Women's Fiction: Again

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This image of a red rose holds a dear place in my first story. May it honor all the good--biological, foster, and adoptive--mothers out there who dry tears, clean up messes, and hug the pain away. Thank you!

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Here are a few definitions of the genre I write.

. . . layered stories that are driven by the main character’s emotional journey.

 Women's Fiction Writers Association

I'm just happy that I can parse agents by the term.

There are no other tropes than this. Some are light--Chick Lit--some have romantic elements, others, like mine, have deep social issues running through the stories. WF is the fodder for book club selections. (Truth in advertising : I'm a program coordinator with the group.) It's an up and coming association that agents are joining to find WF writers.

The beauty of WF for me, is that it is just fiction, but fiction that recognizes the inner life of the characters while not eschewing plot. I've ever found no more perfect connection of the poles of character-driven stories and plot-driven stories than WF.

Here are some other definitions.

At the top of “commercial” pyramid is Women’s fiction—big bestselling books like The Help, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, etc. Women’s fiction doesn’t mean that male writers are excluded from the category. But rather that the books written by men must have themes, characters, or plotlines that women enjoy.

Literary and Commercial


“A contemporary romance’s plot revolves around the love/romantic element, whereas women’s fiction tends to revolve around women’s issues and the growth and empowerment of the female protagonist. Women’s fiction can have romance, but it’s not the driving force of the plot.”
—Kathleen Ortiz (New Leaf Literary and Media)

“Women’s fiction novels are not simply stories with female characters, but stories that tell us the female journey. Women’s fiction is a way for women to learn and grow, and to relate to others what it is to be a woman.”
—Scott Eagan (Greyhaus Literary Agency)

Another link to check out:
from "Agents Explain Book Genres" 

That's why I write Women's Fiction. My characters take an emotional journey on the path to reinventing themselves. If I can see what's at stake in the heart of the main character, I know I'm reading Women's Fiction. There are an infinite number of paths to travel and an infinite number of travelers on them. No two characters will take the exactly same path, even if they start at the same place. Their past and their present is made up of all that influences their lives. If you're reading Women's Fiction, buckle up for a bumpy but fulfilling ride. ;-)

And a few links you might like.
Genre Map
Wikipedia on Genre (note the lack of WF)
Charlotte Rains Dixon's take on genre (psst! She writes good books!)

 Next Week: IWSG: Golden Quotes