FSN - Day 2 - Why Genre?

[ladyseishou]

I have been a reader of Science Fiction and Fantasy for a long time, since I was 11 or 12 I think,
so I understand it and I'm not at all surprised that readers of the genre might enjoy my books.
- Jean M. Auel



So still looking for an idea or having problems getting anywhere with the one you have, Nano Writer? Then why not start by thinking about what you like as a reader?

I like to read in many genres myself: adventure, speculative and mystery, especially historical mysteries (the Cadfael series by Ellis Peters is one :-)

And one thing that all genres have, no matter if you're reading a high seas adventure or a chick-lit romance, is a common set of expectations that editors and readers will look for while reading a story. For example, in mysteries, there will always be a murder or crime of some sort and a character that will usually figure out whodunit by the end of the book. Sometimes our intrepid hero will be helped out along the way by a handy sidekick who will always know to ask just the right question to move the plot along and sometimes, maybe not. There's usually a love interest. And a bad guy...

The idea here is to think about what you love to read and pick out the basic parts that make the story work for you as an example of the genre.

Make a list.

For example: I'm a fan of Neil Gaiman's work and read American Gods this summer as part of a Twitter fan event. As an example of the fantasy genre, my list might look like this:

(1) Magic (which seems to be a defining element for works of fantasy)
(2) Supernatural creatures
(3) A point of view character with his own set of problems trying to figure it all out

Working from this generic list, I can begin to ask all kinds of questions. What kind of magic will my story have? Will my main character be able to do magic too? Does he have to work for a living? What does he do? What if...?

Make a list of these questions. This list of questions and your answers will form the backbone of your novel.

Questions? Comments? Second opinions? Share with the class and comment below!

Tomorrow, we'll look at a way to sort your list, gathering up all the beautiful questions that you've asked that in turn you're going to spin into your own story. But before we can start to put it all together, we need to step back and look at the big picture.


Tomorrow we'll take a look at what we really want to say by considering theme. Until then, keep writing Nano Writer!