and writers to appreciate the rich, complex layers of narrative possibility. It’s a call to all of us to celebrate the diverse, the different, the genre-defiant voices that bring fresh perspectives to the literary table.

The Challenge and Freedom of Fluid Genres

Navigating the world of publishing can be tricky for writers, especially those who don’t neatly fit into one specific genre. Bookstores, publishers, and online search engines all rely heavily on categorization to market books effectively. However, the real freedom for writers lies in embracing the fluidity of genre and recognizing the diverse identities that shape their work. As writers, particularly those from marginalized communities, we have the power to challenge traditional literary boundaries and redefine what it means to be a storyteller. By breaking free from rigid genre constraints, we can create stories that reflect the complexity of our experiences and identities. This allows us to contribute to a vibrant community that is actively reshaping the literary landscape. While it may be challenging to find our place in a market that thrives on categorization, we can take solace in the knowledge that our unique voices have the power to transcend labels and connect with readers on a deeper level. By embracing the fluidity of genre and celebrating the diversity of our identities, we can pave the way for a more inclusive and representative literary world.

Because Why Pin Down When You Can Open Up?

So, why try to pin down a genre when our characters are determined to break out? I write character-driven stories because I believe in reflecting the human experience in all its unpredictable glory. Our characters are complex, their journeys are winding, and their stories deserve to be told in full color—not just black and white.

Let’s celebrate that complexity, that refusal to be categorized. After all, isn’t that what makes a story truly memorable?

Keep it real, keep it raw, and let those characters lead the way to uncharted territories.

Q: Who’s your favorite genre-bending author?