Let's say you're stuck in the middle of a draft . Well , this is where genre can come to your rescue . Reconnecting with your content , genre can remind you what kind of emotional journey you're guiding readers through , and it can help you see what might be missing in your draft . Also , if your draft feels like it's drifting or starting to lose focus , you can take a step back and ask am I still writing the story I set out to tell or has it changed ? And if it's changed , that's okay too .
Speaker 1Welcome to the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast . My name is Savannah Gilbo and I'm here to help you write a story that works . I want to prove to you that writing a novel doesn't have to be overwhelming , so each week , I'll bring you a brand new episode with simple , actionable and step-by-step strategies that you can implement in your writing right away . So whether you're brand new to writing or more of a seasoned author looking to improve your craft , this podcast is for you . So pick up a pen and let's get started .
Speaker 1In this episode , we're tackling one of the most confusing aspects of the writing , editing and publishing journey , and that is genre . A lot of writers face uncertainty about how to categorize their work . Is it commercial , upmarket or literary , is it middle grade or young adult , is it historical or contemporary , and so on and so on . And this confusion isn't just frustrating . It can make the writing , editing and publishing process so much harder , from abandoning story ideas you love because you felt lost , without clear direction , to targeting the wrong agents when it comes time to query , and things like that . But here's the good news If you're confused about genre , this doesn't come from a place of you doing anything wrong . It's also not because you're not cut out to be a writer or anything like that . Genre can be confusing , especially if you're working on your first book . Plus , genre doesn't mean just one thing . There are actually five different dimensions to genre that all work together to help you describe your unique story , and that's exactly what we're going to talk about in this episode . So I'm going to break down what I call your story's genre DNA the five key descriptions or dimensions that define your story's identity . By the end of this episode , you'll have a clear understanding of what kind of story you're writing and hopefully you'll have the confidence to finally move forward with your draft , especially if genre has been a sticking point for you in the past .
Speaker 1So let's dive in and demystify genre once and for all , starting with the very first way you can classify any story . Alright , so the very first way you can talk about genre is in terms of a story's commercial appeal . So is it literary , upmarket or commercial fiction ? And this first classification often intimidates new writers because it seems to carry judgment about the quality or the quote-unquote worthiness of your writing . So I want to just clear that up right away and say that none of these categories is inherently better than the others . They simply describe different approaches to storytelling and different target audiences . So let's break these down one by one , starting with commercial fiction .
Speaker 1Commercial fiction is written primarily to entertain readers and tell a compelling story . These books tend to prioritize pacing , plot and accessibility . Think of authors like James Patterson , nora Roberts or Stephen King . If you like writing page turners that keep readers up past their bedtime , then you're probably writing commercial fiction ,
and that's something to be really proud of , because the majority of bestsellers fall into this category . Alright , next up is literary fiction , and literary fiction focuses more on artistic expression , complex themes and innovative writing techniques . These type of stories often emphasize character development over plot and may feature more experimental structures or language . Authors like Toni Morrison , haruki Murakami or Sally Rooney typically write literary fiction . So if you're drawn to exploring deep philosophical questions or creating prose that feels like poetry , then you might be writing literary fiction .
Speaker 1Now , last up , we have upmarket fiction , and upmarket fiction bridges the gap between commercial and literary fiction . These type of stories offer the readability and plot momentum of commercial fiction , but with deeper character development and more elevated prose . Authors like Jodi Picoult , leanne Moriarty and Celeste Ng they write upmarket fiction . So if you want your story to be both thought-provoking and accessible , then upmarket fiction might be your sweet spot . Now , one thing that's important to remember is that many novels contain elements of multiple different categories . Your story might lean primarily towards commercial fiction while incorporating some upmarket elements , or vice versa . What matters most is identifying your primary approach so that you can make consistent craft decisions that align with your readers' expectations .
Speaker 1Now a little pro tip . If you're not sure where your story fits here , I want you to be honest with yourself about where your natural voice falls . Trying to force literary prose when your strength is in snappy dialogue and fast-paced plotting is only going to frustrate you and may cause you to abandon your project altogether . So just something to keep in mind . Alright , so that's the first way to talk about the genre of any story , and it's in regard to its commercial appeal . So is it literary , upmarket or commercial fiction ?
Speaker 1The second way you can talk about the genre of any story has to do with the time period that story takes place in . The time period of your story affects everything from your research needs to your character's dialogue patterns and so much more , and here you have a couple options , so let's dig into them one by one , starting with historical fiction . Now , you might already know this , but , just in case , historical fiction takes place in a real past time period . So this could be ancient Rome , the roaring 20s or the 1980s , which , yes , is now considered historical fiction . Do you feel old yet ? Now , if you're writing historical fiction , you'll need to research the details of your chosen era . Of course right , because we want to make our story as accurate as possible . But , that being said , remember that your first draft doesn't need perfect historical accuracy and that you can refine those details when you get into revisions .
Speaker 1All right , next up is contemporary fiction , and contemporary fiction is set in the present day or in the very recent past . This type of setting requires less research about time period details , but you will still need to get the
current cultural references and technology right , and one of the benefits of using a contemporary time period for your story is that sometimes it's the path of least resistance . Next up is futuristic fiction which happens in a time that hasn't happened yet . So this could be the near future , like next year , or it could be the distant future , like thousands of years from now . And while this type of time setting offers a lot of creative freedom , it also requires a lot of thoughtful world building to make your future world feel believable as well . All right now .
Speaker 1A little pro tip from me here is choose a time period that plays to your strengths and your interests , so don't force yourself to write something like a Regency romance just because they're popular , if researching historical details will make you miserable . The most important part is to be intentional about your time period choice , and just remember that each option will offer different storytelling possibilities and constraints . All right , so that's the second way you can think about genre , and that is in terms of a story's time period . So when does that story take place ? Now , the third way you can talk about genre is in terms of the target reader's age . So who are you writing for ? A lot of new writers don't realize that the age of your intended audience is a really important classification that's going to affect everything from your word count to what type of content you'll put in your story and things like that . So let's quickly go through each of the age range buckets so you can see where your story fits .
Speaker 1And first up we have middle grade stories . Middle grade stories target readers around 8 years to 12 years old . These kind of books typically feature protagonists who are around 10 to 13 years old and who deal with themes relevant to that age group , so friendship , family , identity and finding one's place in the world . Middle grade books avoid explicit content and they usually range from 25,000 to 65,000 words . A few examples of middle grade books are things like Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books All right .
Speaker 1Next up is young adult . Young adult is for readers who are approximately 12 to 18 years old , though many adults enjoy reading these books as well . These stories tend to feature protagonists who are around 14 to 18 and who are dealing with coming-of-age themes , first , love and increasing independence . These stories often explore more complex issues than middle grade stories do , but still in an age appropriate way , and these books usually run from around 50 to 90,000 words . Examples of young adult stories are things like the Hunger Games and the Hate U Give All right .
Speaker 1Next up is New Adult , and New Adult targets readers in their late teens and early 20s , and often features protagonists who are between 18 and 25 , who are navigating early adulthood challenges . So things like college first jobs , serious relationships . So things like college first jobs , serious relationships and establishing independence . These stories often include more mature content than adult books do , with themes that are centered on identity formation , leaving home and finding one's place in the world . Stories like Fourth Wing and Red White and Royal Blue are good examples of new adult books . Now , that being said , a little caveat here the boundaries between new adult and adult can sometimes be rather blurry , but new adult stories typically focus on the transitional experiences between adolescence and established adulthood . So if you're writing a story like that , it might fit within this new adult age range category . All right now .
Speaker 1Last up is adult fiction , and you guessed it . Adult fiction is for adult readers , usually 18 and up , and these stories can feature protagonists of any age , although they are adults . These books don't really have any kind of content restrictions and they can explore themes at any level of complexity or explicitness . A lot of the big best-selling books fall into this category , including things like Book Lovers and the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo . All right , now a little pro tip . It's best to choose your target age category based on the themes you want to explore and the type of protagonist that best serves your story . Sometimes I talk to writers who assume that writing for a younger audience will be easier , but that's not actually true . Writing for a younger audience often requires more skill to craft compelling stories within content constraints . So just something to keep in mind . Also , your protagonist's age should generally match your target audience category , although middle grade and young adult readers typically prefer reading about characters who are just slightly older than themselves . Also , be aware of the content expectations for each age category , because placing something like explicit content or a lot of like graphic death , things like that , in a middle grade book will probably create problems with agents , publishers and readers as well . So , again , just something to keep in mind . And that is the third way to think about genre and classifying stories by the intended target reader age . So who are you writing for Now ?
Speaker 1The fourth way you can think about genre is in terms of your setting . So what kind of world or what kind of reality will your story take place in ? And this really just describes the rules of reality in your fictional world . So are you writing something that could happen in our world as we know it or are you creating something entirely new ? And this is similar to what we talked about earlier in terms of time period . But I do think it's helpful to think about it in two separate ways Because , for example , you could be writing a story that takes place in the past , so it's historical fiction , but maybe it takes place in a fantasy world , which would make it historical fantasy . The historical time period will give you certain things to think through , and the fantasy element will give you another set of things to think through . Both are important and both will carry different weights depending on the type of story you're writing . So similar categories , but definitely worth thinking about separately , because , a your reader will have different expectations depending on
your time period and setting , and , b you'll have to approach what you put in your story differently , depending on the time period and depending on the setting . So an easy way to think about this is that time period equals when your story takes place in the past , the present or the future , and the reality or the setting is more about where your story takes place . So here we're focusing more on the rules of reality . So , what is possible in your world and what is not possible in your world , all right . So again , I'm drawing probably more attention to this than I need to , but I want to make sure that you think through both when it comes to the story you're writing . All right .
Speaker 1So now let's talk through your options here . Option one is you could write a story that takes place in the contemporary world that operates exactly like our own . So there are no magical elements , no future technologies and no supernatural occurrences . So , for example , you could write a romance novel set in modern day Boston , or a family drama that's set in a suburban neighborhood somewhere in Maine . Right , it's in our existing world . Now , for a lot of new writers , a contemporary , realistic setting can be easier to manage because you're working with familiar rules . So if you're feeling stuck at the starting line or overwhelmed about all the things that you could write about maybe you're juggling between a few different ideas my advice would be to start with the story that is set in a realistic , contemporary setting , because that might help you focus on things like character and plot and learn how to do those well without the added complexity of world building just yet . So again , maybe if you're choosing between two different ideas , you could save the one that requires world building for a little bit later .
Speaker 1All right , now speaking of world building , next up , fantasy . So a fantasy world obviously is going to include magical or supernatural elements that don't exist in our own world . Now , there is a spectrum of what this looks like as well . Right , there are high fantasy stories that take place in worlds that are completely imagined , like Middle Earth . There are urban fantasy stories that take place in our modern world but include magical elements , and then everything in between . Now , a lot of writers are drawn to fantasy because they think it's going to give them a whole lot of creative freedom . But then they start working on their drafts and they get overwhelmed by all the world building required , because , even though your story world is made up , it does need to have a sense of internal logic to it . Everything needs to make sense for that world , and so it requires a lot of work , but the good news is that you don't need to have everything figured out before you start writing . You can absolutely build your world as you get to know your story and your characters more Alright .
Speaker 1And then the last main bucket here is science fiction , and science fiction explores speculative technologies , space exploration , alternate histories or new and exciting scientific concepts . And , like fantasy , science fiction is going to require thoughtful world building , but with an emphasis on scientific plausibility , even if it's stretching current scientific understanding . Now , I said those are the three main buckets , so there's a lot I didn't mention , right ? Supernatural , paranormal , magical realism , dystopian , utopian and alternate history . I say there are three main buckets because all of those sub-buckets tend to fit in each of those main reality or setting buckets . All right , and that's the fourth way to think about genre in terms of your story setting or the reality in which your story takes place . So , now that we've covered the elements that will help position your book in the market , let's explore what I consider to be the most crucial dimension of genre , and that is your story's content genre . I like to call this the writer's genre , because it's the dimension of genre that most directly helps you craft a story that works , by providing the framework for your plot , structure , character arcs , theme and even the core emotional experience that you're promising to deliver your readers .
Speaker 1So , for example , action stories promise an adrenaline rush and physical danger . They feature a protagonist fighting against powerful forces to achieve a worthy goal , with life or death stakes . Examples of stories like this are things like Fourth Wing , the Marvel movies and the Martian . Another example is horror , so horror promises fear and dread . These stories typically feature a monster whether they're a supernatural monster or a human monster that is threatening the protagonist with life or death stakes and often psychological torment . So think of things like the Shining or Bird Box . Another example would be Thriller . Thrillers promise excitement . They promise suspense . They typically feature a protagonist battling a villain who's targeting the protagonist directly with life or death stakes and or psychological manipulation , and stories like this include things like Gone Girl and the Silent Patient . Another example would be mysteries . So these type of stories promise an intellectual puzzle and the satisfaction of solving a crime . These stories need to have a crime , usually a murder , but not always . That needs to be solved by the protagonist , for example , like in the Thursday Murder Club or Knives Out .
Speaker 1And the last example I'll go through is romance , so romance novels promise the hope and fulfillment of love , and these stories tend to feature two , or sometimes more , individuals who are overcoming obstacles to form a loving relationship with a required happily ever after ending . Examples of stories like this include the kiss quotient , and red , white and royal blue . Now there are other content genres , so things like society , performance , morality , status and worldview . Each one of these delivers a different emotional experience and has different required key scenes and conventions .
I did a deeper dive into content genres on episode two of this podcast , which I will link to in the show notes , and if you click into that link , you will find breakdowns of each of the content genres that I've done over the years . All right now .
Speaker 1It's worth noting that content genres often overlap with marketing categories , which can create confusion for a lot of writers . So , for example , a book categorized as romance in a bookstore that's , its marketing category needs to deliver certain emotional experiences and conventions , but that romance could be commercial or upmarket , it could be historical or contemporary , and it could be aimed at adults or young adults . So what does all this mean for you as a writer ? Well , identifying your primary content genre is going to give you a roadmap for your plot , characters , theme , etc . For example , a romance novel needs a meet-cute scene and a happily-ever-after ending , while a mystery needs an inciting crime and a reveal of the culprit at the end . Your content genre can also give you insight to the type of character roles you'll need , any elements of the setting that readers will expect , the theme of your story and so much more .
Speaker 1Alright , so that is the fifth way you could look at the genre of any story . You can ask what is its content genre ? Or what type of content is in the story ? What type of emotional experience is that content delivering to readers ? And so , now that you understand the five dimensions of genre , you can create what I call your story's genre DNA , and this will give you a complete picture of your unique story .
Speaker 1So , for example , something like Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmis . You could break it down like this it's upmarket fiction , so that's the commercial appeal . The time period is historical . It takes place in the 1960s . The target audience is primarily women , although men do enjoy it as well . The setting or the reality that it takes place in is the contemporary , realistic world , and the content genre is a mix of society and status . Another example something like the Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman . You could say that it's upmarket fiction . So again , that's the commercial appeal . It takes place in a contemporary time period , it's targeted at adult readers , set in our realistic or contemporary reality , and the content genre is mystery . And then , lastly , for something like Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yaros , that is commercial fiction . So again , that's the commercial appeal , time period wise . It takes place in a medieval inspired fantasy world . Target reader age range is somewhere between new adult and adult , the setting or the reality is fantasy and the content genre is a blend of action , romance and worldview . So hopefully you can see how knowing all of these different dimensions will not only give you clarity about your story , but it will also help you articulate exactly what your story is , who it's for and what readers can expect , which is pretty cool .
Speaker 1Right Now , let's quickly talk about why genre matters at each stage of your writing , editing and publishing journey . So let's say you're starting a brand new draft . At this stage , knowing your content genre is going to give you a clear roadmap . So what kinds of scenes to include , what promises you're making to reader , how to structure your plot , what kind of themes you're touching on , and things like that . If you pair that with clarity on your target reader age range , you'll have a word count , goal and content boundaries that'll help you write with confidence instead of second-guessing every single thing . Also , if you choose a setting that plays to your strengths , you'll avoid the kind of world-building overwhelm that stops so many writers at the starting line before they even get their draft going .
Speaker 1Alright . Now let's say you're stuck in the middle of a draft . Well , this is where genre can come to your rescue . Reconnecting with your content , genre can remind you what kind of emotional journey you're guiding readers through , and it can help you see what might be missing in your draft . Also , if your draft feels like it's drifting or starting to lose focus , you can take a step back and ask am I still writing the story I set out to tell , or has it changed ? And if it's changed , that's okay too . Reclarifying your story's genre DNA at this stage can really bring your story back into focus and help you get going forward again .
Speaker 1Now let's say that you're about to start revisions . Well , this is where genre can become your editorial compass . It's going to help you check whether you've delivered the key scenes and conventions that readers expect . It's going to help you make sure that your story is fulfilling that emotional promise that you've made to readers , and it's also going to help you make sure the pacing of your story is appropriate for your genre . So , for example , things like a thriller and romance move very differently , right , they have different paces . So , all in all , understanding your genre can help you revise with clarity and purpose .
Now , let's say , you're preparing to publish . Clear genre positioning is going to make everything easier , from finding the right agents or publishers to crafting a compelling book description . And when you understand your story's genre DNA , you can confidently share what kind of experience your book delivers and then make sure the right readers pick it up . All right . So again , genre can really impact you at every single stage of the writing , editing and publishing process .
Speaker 1Now , something I just want to clear up is that understanding these five dimensions of genre isn't about limiting your creativity . It's about providing frameworks that actually make writing easier and more focused , and each layer of your story's genre DNA should work together to create a comprehensive picture that helps you make informed decisions about everything from character development to theme , to setting , to plot structure and things like that . If you've been stuck starting and stopping drafts or if you've been paralyzed by uncertainty about what you're writing . Why not take 15 minutes right now to identify your story's position in each one of these five dimensions ? This simple exercise might be just what you need to move forward with confidence . And to help you do that , I've created a freebie that goes along with this episode that will help you identify each one of these five dimensions for your story . So if you want to download that and do this exercise now , go to savannahgilbocom forward slash genre DNA . That's one word . So one more time savannahgilbocom forward slash genre DNA . To get the worksheet that goes along with this episode so you can identify these five dimensions of genre for your story All right now .
Speaker 1Before I let you go , I want to recap three key points that we went over in today's episode . Number one is that genre isn't just one label . There are actually five dimensions to the genre of each story . So understanding your story's commercial appeal , the time period in which your story takes place , the age range of your target reader , the reality or world that your story takes place in , and then its content genre All of this will give you a complete picture of what kind of story you're writing and who it's for . Key point number two is that genre clarity guides every stage in the writing , editing and publishing process . Knowing your genre DNA will help you stay focused , meet reader expectations and avoid common story pitfalls . Key point number three is that you don't have to guess at your story's genre . You can make an informed decision and define it before you even start writing your first draft . This will help you start writing with more confidence , clarity and creative direction . And remember understanding genre doesn't mean following formulaic templates . It means recognizing the promises you're
making to readers so that you can fulfill them in your own unique way . The most innovative stories often come from writers who thoroughly understand genre expectations and then thoughtfully subvert them . So that's it for today's episode .
Speaker 1As always , thank you so much for tuning in and for showing your support . If you want to check out any of the links I mentioned in this episode , you can find them in the show notes listed in the description of each episode inside your podcast player or at savannagilbocom forward slash podcast . If you're an Apple user , I'd really appreciate it if you took a few seconds to leave a rating and a review . Your ratings and reviews tell Apple that this is a podcast that's worth listening to and , in turn , your reviews will help this podcast get in front of more fiction writers just like you . And while you're there , go ahead and hit that follow button , because there's going to be another brand new episode next week , full of actionable tips , tools and strategies to help you become a better writer . So I'll see you next week and until then , happy writing .