Women’s Fiction
The sub-genres of fiction take a backseat to personal drama in women's fiction.
Women’s fiction relates more from the context of a novel than a fiction sub-genre or type.
Though this is not the women’s fiction we are considering, the fiction women primarily read often relates to contemporary or historical romance, as these genres are born upon the wind of motivational drama through horror, mystery, supernatural, fantasy, science fiction, spiritual or new age.
Women's fiction reflects the way women distinctively deal with personal drama and life challenges. Writen by women, for women.
In contrast, women’s fiction which is typically written by women and for women, is based on the motivation of women’s issues.
Instead of the listed sub genres as primary, the premise takes on a combination of
- personal drama,
- career drama,
- environmental issues
- or political activism
setting the motivation of the main characters. Then the sub-genres of spiritual, inspirational, new age, and perhaps, perhaps mystery will mold the storyline.
However, personal drama is focus, and that drama for women’s fiction usually takes them to the homefront with close personal relationships. Friendship and sister relationships, mothers and children, domestic life, marriage, divorce, widowhood, death, recovery, women over a certain age, and self realization.
Through these personal drams, the women’s fiction genre speaks to women and base the feature characters as female. The characters face professional and domestic issues. Their resolutions to these issues are distinct to their personality and character and beliefs.
Women’s fiction, so to speak, does not equate to formula writing. Women’s fiction may not even end happily ever after. And in women’s fiction, the romantic ties are often with men who would never be deemed a ‘hero’ in romantic fiction.
Why no formula in women’s fiction?
The question does come to mind, why is this, that there is not a formula? That the happily ever after is beside the point? And the hero is a non-typical hunk, seemingly with less courage, prowess and intuition than those in romantic novels?
My answer. Women readers have evolved.
Even the medium with which we read our books changed drastically, but the non-formula of women's fiction remains. From unplanned pregnancy in Victorian times, as in Ruth, to political and romantic liasions.
Against the backdrop of historic literary novels that would be deemed women’s fiction today, such as the Elizabeth Gaskell
Life is not necessarily happily ever after. Relationships can bury a person. People can break people. Some people have little courage, even when they need it. Dreams are often lost. Goals are never set in stone. Some hearts never recover.
Is this pessimism? Reality? A desire for a truly responsive read? Maturity of age?
My definition of women’s fiction…… 
Perhaps women’s fiction is a reflection of learning to breathe with life. Women’s fiction is a contrary face-to-face with reality and a refusal to see life as a formula because a woman has realized that formula brings expectations which they have learned never to focus on.
I think women’s fiction quite often relates to evolutionary readers of a certain age, those who perhaps spent their young adulthood through their mid-thirties in the quest of the romance and happily ever after genres, then found their speculation of endings had changed, as did their relationships with the writers of women’s fiction.
Judith Marshall's women's fiction novel, Husbands May Come and Go But Friends Are Forever is a perfect example of woemn coming of a ge in menopause, touching upon friendship fiction, divorce fiction, contemporary careers and recovery from life's tolls.
I believe women’s fiction is evolving even from there because we see the writer’s of this genre responding to characters who come to them, protagonists who are over forty, over fifty, over sixty and beyond. And how interesting, to consider the life of a seventy-year-old woman who reflects upon her dreams, goals, loves, children and now has a chance to craft a life that she desired most, given all her experiences and lessons to share with the reader.
Consider reading ….
A Breath Floats By
Husbands May Come and Go But Friends Are Forever
Please, you are welcome to leave comments or email. Suggestions of your favorite women’s fiction novels will be considered for future reviews.
Essa Adams
Author of Women’s Fiction Blog
Author of A Breath Floats By
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