GENRE CONFUSION

I'm nearing the end of the first ms I've written, so passionately, since Takwitara (remember that? I know its been a while!). Hence the two month blogging hiatus :|

I've realized something--what this story started out as, is no longer what it is. At least I don't think so.

The truth is, I have no clue how to categorize it. There seems to be a little bit of everything. And not just a little bit, the tidbits of genres are so well balanced that it seems impossible to place it in one or the other.

There's mystery, contemporary and paranormal all wrapped into a neat package. But what does that mean for my manuscript? Does the one drop rule apply? A little paranormal equals a ghost story? Light hearted dialogue reads contemporary? It's hard to say, and its got me thinking--how are genres classified anyway? Maybe this is where those dashes come in handy. Like, YA-Paranormal-Romance.

As it stands, I've been calling my ms a YA Paranormal Mystery. But, the thing is, there's just enough sugar to make the end result sweet instead of scary. Also, I'm not even sure that genre exists!

I've been searching for an official genre list but have only been able to come to the conclusion that YA, for one, is not a genre but a category and that as far as genres go, everyone seems to have a different opinion on which ones actually exist.

The most popular seem to be:

Adventure

Paranormal Romance

Urban Fantasy

Speculative

Dystopian

Historical Fiction

Gothic

Fantasy

SciFi

Realistic

Steampunk

Hmmm...I wonder where that leaves me.

This list seems quite incomplete, so I'm on a search for a more inclusive one. I'll let you know what I come up with. In the meantime, if I've missed anything, feel free to let me know!