Is it time for a new genre?

[TheMightyAz]

I actually toyed with what I thought was a new genre, held on to that notion for nearly 10 years and then, recently, discovered it had already been done ...

[Taylor]

I actually toyed with what I thought was a new genre, held on to that notion for nearly 10 years and then, recently, discovered it had already been done ...

Well that's not such a bad thing. Shows you were on the right track! Can I ask which one?

[BrandonTheWriter]

Has anyone even done a story in the style of a scrapbook/diary kind of thing? I assume so. A kind of messy and not cleanly presented. As if someone had actually wrote in it from the first person. Maybe with some things crossed out, doodles and stuff like that.

I realise it wouldn't be for everyone, but I have always thought a 'Found Diary' type of story that looks authenic when you open it up and read would be really quite cool.

[TheMightyAz]

Well that's not such a bad thing. Shows you were on the right track! Can I ask which one?

It was bringing the reader into the story as if they existed in the world. In fact, I think I'll post it up in the Fiction section. It's called 'The Voyeur'.

[Taylor]

Has anyone even done a story in the style of a scrapbook/diary kind of thing? I assume so. A kind of messy and not cleanly presented. As if someone had actually wrote in it from the first person. Maybe with some things crossed out, doodles and stuff like that.

I realise it wouldn't be for everyone, but I have always thought a 'Found Diary' type of story that looks authenic when you open it up and read would be really quite cool.

The diary of Anne Frank comes to mind. And I think Candace Bushnell's Sex in the City was based on a diary of sorts.

But I like your idea of the actual presentation, and is exactly the fluid type of thing I was thinking of in terms of a literary version of realilty TV. You wouldn't need a pre-set plot per se. And the conflict, obstacles and resolutions would come about more naturally.

Love the doodles too. That is original!

[BrandonTheWriter]

It was bringing the reader into the story as if they existed in the world. In fact, I think I'll post it up in the Fiction section. It's called 'The Voyeur'.

That is a really cool idea, you should definitely post it.

[Taylor]

I read once that there was a historical fiction so well researched that they used to make high ranking officers read it to study Napoleon's war tactics. That should be how it is with the whole genre.... and the best of it is, imo. Compare Katherine by Anya Seton to Outlander. Since I write it I really should find out more about my fellow authors in this area, the deeply researching ones, and I really only know a few. I do like Bernard Cornwell, and his stuff is pretty well researched. I love Atonement by McEwan. That was great work writing from the 30's. The Year of Wonders was pretty interesting and pretty well-researched.

Imagine starting a new genre of fictional college resources. Hire authors who write non-fiction geography, history or finance texts, and team them up with fiction writers to create a sort of fictional texbook for college level curriculum. I know Random House already does it for elementary school kids. But why not for adults too? I would love to work on a project like that!

I'm going to coin it here -- Fictional Textbooks. Hey Wiley and Random House...are you seeing this?

[Llyralen]

Imagine starting a new genre of fictional college resources. Hire authors who write non-fiction geography, history or finance texts, and team them up with fiction writers to create a sort of fictional texbook for college level curriculum. I know Random House already does it for elementary school kids. But why not for adults too? I would love to work on a project like that!

I'm going to coin it here -- Fictional Textbooks. Hey Wiley and Random House...are you seeing this?

There is this fantastic series about the Black Plague in Europe on YouTube, I will link it. The speaker says she also thinks literature is the best way to really dig into history and that there is a historian who uses story to discuss what was goin on in different areas. Story makes you care. That’s a historian blending fiction and creating a new genre just like you’re talking about!

I read that emotionally we really can’t think in statistics about devastating things. For instance hearing 6 million Jews were killed in WW2 has a response to the number “Thats a lot of people” but that it takes telling the story of just 1 person so that we can put ourselves into their shoes. We can related to, “Anne Frank was killed.” Knowing that there is a real person there. This is my idea behind interactive journalism as well. Basically our minds can learn better learn impact and meaning and empathy through story.

I know with my historical fictions because I try to be in the shoes of someone then it makes me ask many more questions then I would ever ask in a history class. I learn a lot more.

This series on the plague is fantastic..... and dang it they took it off of YouTube! It’s “The Black Death: The World’s Most Devastating Plague.” Highly recommended to anyone needing information about how different towns and regions were affected by the plague including how the plague affected society and thought and literature.

[Taylor]

There are some historical fiction novels that seek to create an accurate (albeit fictionalized) account of *event*. Somebody could make a (tenuous) case that that is a genre, because the historicism is not merely a backdrop, not merely a marketing dress, but something that is fundamental to the story. The Pillars of the Earth is an example of that because it offers a sort of living account of a period and a deep dive. But even then, it's fairly nebulous to say that 'an account of a historical period' is the story itself, because it isn't really -- it can't be, because 'a period' is not a plot. There's an entire plot within that whose identity is not even hinted at through the label. And besides which, of course, most historical fiction isn't 'Earth, isn't nearly as detailed on history as 'Earth, and plainly uses the history as an absolute backdrop. The historical aspects regarding sinking of the Titanic and the attack on Pearl Harbor is entirely secondary to their respective movies: Both are tragic romances and the plot and characters could be easily transposed into anything. Jack & Rose could be on the Costa Concordia, a 747 jumbo jet or a spaceship and it would hardly change anything important other than the scenery, the clothes they wear and the odd reference.

I'm not sure I can agree with you on this. I think the historical aspects of Titanic and Pearl Harbour were central to their popularity. In both cases, the facts of the event are unique to the historical event. What is interesting or educational about yet another story about a 747 jumbo jet or spaceship?

Maybe it's just me, but I seek out these types of historical stories because I like to learn something about the world when I read fiction. I am a big fan of James A. Michener who covered the lives of many generations in particular geographic locales while incorporating a detailed history. He was known for his meticulous research and realistic portrayal of historical facts.

Again, I think real history is more interesting... it’s more interesting what truly happened with Jenny Lind and the circus and in America and with her real suitors and with Chopin’s crazy love life (I mean he REALLY had an interesting love life) that finally boiled down to Jenny than the made-up thing which ends up just striking me as kind of ridiculous in most instances if you know the characters involved and the period.

Agree! It made me think of the movie Amadeus. Although, I doubt that Sallieri took Mozart home to write the Requiem...lol! But what a wonderful premise to portray the genius of one composer over another.

MadMen’s research seems very good and in-depth but the stories of the main characters are fictitious. Choosing one marketing guy to follow wouldn’t have been as interesting, but it did take ongoing research end many consults of people working in that business to keep that ongoing and correct backdrop of history. A history that does interact with the characters.

To sum up “historical fiction” has levels. It’s really a super broad term, probably too broad for one genre.

Agree with you both, "historial fiction" is too broad for a genre, and it is questionable as luckyscars says that anything after the 50s could be considered historical.

But when you bring up MadMen, it could be considered of a relatively new genre. I don't know what you would call it. There is another series on Netflix called Halt and Catch Fire. It also uses an industry's evolution as a back drop. The characters are also fictitious, but likely based on real people. It does seem that there is a demand for this type of "factual" fiction. It seems more popular in scripts that go straight to TV or movies. However, The Devil Wears Prada was a book first, and based on Anna Wintour, a real person, so there is a place for modernish, historical literature that shares the industry insider's look with the reader.

I'm using an early 21st century crime as the basis for my novel. I condsider it historic in nature, because of the profound effect the crime had on the industry. The factual story itself is as important as the fictitious characters and love story that I have woven around it. I actually am hoping to educate my reader on some sophisticated concepts around finance and law. Something that they may find interesting and not had a chance to learn about yet. Hope it's not a snoozer...won't be for everyone no doubt.

[luckyscars]

I'm not sure I can agree with you on this. I think the historical aspects of Titanic and Pearl Harbour were central to their popularity. In both cases, the facts of the event are unique to the historical event. What is interesting or educational about yet another story about a 747 jumbo jet or spaceship?

I am not saying the historical aspects (loosely defined) weren't central to their popularity. I'm saying that the popularity of those historical aspects has nothing to do with the actual story and, therefore, it's not a genre that has any value to a writer. It has no value because what makes it unique has nothing to do with the story between Jack & Rose, which is not unique at all, and everything to do with the backdrop of the historical event, which is generally quite arbitrary.

For ex: I could download the Titanic script, make some very minor changes to avoid obvious plagiarism, then rebrand it as 'Hindenburg' and, so long as people find the Hindenburg disaster sufficiently appealing, I have done everything I need to do to create another popular piece of historical fiction. Because the unique appeal of Titanic comes solely from the ship and how the audience responds emotionally to the ship. It does not come from anything the scriptwriter can affect through writing. That's true for, I would say, most popular historical fiction.