My Book is a Misfit!

My book is as much a misfit as I ever thought of being. When I try to fit it to a genre, it's best to stop at calling it a fantasy. But when you look at it from just that standpoint, there's not much to recommend it as such except for the fantastical setting, its flora and fauna.

But what do you mean?

I guess you might be wondering what I mean when I say that. My world is populated by humans, at least up to this point. They are not magic-workers. But they do have the ability to see and interpret prophetic dreams. Some have other abilities no one of my acquaintance has.

There are no unicorns,
or dragons,
or mermaids,
or pegasuses...pegasi...horses with wings. But there are other creatures roaming this world that can do things our own earthly creatures can't.

There are no knights brandishing swords,
no princesses swathed in yards of fluff and lace,
no crowns perched precariously on noble brows. But there are warriors, hard-workers, quests, and adventures.

So what genre does this crazy book belong to?

Fantasy. It's still a fantasy book because it takes place in a different world filled with different creatures and plants. The heavenly bodies decorating the skies above it are different, too. It's a fantasy novel because the things that fill it up are fantastical in nature.

I once had someone tell me I had a good start on a sci-fi novel after they read the prologue (which I've since left out). But it's definitely not sci-fi. There are no spaceships, space travelers, aliens, colonists populating new worlds, or any other thing that one would expect in a sci-fi novel.

So why tag it as literary, too?

I feel like the way I write is more literary, at least in essence. I guess you can tell I'm a novice at many things. I'm also terrible at breaking things down. Editing my novel has proven quite the task, especially since I'm undertaking it on my own. Dangerous, I know. What if I put something in that shouldn't be there? Or take something out I should've left alone? I do worry about these things...but in the end, I'm writing.

I just wanna write!

I am not in this for money or fame. If I could hide away in a little cabin somewhere and simply continue to take care of my family and home, I'd be happy with that. I know fans crave connection and entertainment. But I want to write what I want to write. I want to put my words where others can read them. They'll either love my work, hate it, or be indifferent to it. But my words will still be out there.

If you would like to take a look at how it's coming along, you can read "Ripples" on Wattpad. Just click the link below. I uploaded chapter 8 earlier today. I'm going to keep working at it until I can afford to buy my ISBN numbers and get it into actual print. I'm more excited than I can say about putting enough words together to make a whole novel and I won't let anything stop me.