View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by University of Bolton Institutional Repository (UBIR) Five Plots: The Relationship Between Plot and Genre in Short Fiction ASHLEY R LISTER A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Bolton for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. February 2018 Contents Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ iii Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iv Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: Literature Review ...................................................................................................... 9 An Interpretation of Genre .......................................................................................................... 9 The Components of Plot ........................................................................................................... 21 Chapter 2: Methodology ............................................................................................................. 34 A Different Approach ................................................................................................................. 34 Chapter 3: The Horror Genre .................................................................................................... 39 The Pen ......................................................................................................................................... 39 Analysis of the Horror Genre and its Associated Plot........................................................... 53 Chapter 4: The Romance Genre ............................................................................................... 72 Pen Friends ................................................................................................................................... 72 Analysis of the Romance Genre and its Associated Plot ..................................................... 88 Chapter 5: The Erotic Genre ................................................................................................... 102 Victoria’s Hand ........................................................................................................................... 102 Analysis of the Erotic Genre and its Associated Plot .......................................................... 111 Chapter 6: The Mystery Genre ................................................................................................ 122 Quid Pro Quo .............................................................................................................................. 122 Analysis of the Mystery Genre and its Associated Plot ...................................................... 140 Chapter 7: The Whodunit – a basic level genre ................................................................. 155 i-Dunit (BETA) ............................................................................................................................. 155 Analysis of the Whodunit ......................................................................................................... 170 Chapter 8: The Adventure Genre ........................................................................................... 178 Buried Treasure .......................................................................................................................... 178 Analysis of the Adventure Story and its Associated Plot ................................................... 196 Chapter 9: Fantasy and Science Fiction .............................................................................. 203 The Sorcerer ............................................................................................................................... 203 Zombie Attack on the Planet of the Scorpion People (opening pages).................................... 230 Notes on Fantasy and Science Fiction ................................................................................. 234 Chapter 10: Applications of the Template ........................................................................... 241 Open Mike ................................................................................................................................... 246 A Mash-Up of Elements .............................................................................................................. 250 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 261 i Bibliography ................................................................................................................................ 274 Appendix A ..................................................................................................................................... 285 Zombie Attack on the Planet of the Scorpion People .............................................................. 286 Appendix B ..................................................................................................................................... 313 Open Mike .................................................................................................................................. 314 Appendix C ..................................................................................................................................... 364 Orgasm-Girl ................................................................................................................................ 365 ii Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following editors and publishers for accepting the short fiction that is contained within this thesis and its appendices: Janet Carden at Crimson Streets, for accepting ‘The Pen’ (2017); Madris de Pasture at New Concepts Publishing, for accepting ‘Pen Friends’ (2016); Rachel Kramer-Bussel at Cleis Press, for accepting ‘Victoria’s Hand’ (2007); Maxim Jakubowski and Constable and Robinson Ltd, for accepting ‘Quid Pro Quo’ (2015); Joseph P. O’Brien, Flapperhouse Magazine, for accepting ‘Buried Treasure’ (2015); Randy Hulshizer at Empyreome, for accepting ‘Zombie Attack on the Planet of the Scorpion People’ (2017); Lily Harlem and K. D. Grace with The Brit-Babes for cajoling me to write ‘Open Mike’ (2016); and F. Leonora Solomon at Riverdale Publishing, for accepting ‘Orgasm-Girl’ (2018). Thanks also go to my PhD supervisors, Professor David Rudd and Dr. Simon Holloway, who have managed to be encouraging and challenging in their relentless efforts to ensure that my ideas were carefully thought through, articulated and presented. The words ‘I could not have done this without you’ don’t convey the enormous debt I owe you both. I want to thank peers within the writing community, and my colleagues and students at Blackpool and the Fylde college, who have helped me to shape my ideas through discussion and challenge and practical application. Lastly, I would like to thank my ever-patient wife, Tracy, for her love, support and understanding. iii Abstract This thesis explores the notion that, in short fiction, plot is a component part of genre. Using original fiction, and with reference to classic and contemporary examples from a broad range of short stories, the thesis investigates this relationship through an examination of the semantic and syntactic features found in a variety of genres. The thesis begins with an examination of horror, romance and erotic fiction, three of the five supergenres examined and the genres that are perceived to have the strongest focus on character, and on characters’ inter- relationships. The thesis then moves on to consider plot-focused supergenres, such as the mystery and the adventure, arguing that the whodunit, fantasy and science fiction are basic level genres, subordinate to either the mystery or adventure supergenres. The thesis concludes by discussing further original, and somewhat experimental fiction that has come from this approach to the notion of plot being a component part of genre. It is hoped that this study will be of value to writers on both theoretical and practical levels. From a theoretical perspective, this material demonstrates one writer’s approach to analysing genre fiction, which should prove a useful model for other writers to use or appropriate. From a practical point of view, the contents of this thesis should prove an aid to writers, who will be able to see what it is that makes their fiction successful, or not, from a genre perspective. iv Introduction This thesis explores the notion that, in short fiction, plot is a component part of genre. For the purposes of this Introduction, it is helpful to acknowledge that the term plot describes the arrangement of events in a narrative – the action, the reaction and the consequences – whilst the term genre refers to the category with which a narrative is usually associated, such as adventure, erotica, horror, mystery or romance. Much has been written about the discrete subjects of plot and genre, more of which will be discussed in depth during the literature review and methodology sections of this thesis. However, very little has been written about the way these two aspects of fiction can, and do, affect