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Thursday, April 9, 2015

Name That Genre #39

TITLE: Adult
GENRE: Secret

My hands hovered over the keyboard, waiting for the creativity gods to jolt through my fingers. Three months to deliver the first draft of my memoir, and for the first time in my career, I’d missed my target date. The second loomed like a foreboding shadow. Brutus, my Rottweiler, slept at my feet. He didn’t care about agents or editors or deadlines.

He barked, and the hair on his back popped up like quills on a porcupine. He ran to the window. I pushed my chair back and followed. “What’s going on, boy?”

Pressing my forehead against the cool glass, I slid my fingertips across the privacy film. If I had my way, there’d be a film covering every window in our house. But my husband Matthew refused to enable my deliberate isolation. I wasn’t afraid of people; I just preferred to avoid those not living within my four walls.

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47 comments:

  1. S.D.KingApril 9, 2015 at 10:54 AM

    Mystery
    Sounds like something is about to happen. "Somebody" is out there! Maybe the writer in the story writes mystery and also solves them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownApril 9, 2015 at 11:08 AM

    Women's Fiction
    I was torn between mystery and women's fiction, but the pace and level of detail about her surroundings in the opening lines, along wth her writing her memoir seemed more like wf.

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  3. Michele HelselApril 9, 2015 at 11:13 AM

    Women's Fiction. So far seems like straightforward fiction.

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  4. Michele HelselApril 9, 2015 at 11:17 AM

    Women's Fiction. So far seems like straightforward fiction.

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  5. 1000th.monkeyApril 9, 2015 at 11:31 AM

    Women's Fiction

    But it was a process of elimination guess as it didn't seem to have any specific markers of other genres

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  6. greta garboApril 9, 2015 at 11:41 AM

    I can't decide.
    Women's fiction is a possibility, as is some kind of psychological mystery . . . lots of foreboding and privacy film.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousApril 9, 2015 at 11:57 AM

    I can't decide.

    I think it really depends on what's about to happen. So far it reads as a straightforward fiction, but depending on what's raised Brutus's hackles, it could be a mystery, a psychological thriller, or a paranormal (not sure if that even counts as a genre).

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  8. H. R. SinclairApril 9, 2015 at 11:59 AM

    I can't decide either. I want to say WF too, but it seems like something more with the tension.

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  9. LanetteApril 9, 2015 at 12:25 PM

    Women's Fiction

    It's a modern setting, the MC is probably female, and the writing has a lyrical upmarket feel to it.

    ReplyDelete
  10. UnknownApril 9, 2015 at 12:34 PM

    My guess would be Commercial Fiction. She isolated and/or paranoid, yet married. She's a writer, so clearly a bit crazy... :) She talks of deadlines, drafts and a career AND she's a writer, so perhaps Fantasy. (just kidding...maybe)

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    Replies
    1. GinaApril 9, 2015 at 1:12 PM

      Ha Ha. That does feel like a fantasy, doesn't it?

      Delete
    2. gondaline26April 9, 2015 at 2:10 PM

      Domestic Thriller

      The house/ dog/ husband suggest domestic; the "foreboding shadow", dog's sudden alert and husband's refusal to accommodate protagonist's wish for isolation suggest thriller.

      Delete
  11. GinaApril 9, 2015 at 1:14 PM

    I would say straight forward fiction. Would that be commercial fiction? There are hints at women's fiction, but just because it's a female MC doesn't make it women's fiction, does it???

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  12. HepsebaALHHApril 9, 2015 at 1:16 PM

    Cosy Mystery

    The setting seems to be low-key contemporary but the dog barking *maybe?* forebodes trouble ahead.

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  13. Andrea CooperApril 9, 2015 at 1:21 PM

    Guessing Mystery or Suspense.

    Hard to tell with the few lines - which were good, btw :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Heather EagarApril 9, 2015 at 1:25 PM

    Hard to tell. Women's fiction maybe?

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  15. JamieApril 9, 2015 at 1:32 PM

    Mystery, I think, and that's just based on the feel of the writing because the context gave no clues.

    ReplyDelete
  16. gondaline26April 9, 2015 at 2:11 PM

    Domestic Thriller

    (Sorry; I posted this as a reply to a reply already!)

    The house/ dog/ husband suggest domestic; the "foreboding shadow", dog's sudden alert and husband's refusal to accommodate protagonist's wish for isolation suggest thriller.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Jessie OliverosApril 9, 2015 at 2:18 PM

    Contemporary. I'm guessing the creativity gods is figurative.

    p.s. Just looked at the comment before mine. I do agree that a few things could suggest thriller, although I think I missed the tone the first time.

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  18. AnonymousApril 9, 2015 at 2:36 PM

    Suspense
    there is a sense of foreboding, dog at the window, her husband being controlling, she being a recluse

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  19. C. R. BaileyApril 9, 2015 at 2:56 PM

    Women's fiction. Agoraphobia.

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  20. Rocket Ma'amApril 9, 2015 at 3:07 PM

    Thriller, women's. Possible elements of mental illness issues.

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    Replies
    1. Rocket Ma'amApril 9, 2015 at 5:23 PM

      Thriller because there's tension going on. Seems also to be oriented towards a woman reader.

      Delete
  21. Rocket Ma'amApril 9, 2015 at 3:08 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  22. cindy norrisApril 9, 2015 at 5:11 PM

    I can't tell for certain. There is a possible mystery or thriller element within the isolation of the character. I''m interested and would like to read more....

    ReplyDelete
  23. cindy norrisApril 9, 2015 at 5:11 PM

    I can't tell for certain. There is a possible mystery or thriller element within the isolation of the character. I''m interested and would like to read more....

    ReplyDelete
  24. UnknownApril 9, 2015 at 5:24 PM

    Don't know. It sounds contemporary, but what is up with the privacy film? That sounds science-fictiony.

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  25. UnknownApril 9, 2015 at 5:24 PM

    Don't know. It sounds contemporary, but what is up with the privacy film? That sounds science-fictiony.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Eisenman SoftwareApril 9, 2015 at 5:49 PM

    I can't tell

    I hope it's not a memoir about writing a memoir.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownApril 11, 2015 at 10:17 AM

      If I had been drinking coffee just now, I would have spit it out. . .

      Delete
    2. UnknownApril 11, 2015 at 10:17 AM

      If I had been drinking coffee just now, I would have spit it out. . .

      Delete
  27. shelleyApril 9, 2015 at 6:33 PM

    Contemporary realism/women's fiction.

    Nothing hints at mystery, romance or other genres for me.

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  28. SussuApril 9, 2015 at 7:27 PM

    COZY MYSTERY.

    Everything indicated this: The writer heroine who is also an amateur sleuth. She is looking for inspiration and life is about to give it to her. She may have a college degree and she is curious.

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  29. MarilynApril 9, 2015 at 10:33 PM

    Women's fiction. There wasn't anything else that made me think otherwise.

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  30. Tracy GoldApril 9, 2015 at 10:53 PM

    Horror

    The dog growling and something outside the window is so ominous, especially against such a quotidian background.

    ReplyDelete
  31. JAZApril 9, 2015 at 11:43 PM

    Contemporary realism
    Could be the beginning of a mystery, but too soon to tell. Privacy film sounded almost like a sci fi thing, but no. It's available at Walmart.

    ReplyDelete
  32. AnonymousApril 10, 2015 at 12:30 AM

    Suspense.

    Because the MC feels the need to avoid others and her husband doesn't take her seriously. Implies she feels safe within their four walls and has trust issues with outsiders. Also, someone or something outside worried the dog ("...the hair on his back popped up...") and his reaction worried her ("What's going on, boy?").

    ReplyDelete
  33. KayCApril 10, 2015 at 4:15 AM

    SciFi

    The sliding her fingers across the privacy film made me thing SciFi or futuristic.

    ReplyDelete
  34. UnknownApril 10, 2015 at 7:12 AM

    Contemporary

    I didn't see any spec fiction clues, and she has a husband, so it doesn't sound like romance. It's a quiet opening with no hints of mystery, so I wouldn't say thriller or mystery.

    ReplyDelete
  35. KathleeaApril 10, 2015 at 12:37 PM

    Mystery

    A writer who is isolated but her dog senses something outside. Reminds me of the movie, COPYCAT with Sigourney Weaver.

    ReplyDelete
  36. hlbrixeyApril 10, 2015 at 2:26 PM

    Cozy Mystery

    I get confused between starts for mystery and thriller, but the MC is an isolationist and the dog says something is up. There's tension here, and I feel like it's ripe for a good mystery that will force her out into the world. Since she's married, it seems like the romantic/sexual tension element from thrillers and mystery is out. The memoir makes me feel like she's done something interesting with her life, so might be up for something daring.

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  37. sbjamesApril 10, 2015 at 5:16 PM

    Hmm, privacy film, recluse, rottweiler. I'm guessing Mystery

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  38. GeeWizApril 10, 2015 at 6:20 PM

    Women's Fiction - sounds intriguing and can't wait to read more.

    ReplyDelete
  39. UnknownApril 10, 2015 at 11:20 PM

    Mystery

    There's a general sense of foreboding throughout the piece.

    ReplyDelete
  40. UnknownApril 10, 2015 at 11:20 PM

    Mystery

    There's a general sense of foreboding throughout the piece.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Robin OlsonApril 11, 2015 at 11:15 AM

    Hi Authoress and Everyone who participated! My story is Women's Fiction. For those of you wondering what Women's Fiction is, this is the best definition: https://womensfictionwriters.wordpress.com/2011/03/24/womens-fiction-defined/

    "To me, women’s fiction is a book about a woman or women. Ok, that’s the not the hard part. The hard part is that the protagonist’s journey is about self-discovery, self-preservation, self-acceptance or self-improvement. And this journey is taken in the company of others who affect the main character, influence her, but do not save her. In women’s fiction, the main character saves herself."

    Here's my logline:
    A reclusive novelist’s horrific childhood holds her hostage until the lives of the kids across the street mimic her past, but to save them from a similar fate she must first save herself.

    Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'll check back. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LanetteApril 13, 2015 at 7:49 AM

      Sounds interesting. I'd like to read it someday. Are you on Twitter so I can follow you?

      Delete