1-2-3 Writing Blog: Let's Talk About Genre
Photo courtesy of Eliott Reyna @eliottreyna
Each blog contains 1 idea, 2 quotes, and 3 questions to ponder.
1 WRITING IDEA
What genre do you want to write in? Fantasy? Romance? Historical Christian Sci-Fi Action & Adventure?
Hold the horses for a sec. Before you grab parchment and pen, make sure you know that genre. And how do you figure out a specific lit type? BY READING IT.
I know, it sounds like common sense. But sometimes in excitement, it’s easy to ignore the masters who already paved the trail. If I’m writing a mystery, I need a coffee date with Agatha Christie. If it’s epic fantasy, I need to sit with Mr. Tolkien. You get the idea. Learn how they work their magic by peeking behind the curtains.
But here’s the other reason: when you’re familiar with a genre, you'll avoid overused tropes. What’s a trope? A frequently used plot device. For example: The Chosen One; The dream sequence; Waking up to the sound of the alarm, etc… What might seem original to you might be waaay overused. The more you read, the more original you will be.
2 WRITING QUOTES
“If you know the most common devices in your genre, write them down and use them to create small twists or turns that take the story new places within the boundaries.”
“There are patterns, tropes, memes and attributes common to certain genres, and you need to know as much about them as possible, if you want to follow, reverse or break those conventions.”
3 Writing Questions
In what genre are you writing?
If you had to choose from this list, which would you choose? Thriller, Fantasy, Action, Drama, Family, Comedy, Horror, Science FictionWho are the best-selling/most-respected authors in your genre?
What are the most common tropes in that genre?
What if a trip to the Amazon resulted in an amazing discovery?
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About Me
Hey, I’m Brian. Born a Tar Heel but now a Virginian, I’m a father of five and the husband of one amazing lady. My family has a thing for Golden Retrievers. Given the right circumstances, I can do a smooth moonwalk on a slick kitchen floor. I’ve also written a book called The Jungle Within.