Writing Western Novels Requires Specific Rules
The Classic Western Has Criteria That Shouldn't be Overlooked
Jun 28, 2009
Probably more than any other genre, the Western novel requires attention to following the “rules of the trade.” Even though the Western genre is a small, niche market, its readers are avid and devoted. Deviating from accepted story telling practices does not usually go over well with this audience.
The Western’s Point of View
More than any other genre, the classic Western is written from a limited point of view. Unlike suspense novels, for example, it is unacceptable in Westerns to jump about and tell the story from too many different viewpoints. One viewpoint is preferable in a Western, but two are acceptable. It’s dangerous to go beyond that. In addition, most Westerns have one main plot with few, if any, subplots.
In Westerns, perhaps more than any other genre, readers want to get to know their characters, and they want to stick with them. Readers expect and prefer that the main character(s) be in every chapter…or at the very least every other chapter. It's just not considered good style by many if the writer leaves a main character out of the book for more than one chapter in a row. If there are two main characters (male and female) the reader would just as soon have both characters in every chapter.
Western Historical Accuracy
While a Western does not need to be a lesson in history, any references to actual places or historical people or occurrences must be accurate. These readers, more than many other genre readers, know their history. Indeed, many are highly knowledgeable history buffs and are widely read in this area.
There are many excellent resources for a writer to verify his/her historical accuracy. The Writer’s Guide to Everyday Life in the 1800s, by Marc McCutcheon, and Age of the Gunfighter, by Joseph G. Rosa are two superb resources available. Historical Atlas of the Outlaw West by Patterson and The Look of the Old West by Harris are also valuable resources.
Writing Western Dialogue
Unlike many modern novels, foul language in Westerns is largely unacceptable, particularly the “f” word. This is not to say that this kind of language was not used during this time, but raunchy language is largely objectionable in the Western novel. For those who want to be as accurate as possible in using dialogue and slang, McCutcheon’s book mentioned above and Chapman’s Dictionary of American Slang are most useful. Barnhart’s Dictionary of Etymology is another excellent resource for this area.
Western Sexuality
Another area that is verboten in Westerns is graphic and excessive sexuality. Nothing’s wrong with having the female leading character be well endowed and curvaceous, but the western hero is a man’s man, not a paramour, male escort, or gigolo. The Western hero, of course, admires the woman’s attributes, but his virtue largely remains intact…as does hers.
For those who are unfamiliar with the classic Western, one might want to spend some time reading them before one starts writing.
There are many excellent articles and books (particularly Matt Braun's How to Write Novels that Sell) written about writing the Western. These offer cogent advice and are well worth investigating.
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