All About Writing Genres

By Glen C. Strathy

Most aspiring writers begin with the writing genres they most love to read, which is a sound strategy (an example of "write what you know"). However, we all have a tendency to ignore certain genres, either because they weren't taught in school or simply because we were too busy reading our favourites.

Yet, exploring genres you haven't tried before can lead to pleasant surprises. You may, for instance find yourself gaining new respect for a genre you previously overlooked, or even falling in love with it. You may decide to expand your writing to include other genres. And sometimes you may even have a life-changing creative breakthrough. For example, a person may have spent a frustrating few years trying to write literary fiction, only to discover their true calling and talent lies in writing steamy romance, children's chapter books, or crime thrillers.

At the very least, familiarizing yourself with other genres, and reading at least a few shining examples of each genre, can expand your understanding of storytelling techniques. You may find that importing elements from other writing genres into your current work-in-progress breathes new life into it. It can help you put a new twist on the genre you are currently working in.

Writing a cross-genre or genre blend story can also expand the potential readership of your novel by attracting different types of readers. Cross genre stories are quite popular today, and the number of possible combinations of genres is nearly infinite.

Of course, it takes time to become familiar with the conventions of multiple genres, and the expectations of different readerships. But the articles below are intended to give you a starting point -- to suggest about which genres you might like to explore first.

Writing genres in detail...

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How to Write Suspense Stories

Suspense is both a literary technique and a genre unto itself. Suspense novels concern innocent victims walking into a trap being set by an unhinged villain. In this article, you'll discover the essential ingredients you need when writing a suspense novel intended to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

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How to Write a Psychological Suspense Story

Psychological suspense stories combine elements of suspense with main characters who may be delusional or going mad. They give readers a a puzzle to solve: how much of what the main character says is real and how much is the product of their delusion? Here are the key elements you need to know about how to write psychological suspense.

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Writing Steampunk and Other Historical Punk Genres

Steampunk and other historical punk genres are interesting blends of historical fiction, science fiction, and a contemporary perspective. Steampunk in particular takes the world of the19th century but adds futuristic technology. If you love the works of writers such as Mary Shelley, Jules Verne or H.G. Wells you may want to try your hand at writing steampunk.

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6 Dark Secrets You Can Use to Write a Horror Story

Think you know how to scare your reader? Here are some secrets to writing horror stories you may not have thought about before...

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How to Write a Thriller

Learn the basics of writing thriller stories, including...

• Differences between thrillers, adventure, suspense, and mystery
• The basic structure of a thriller plot
• How to develop an idea for a thriller and expand it into an outline
  

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How to Write a Romance

Romance is arguably the most popular literary genre. Roughly half of all novels published are romances! Learn the basic traits and structure of romance novels, including tips on...

• What traits make up a good romance heroine.
• How to design a love interest.
• The arc of a true romance.
  

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Tried and True Romance Plots

A brief look at 12 of the most common types of romance plots and premises which can be adopted in endless ways to fit the story you want to tell.

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How to Write a Mystery Novel

Learn how to construct the plot of a murder mystery.

• The 3 main types of detectives.
• The 9 basic ingredients of a good mystery.
• How to structure a mystery novel.
• How to create emotional depth in a mystery.
• How to develop inner conflict through the use of a femme fatale (or perhaps an homme fatale).

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What is Genre Fiction?

What is "genre fiction" and how is it distinct from literary or mainstream fiction? Is it just a marketing gimmick? Is genre fiction inferior to literary fiction or is that selling it short? Here we look at four main traits that set genre fiction apart.

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What is Literary Fiction?

Literary fiction is arguably the most difficult genre to define, even among professionals. Here we look at four ways to understand the nature of literary fiction and what readers are looking for in literary works.

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7 Ways to Describe the Genres of Books

When determining what genre a book belongs in, there are seven main criteria -- some of which are a lot more useful than others. Here we look at seven ways of sorting novels into distinct genres.

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Definitions of Popular Genres

A writer should be at least somewhat familiar with the various genres of fiction, if only because every genre can teach you something about storytelling and can be a source of ideas when writing within your favourite genre. Here we present brief definitions of the most popular genres and subgenres of fiction, organized by reader experience.

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Genre Questions & Answers

Have specific questions about a genre you want to write? Here you can get answers.

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