[last updated Jan. 21, 2022]
(a list I put together… of lists I did not put together)
For those interested in techniques and genres that are outside of the mainstream market in the West/Americas, here’s a post of resources you can refer to for inspiration, research, or quiet support.
I believe there is no One Right Way to write a novel, and no one right way to present it either. Niche genres do exist, after all, and writing is an art form. Remember that writing “rules” are not a one-size-fits-all deal.
DISCLAIMER !! : Note there will be some overlap and you don’t have to like or agree with anything here. Also, while you may come across books by diverse authors, a lot of the ones listed here are old and probably written by white people, but BIPOC can and should be allowed to experiment with these, too. If content doesn’t interest you then maybe structure will. Form your own opinions.
but first, some recommended reading
Meander, Spiral, Explode: Design and Pattern in Narrative by Jane Alison - in this book, the author explores form and pattern through close readings of various (niche/unconventional) novels.
What is Postmodernism in Literature? - a brief Youtube video presented by Dr. Masood Raja (Postcolonialism channel); simple yet informative.
Wikipedia articles - antinovel | verse novel | defamiliarization | metafiction | digression (literary) | fragmentary novel | weird fiction | new weird | slipstream | experimental literature | postmodern literature | interactive novel | hypertext fiction | LitRPG | cybertext | New Sincerity |
I’ll continue to update this post over time or write up more.
No rules, no problems. Take all the tropes and conventions of the typical novel and bastardize them through chaos. Or throw them out and make your own.
Barnes & Noble: flex your reading muscles
Millions article: long live the anti-novel, built from scratch
a review of Subimal Misra’s work This Could Have Become Ramayan Chamar’s Tale: Two Anti-Novels
If you ever wanted to read or write about cat men on Mars, or a bear who talks and plays the saxophone, or people with blue butts… Well, you can.
Book Riot: 100 strange and unusual novels
Bustle: 13 super strange books
Goodreads: Monster/Erotica books
Owlcation: 10 of the weirdest novels ever written
blog post by Z. Burns ft. 7 more weird books
Hard to define but generally more about form than content. Maybe you want half your story told in footnotes. Maybe your paragraphs are separated from the main body of text and dispersed all over the page. Maybe some of it is upside-down.
Bustle: 10 experimental novels that aren’t hard to read
Standout Books: 5 experimental novels that will inspire any writer
(preview) Experimental Fiction: An Introduction for Readers and Writers Julie Armstrong
sparse plot / low conflict / books where “nothing happens”
Very basically, a plot is a sequence of events affected through cause-and-effect. In the West, audiences often expect there to be a linear series of conflicts that ultimately leads to a big “showdown”. This is not a universal narrative structure, and personally I would love to see more “cozy” fantasy novels that aren’t about saving the world or destroying an oppressive government.
Reddit recommendations - “a book where nothing happens”
Book Riot: in praise of plotless books
(blog) mundane and slice-of-life SFF recommendations
sketch story (wikipedia) | literary sketch (britannica)
“I would like to read a novel that is composed of numerous very interesting facts, but which nonetheless fails to cohere for me as a book.”
● source: (blog): I would like to read a dull plotless novel…
List Challenges: novels with no plot whatsoever
Reddit thread on slice-of-life/mundane speculative fiction
the significance of plot without conflict - an excellent post on the kishotenketsu structure, which is influenced by East Asian values such as unity and harmony over conflict and resolution.
what is iyashikei and why should you care? - often found in anime and manga, the purpose of this genre is to provide healing
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