So... you've decided you're going to write a novel this year. You like love stories, you like chick lit stories, you like stories where women take center stage. You've come to the right place!

First things first. This month, I'm providing some basic definitions for romance, chick lit, and women's fiction.

ROMANCE FICTION

"Romance novels" comprise half of all mass market paperback sales and are dominant in the publishing world. There's no formula, but there is a strong format.

Your story is probably a romance if:       

1. There is a strong, sympathetic heroine and a strong, appealing hero

2. There is a strong love story between the hero and heroine

3. There is a happy ending (i.e., the hero and heroine wind up together, living successfully, happier than when they started the novel.)

Types of Romances (format):

1. Single-title. These are the fatter romance novels, running at 95-120 thousand words or between approximately 380 and 480 pages. Because they are larger, they usually allow for more character development and can include a sub-plot or two. Single title publishers include Avon, Bantam/Dell, Pocket, HQN, New American Library/Penguin, St. Martin's Press. Single title books are ordered separately by the bookstores. They stay on the shelf as long as people are buying them... so if you have demand, bookstores will just re-order. If you don't have demand for your book, your book goes out of print.

2. Category. (Also known as series.) These are the thin romances that you see separated from the other books. The main category publishers are Harlequin and Silhouette (both owned by the same parent company.) These are further separated into "lines" by sub-genre or topic. You can tell if a book is a category novel by the number on the top of the spine. (Also the Harlequin/Silhouette "brand" flash at the top of the book front cover.) These books come out every month. This means that after 30 days, your book will get "stripped" of its front cover, and the front cover will get sent back to your publisher for a refund. That means you don't make money on that book. If your book sells out, bookstores will generally not re-order. On the plus side, there are also direct mail sales (people who buy the "line" and receive two to four books per month through the mail) and there are more books distributed since bookstores will simply stock the "line."

Types of Romances (sub-genres):

1. Contemporary. That simply means "set in the present."

2. Historical. Set in the past. Generally, this means "set before World War Two" although the bulk of historical novels take place in England or Scotland in the 18th or 19th century. The Regency era is especially popular. Family sagas are also popular in historicals.

3. Paranormal. Books in the past or present that involve some supernatural element. Vampires, werewolves, ESP and ghosts all fall into this sub-genre.

4. Romantic Comedy. A sub-genre that really came into its own in the past ten years.

5. Suspense/Thriller. All the elements of a suspense/thriller, occasionally a whodunit, often an investigator puzzling out a crime. The romance must be at the forefront, however, or the book gets shifted over to mainstream fiction.

6. "Romantica." Since about 2001, this sub-genre has been rising to prominence. It involves incorporating traditional elements of erotica and blending it with an emphasis on the romantic story.

7. Inspirational. Involving a focus on the Christian faith and its values.

CHICK LIT

"I know it when I see it..."

Often categorized by bubblegum pink covers or references to pop culture (especially fashion), the Chick Lit Phenomenon started in Britain and gained notoriety in the United States with Helen Fielding's novel "Bridget Jones's Diary." It does not generally have the traditional three-act plot structure that romance fiction tends to stick to. It can be episodic, it can be told from multiple points of view. Generally, the one element that ties all Chick Lit together is the tone of voice -- a sarcastic, if also somewhat hopeful, view of the world. Also, the heroine of the book (or heroines, in ensemble pieces) is the focal point. The heroine(s) should be different at the end of the book than she was at the beginning -- and it should be a positive change. (See article on "What Is Chick Lit?" in archives.)

Your story is probably "Chick Lit" if:

1. It involves a sympathetic heroine, and possibly several of her friends (usually also women)

2. It involves a woman on a journey of self-discovery

3. The romance story, if any, is secondary to the journey

4. The overall story has a humorous, tongue-in-cheek tone, often sarcastic or ironic

5. The pitfalls of the story are usually told in a comedic and episodic fashion

6. The story is set in the present, or the near-present (80's and later)

7. There is an "uplifting" or positive ending (or an ambiguously happy ending, as in a happy ending that's "good right now" but makes only vague guarantees for the future)

WOMEN'S FICTION

Women's Fiction is actually a larger genre, encompassing any fiction that puts women's lives, issues and interests front-and-center in the work. Technically, Romance and Chick Lit are subgenres of this much larger universe. What has traditionally been categorized as Women's Fiction now are usually mainstream works about women and their relationships, most especially with family and circles of friends. They involve a heroine or an ensemble group of women, and chronicle how these women overcome adversity and how the dynamic surrounding them usually corresponds. A prime example: "The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood." The mirror effect of the daughter's struggles and the flashbacks to the past to show her mother's struggles are intertwined with the dynamic of the "Ya Yas" and their friendship over the years. Amy Tan's "Joy Luck Club" is also a good example.

Your story is probably "Women's Fiction" if:

1. It involves a sympathetic heroine, her friends and/or her family

2. The interrelationships of the characters is heavily emphasized

3. A tragedy is being dealt with or a great personal crisis occurs

4. If there is a romance, it is secondary to the overall picture of women's friendships and family

5. Emotions are present in very dramatic ways -- clear-cut highs and lows

Once you determine what sort of story you're writing, you'll be better able to figure out where to market it once it's complete. Trust me -- that's going to be important.

This tip is a stand-alone, or read it in conjunction with parts 2 & 3: STORY IDEAS AND PREMISES and CHARACTER STUDY.

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