Know Your Genre

Today I’m going to be talking to all the genre writers out there. No matter what genre you write in, it’s imperative that you know your genre like the back of your hand. Personally, when I started writing my current WIP, I had no idea that fae fiction was a thing, and that it had certain expectations attached to it. That is why I'm here to share my experience with you.

Each genre has specific tropes and structures associated to it that readers come to expect. Now, I’m not saying you have to write to the audience, that you must follow these “rules” when writing genre fiction. I am saying, however, that if you choose to break from convention in these genres, do so intentionally and for a purpose.

The thing about reader expectations is that they pick up a certain genre, with these expectations, because they enjoy the tropes and structures and story elements that come with that genre. By breaking these expectations, you’re willingly subverting readers from what they’ve come to expect and enjoy from these genres. At times, this can be a good thing, it can work in your favour. But other times, you may just be creating something the reader didn’t expect, nor want from your book.

This is why it is so important to look into the books published in your genre, those that are popular, to see what is common and expected from novels like your own so that you know what readers will be expecting when they pick up your book and where, or whether, you’re going to subvert those expectations to your advantage.