We all enjoy the absurd, whether it's funny, tragic, or simply pure nonsense. This is where absurdist fiction comes in. Absurdist fiction is that type of literature focusing on the experiences of characters in a situation where they cannot find any inherent purpose in life at all. This is often expressed through a series of meaningless and unrelated events. This type of fiction may seem easy to write on the surface, but it is really one of the most difficult of genres to master.
Writing Absurdist Fiction
While absurdist fiction takes many forms, there are some common elements. Dark humor, satire, incongruity, the abasement of reason, and controversy regarding the philosophical condition of being nothing all play a part when crafting absurdist fiction. Literary works of this nature often explore agnostic or nihilistic topics, though any topic is a possibility.
Much of fiction that is absurd in nature involves comedy, hilarity, and the irrational. However, the defining trait of absurdist fiction is not any of these. Instead, it is the study of the human behavior under a variety of circumstances that appear purposeless. These circumstances may be realistic or pure fantasy. It doesn't really matter, since the purpose of this type of fiction is exploration of the human condition.
Another defining trait is the complete lack of judgment. So if you're writing absurdist fiction, you have to be careful not to judge the characters or their actions. This should be left to the reader. Let your audience decide for themselves. Also, leave the moral of the story deliberately vague. You should let your readers take from your story what they will. Possibly there is no moral, especially if the events in your novel are truly absurd in nature.
Unlike most other fiction genres, the absurdist novel does not necessarily have a traditional plot structure. Because it is absurd, you don't necessarily have to worry about your rising action, climax, and falling action. In fact, none of these things may be present in an absurdist novel. If, however, you are going to use a different structure, you have to do it well. Calling your book absurdist simply so you can avoid a traditional plot structure won't fool anyone, least of all your readers.
This type of fiction is almost exclusive to the 20th century and beyond and rose in direct opposition to the Victorian literature that was popular in the late 19th and early 20th century. Most absurdist novels also fit into other categories of fiction. In fact, many novels are categorized as absurdist simply because they fail to fit into another, more appropriate, category.
With the popularity of The Hunger Games, both in film and in literature, there's been an increasing interest in dystopian fiction. Put simply, dystopia is the idea of a repressed and controlled society featuring repressive social control systems. Multiple forms of coercion, both active and passive, are engaged to keep the society under control. Oftentimes dystopian literature involves either humans abusing technology or being unable to cope with technology that has advanced far too rapidly. Because of this, dystopian fiction is sometimes categorized under science fiction, which is itself a form of speculative fiction. Writing dystopian literature can be fun, but it comes with its own share of challenges.
Creating the Dystopian Universe
Out of necessity, you'll have to set your dystopian novel in a world not our own. This doesn't mean it can't be on Earth, but it usually has to be an alternate Earth. Before you can put pen to paper, you'll have to construct your world. You'll need and entire backstory that explains how the world got to be the way it was. Though you'll only need to dole out this information in small and necessary bits throughout your story, but you'll still need to have the backstory in your mind (and probably written down) in order to craft a believable story.
All of this means that you'll have to make some careful decisions involving oppression, uprising, and rebellion. This might involve crafting a story based on war, natural disaster, revolution, overpopulation, or any other serious problem the society you perceive as a threat.
Creating Your Dystopian Hero
Though sometimes compared to utopian fiction, your dystopian novel will almost certainly not feature a utopian hero. In utopian fiction, the hero is often an outsider intent on disrupting the status quo. But a dystopian hero is usually from within the society (though there are exceptions to this rule). This hero, called the protagonist, is often a doubter, someone who questions the way the society has become and is determined to do something about it.
The protagonist will usually take one of three paths: escape the system, overthrow the system, or change the system. He takes action, almost certainly risking his life, even if he's not entirely sure of what he's doing. His viewpoint is typically unpopular (or at least silent) at the beginning of the novel. This quickly changes as the story progresses as the protagonist works toward his goal.
The Conflict of a Dystopian Novel
As with any good novel, there needs to be some obvious conflict. This usually means an antagonist, and it's not unusual to have an antagonist who is a faceless entity. In most cases, the antagonist will take the form of a representative of the dystopian society. Someone in charge, someone responsible for the way things run.
Though the protagonist and antagonist may not meet until later in the story, they do interact on some level, usually through two distinct groups of people. One of these is under the direct control of the antagonist. They control and patrol the society, keeping everyone in their place. The second group is usually not under the complete control of the state or society. They are rebels, perhaps, but without clear guidance. At least until your protagonist gets involved. Where things go from there is anyone's guess.
The Resolution of a Dystopian Story
The interesting thing about dystopian literature is that at the end things are often unresolved. Yes, the protagonist and his friends may escape the clutches of the state (or not), but the state itself continues on much as it has been. But the rebellion may accomplish very little. There are exceptions, of course, but they are few. In fact, in some cases, the protagonist not only fails to change anything, but is changed himself, conforming to the expectations of society, such as in With Folded Hands. This may sound frustrating, but it rarely turns out that way. In fact, this little trait of dystopian fiction leads many authors to create additional works based on the same universe.
Dystopian fiction is popular because of its interesting narrative arc. A successful dystopian novel gives a sense of hopelessness which is carried throughout the story and is embodied in the characters that exist in the dystopian world. If you can convey this and create characters your audience can connect with, you can write a dystopian novel.
The romance genre is not what it used to be. It's expanded into a genre where anything goes and your hero and heroine can be just about anyone. There are still the traditional "prince meets princess" tales, but now there is so much more and it sells better than most other genres. But romance has changed to the point where it's becoming difficult to really pinpoint what makes a romance novel. Before you sit down to write a romance novel, you'd do well to figure out what a romance novel really is.
The Types of Romance
In today's multi-genre world, romance has invaded most types of fiction. You have fairy-tale romance where the damsel in distress is usually rescued by the hero and they ride off into the sunset to live happily ever after. Historical romances are popular and tend to follow specific rules not entirely unlike the typical historical novel. Contemporary romances are a little more modern, allowing the heroine to take more control than historical or fairy-tale romances permit.
And of course you have the cross-genre romances. Thriller romance, adventure romance, and even science fiction romance are suddenly more common these days. Fantasy romance is a cross-genre that's quickly gaining strength, as my novels Arianna's Tale and Thief's Heartache will attest to.
What does all this mean for an author? It means that you should know exactly what kind of romance you're writing before you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard, as the case may be). You'll have to know your own style to really decide. But know what you're doing before you start or your romance novel will be a real mess.
Writing a Romance Novel
What makes a romance novel is a very specific sequence of events. The couple meets, there's an attraction, they fall in love, conflict arises, the conflict is resolved, and the couple gets to stay together in the end. But as society has changed over the last century, so too has the romance genre.
Romance novels used to involve the prince-princess stories almost exclusively. These stories are still written and much enjoyed by readers, but thankfully, the romance genre has changed enough that the possibilities are now limitless. Still, there are some basics. Almost all romances are written either from the woman's point of view or a more omniscient point of view. Few are actually written from the man's point of view, but if you think you can pull it off, go for it!
At least one good sex scene is a must in romance novels. But you get to choose whether your sex scenes are sweet and lighthearted or steamy. Be careful with the steamy scenes though. It's far too easy to cross that arbitrary line that will move your book from romance to erotica. There's nothing wrong with that if your intention is to write an erotica book. But if you're trying to stay firmly in the romance genre, don't get too graphic. And watch out for euphemisms. They're handy, but don't overdo it.
There has to be some kind of conflict or your book will go in the boring pile, but the nature of this conflict varies. It could a personality clash, or perhaps their lifestyles are just too different. Maybe one of them is emotionally scarred. Adultery is sometimes used as a conflict, but be careful with this one. Readers, especially female readers, aren't all that quick to forgive a character who has hopped into bed with someone else. If you want a conflict that involves a third party, consider having an old boyfriend or girlfriend get in the way. The point is, you need a believable conflict.
Writing a romance novel isn't as easy as many people think. In fact, making a romance believable can be one of the most challenging tasks when you're faced with today's readers. They're harder to fool and demand more from a romance author.
The Ending Makes It All Worth While
For all that romance has changed, it's still romance. The core of the story must revolve around the love blossoming between two characters. That means your ending has to have some sort of resolution to that love. This doesn't necessarily mean marriage. Many a romance novel has ended without the two characters being married, especially when it comes to contemporary romance. But a lasting relationship has to emerge.
If you're not sure how to craft a romance novel, pick up a few romance novels and give them a read. They have different stories, different characters, and different endings, but at their core, they follow the same basic rules. If you don't think this is true, pick up several books by different authors and compare them side by side. The goods ones are unique without losing the entire point of a romance -- an enduring love.
