Bildungsroman?

Thanks for that. I've now found that my novel fits into a great historical novel form, which makes me quite happy.

OH MY GOSH!!!! I think I jumped out of my chair when I saw someone reference to Bildungsroman! It is definatly Lit Fic. If you haven't already done so, read Huck Finn. If you have, do it again. I love Bildungsroman novels. Mine is a little, too, I suppose.

You're asking the wrong question. 'Mainstream' fiction is (in broad terms) just less complex storytelling with more plot (not to say 'more story,' mind you). Don't worry about where your story fits. The question is, 'Whom should I talk to about writing?' and the answer is, 'Everyone who has something to say - which is everyone.' You just have to know how to interpret the answers (i.e. any idiot can tell you that there's something wrong with your story, few can help you identify the flaw precisely, very few can tell you how to fix it - but it's OK to start with the idiot if you know how to parse his feedback).

'Literary' fiction isn't a terribly meaningful classification, except in commercial terms; broadly, it just means 'fiction that's about something other than the depicted events themselves.' See? Too broad to be too helpful.

Write what you're passionate about, read the forums for inspiration and fellowship if you must, but don't waste too much time here. Ultimately, when you're not writing, most of what you think about writing is bunk anyhow.

Well said Wax,

If you're worrying about what label to smack on it here in Nano land, you're missing the point. The key is to keep writing. I enjoy a nice bildungsroman from time to time, myself. But let's face it, the people who know what the term means aren't going to be impressed by your use of it, and those who don't know what it means probably aren't your audience. If they are, it's because you're writing a good story regardless of its classification.

Happily twisting ideas into a double helix of life-designing goo for my own purposes since the day I was born.

Happily twisting ideas into a double helix of life-designing goo for my own purposes since the day I was born.

Okay, you're probably right, I should be over in mainstream. Too much plot, not enough meaning. Evidently I am not having any trouble writing it by my word count. And I used the term elephant, because it describes something, not because I wanted to impress someone. I don't call chairs cows either.

Didn't they tell Mozart he used too many notes?

"Didn't they tell Mozart he used too many notes?"

That was just a movie.