The 12 Core Genres That Power Every Great Story

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29d ago 23:41

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Genre isn’t what you think it is. Here’s how to use it better.

Genre. Let me guess:

It’s the bane of your existence. A convoluted soup of arbitrary descriptors that almost but not quite mean the same thing. Sci fi or fantasy? Paranormal or supernatural? Upmarket or book club? Do words even have meaning?

Or, it’s a restrictive box with tropes and conventions you feel like you need to cross off a checklist, until your story is more “paint by numbers” formulaic than an original creation unique to your imagination.

Or, it’s a necessary evil in your query letter. Your task is to say the right genre words to the right agent to appeal to their interests and make them want to request your manuscript. Get it right, you get a book deal. Get it wrong, you fail.

Genre can be all those things, for sure.

But what if, first and foremost, it were a tool that works for you?

In this episode, I’m throwing out the way we usually talk about genre. And I’m replacing it with an approach to genre that’s actually useful for crafting great stories.

Not just useful, actually. Essential.

You’ll learn:

What “genre” actually means
Why the genre labels on the shelves at Barnes and Noble won’t help you craft a great story
The 12 fundamental genres that apply to every great story
2 questions to begin identifying your story’s genre

This approach to genre won’t constrain your creativity within someone else’s box. Rather, it will reveal the story you truly want to tell.

Links mentioned in the episode:

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