April 29, 2025 • 28 mins
Discover the five ways to talk about your story’s genre so you can write, edit, and publish your novel with clarity and confidence.
Ever found yourself staring at a blinking cursor, excited about your story idea but utterly confused about how to describe its genre? 😩
This kind of uncertainty isn't just frustrating. It can have serious consequences for your writing, editing, and publishing journey.
Here’s what you need to know: There are actually five different layers of genre that work together to describe your unique story. Think of this as your story's "genre DNA"—a description that gives readers a comprehensive picture of your work.
Tune into this episode to learn:
- [02:22] How to determine if your novel is commercial, literary, or upmarket fiction—and why this positioning matters when writing, editing, and publishing
- [05:21] Why your story's time period affects everything from research requirements to character development (and what this means for fantasy authors whose stories often take place in their own temporal contexts)
- [07:32] How to select the appropriate age category for your target readers and why this critical decision shapes your word count, content, and marketing options
- [11:30] The different reality settings available for your story world and practical ways to manage worldbuilding without getting overwhelmed
- [18:15] How your story’s content genre can serve as your writing roadmap by defining the emotional experience readers expect from a story like yours
Whether you're drafting your first novel or preparing to query agents, this episode will help you define your story's genre so you can write with direction, revise with purpose, and market your book with confidence.
⭐ Follow & Review
If you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!
🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:
- Ep. #2 - How To Choose The Right Genre For Your Story
- Free Worksheet: Discover Your Story’s Unique Genre DNA
Click here to register for my FREE training: 3 Things You Need to Write Your Novel in 2025.
👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's say you're stuck in the middle of a draft.
Well, this is where genre cancome to your rescue.
Reconnecting with your content,genre can remind you what kind
of emotional journey you'reguiding readers through, and it
can help you see what might bemissing in your draft.
Also, if your draft feels likeit's drifting or starting to
lose focus, you can take a stepback and ask am I still writing
(00:20):
the story I set out to tell orhas it changed?
And if it's changed, that'sokay too.
Welcome to the Fiction WritingMade Easy podcast.
My name is Savannah Gilbo andI'm here to help you write a
story that works.
I want to prove to you thatwriting a novel doesn't have to
be overwhelming, so each week,I'll bring you a brand new
(00:41):
episode with simple, actionableand step-by-step strategies that
you can implement in yourwriting right away.
So whether you're brand new towriting or more of a seasoned
author looking to improve yourcraft, this podcast is for you.
So pick up a pen and let's getstarted.
In this episode, we're tacklingone of the most confusing
aspects of the writing, editingand publishing journey, and that
(01:03):
is genre.
A lot of writers faceuncertainty about how to
categorize their work.
Is it commercial, upmarket orliterary, is it middle grade or
young adult, is it historical orcontemporary, and so on and so
on.
And this confusion isn't justfrustrating.
It can make the writing,editing and publishing process
(01:23):
so much harder, from abandoningstory ideas you love because you
felt lost, without cleardirection, to targeting the
wrong agents when it comes timeto query, and things like that.
But here's the good news Ifyou're confused about genre,
this doesn't come from a placeof you doing anything wrong.
It's also not because you'renot cut out to be a writer or
anything like that.
(01:44):
Genre can be confusing,especially if you're working on
your first book.
Plus, genre doesn't mean justone thing.
There are actually fivedifferent dimensions to genre
that all work together to helpyou describe your unique story,
and that's exactly what we'regoing to talk about in this
episode.
So I'm going to break down whatI call your story's genre DNA
(02:05):
the five key descriptions ordimensions that define your
story's identity.
By the end of this episode,you'll have a clear
understanding of what kind ofstory you're writing and
hopefully you'll have theconfidence to finally move
forward with your draft,especially if genre has been a
sticking point for you in thepast.
So let's dive in and demystifygenre once and for all, starting
(02:26):
with the very first way you canclassify any story.
Alright, so the very first wayyou can talk about genre is in
terms of a story's commercialappeal.
So is it literary, upmarket orcommercial fiction?
And this first classificationoften intimidates new writers
because it seems to carryjudgment about the quality or
the quote-unquote worthiness ofyour writing.
(02:47):
So I want to just clear that upright away and say that none of
these categories is inherentlybetter than the others.
They simply describe differentapproaches to storytelling and
different target audiences.
So let's break these down oneby one, starting with commercial
fiction.
Commercial fiction is writtenprimarily to entertain readers
and tell a compelling story.
(03:08):
These books tend to prioritizepacing, plot and accessibility.
Think of authors like JamesPatterson, nora Roberts or
Stephen King.
If you like writing pageturners that keep readers up
past their bedtime, then you'reprobably writing commercial
fiction, and that's something tobe really proud of, because the
majority of bestsellers fallinto this category.
(03:29):
Alright, next up is literaryfiction, and literary fiction
focuses more on artisticexpression, complex themes and
innovative writing techniques.
These type of stories oftenemphasize character development
over plot and may feature moreexperimental structures or
language.
Authors like Toni Morrison,haruki Murakami or Sally Rooney
(03:51):
typically write literary fiction.
So if you're drawn to exploringdeep philosophical questions or
creating prose that feels likepoetry, then you might be
writing literary fiction.
Now, last up, we have upmarketfiction, and upmarket fiction
bridges the gap betweencommercial and literary fiction.
These type of stories offer thereadability and plot momentum
(04:13):
of commercial fiction, but withdeeper 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 beboth thought-provoking and
accessible, then upmarketfiction might be your sweet spot
.
Now, one thing that's importantto remember is that many novels
(04:34):
contain elements of multipledifferent categories.
Your story might lean primarilytowards commercial fiction
while incorporating someupmarket elements, or vice versa
.
What matters most isidentifying your primary
approach so that you can makeconsistent craft decisions that
align with your readers'expectations.
Now a little pro tip.
If you're not sure where yourstory fits here, I want you to
(04:57):
be honest with yourself aboutwhere your natural voice falls.
Trying to force literary prosewhen your strength is in snappy
dialogue and fast-paced plottingis only going to frustrate you
and may cause you to abandonyour project altogether.
So just something to keep inmind.
Alright, so that's the firstway to talk about the genre of
any story, and it's in regard toits commercial appeal.
(05:18):
So is it literary, upmarket orcommercial fiction?
The second way you can talkabout the genre of any story has
to do with the time period thatstory takes place in.
The time period of your storyaffects everything from your
research needs to yourcharacter's dialogue patterns
and so much more, and here youhave a couple options, so let's
dig into them one by one,starting with historical fiction
(05:41):
.
Now, you might already knowthis, but, just in case,
historical fiction takes placein a real past time period.
So this could be ancient Rome,the roaring 20s or the 1980s,
which, yes, is now consideredhistorical fiction.
Do you feel old yet?
Now, if you're writinghistorical fiction, you'll need
to research the details of yourchosen era.
(06:02):
Of course right, because wewant to make our story as
accurate as possible.
But, that being said, rememberthat your first draft doesn't
need perfect historical accuracyand that you can refine those
details when you get intorevisions.
All right, next up iscontemporary fiction, and
contemporary fiction is set inthe present day or in the very
recent past.
(06:22):
This type of setting requiresless research about time period
details, but you will still needto get the current cultural
references and technology right,and one of the benefits of
using a contemporary time periodfor your story is that
sometimes it's the path of leastresistance.
Next up is futuristic fictionwhich happens in a time that
(06:43):
hasn't happened yet.
So this could be the nearfuture, like next year, or it
could be the distant future,like thousands of years from now
.
And while this type of timesetting offers a lot of creative
freedom, it also requires a lotof thoughtful world building to
make your future world feelbelievable as well.
All right now.
A little pro tip from me here ischoose a time period that plays
(07:05):
to your strengths and yourinterests, so don't force
yourself to write something likea Regency romance just because
they're popular, if researchinghistorical details will make you
miserable.
The most important part is tobe intentional about your time
period choice, and just rememberthat each option will offer
different storytellingpossibilities and constraints.
All right, so that's the secondway you can think about genre,
(07:31):
and that is in terms of astory's time period.
So when does that story takeplace?
Now, the third way you can talkabout genre is in terms of the
target reader's age.
So who are you writing for?
A lot of new writers don'trealize that the age of your
intended audience is a reallyimportant classification that's
going to affect everything fromyour word count to what type of
content you'll put in your storyand things like that.
(07:52):
So let's quickly go througheach of the age range buckets so
you can see where your storyfits.
And first up we have middlegrade stories.
Middle grade stories targetreaders around 8 years to 12
years old.
These kind of books typicallyfeature protagonists who are
around 10 to 13 years old andwho deal with themes relevant to
that age group, so friendship,family, identity and finding
(08:15):
one's place in the world.
Middle grade books avoidexplicit content and they
usually range from 25,000 to65,000 words.
A few examples of middle gradebooks are things like Percy
Jackson and the Olympians or theDiary of a Wimpy Kid books All
right.
Next up is young adult.
Young adult is for readers whoare approximately 12 to 18 years
(08:35):
old, though many adults enjoyreading these books as well.
These stories tend to featureprotagonists who are around 14
to 18 and who are dealing withcoming-of-age themes, first,
love and increasing independence.
These stories often exploremore complex issues than middle
grade stories do, but still inan age appropriate way, and
(08:56):
these books usually run fromaround 50 to 90,000 words.
Examples of young adult storiesare things like the Hunger
Games and the Hate U Give Allright.
Next up is New Adult, and NewAdult targets readers in their
late teens and early 20s, andoften features protagonists who
are between 18 and 25, who arenavigating early adulthood
(09:17):
challenges.
So things like college firstjobs, serious relationships.
So things like college firstjobs, serious relationships and
establishing independence.
These stories often includemore mature content than adult
books do, with themes that arecentered on identity formation,
leaving home and finding one'splace in the world.
Stories like Fourth Wing andRed White and Royal Blue are
(09:38):
good examples of new adult books.
Now, that being said, a littlecaveat here the boundaries
between new adult and adult cansometimes be rather blurry, but
new adult stories typicallyfocus on the transitional
experiences between adolescenceand established adulthood.
So if you're writing a storylike that, it might fit within
this new adult age rangecategory.
(09:59):
All right now.
Last up is adult fiction, andyou guessed it.
Adult fiction is for adultreaders, usually 18 and up, and
these stories can featureprotagonists of any age,
although they are adults.
These books don't really haveany kind of content restrictions
and they can explore themes atany level of complexity or
explicitness.
A lot of the big best-sellingbooks fall into this category,
(10:22):
including things like BookLovers and the Seven Husbands of
Evelyn Hugo.
All right, now a little pro tip.
It's best to choose your targetage category based on the
themes you want to explore andthe type of protagonist that
best serves your story.
Sometimes I talk to writers whoassume that writing for a
younger audience will be easier,but that's not actually true.
Writing for a younger audienceoften requires more skill to
(10:45):
craft compelling stories withincontent constraints.
So just something to keep inmind.
Also, your protagonist's ageshould generally match your
target audience category,although middle grade and young
adult readers typically preferreading about characters who are
just slightly older thanthemselves.
Also, be aware of the contentexpectations for each age
(11:05):
category, because placingsomething like explicit content
or a lot of like graphic death,things like that, in a middle
grade book will probably createproblems with agents, publishers
and readers as well.
So, again, just something tokeep in mind.
And that is the third way tothink about genre and
classifying stories by theintended target reader age.
(11:26):
So who are you writing for Now?
The fourth way you can thinkabout genre is in terms of your
setting.
So what kind of world or whatkind of reality will your story
take place in?
And this really just describesthe rules of reality in your
fictional world.
So are you writing somethingthat could happen in our world
as we know it or are youcreating something entirely new?
(11:48):
And this is similar to what wetalked about earlier in terms of
time period.
But I do think it's helpful tothink about it in two separate
ways Because, for example, youcould be writing a story that
takes place in the past, so it'shistorical fiction, but maybe
it takes place in a fantasyworld, which would make it
historical fantasy.
The historical time period willgive you certain things to
(12:09):
think through, and the fantasyelement will give you another
set of things to think through.
Both are important and bothwill carry different weights
depending on the type of storyyou're writing.
So similar categories, butdefinitely worth thinking about
separately, because, a yourreader will have different
expectations depending on yourtime period and setting, and, b
(12:29):
you'll have to approach what youput in your story differently,
depending on the time period anddepending on the setting.
So an easy way to think aboutthis is that time period equals
when your story takes place inthe past, the present or the
future, and the reality or thesetting is more about where your
story takes place.
So here we're focusing more onthe rules of reality.
(12:50):
So, what is possible in yourworld and what is not possible
in your world, all right.
So again, I'm drawing probablymore attention to this than I
need to, but I want to make surethat you think through both
when it comes to the storyyou're writing.
All right.
So now let's talk through youroptions here.
Option one is you could write astory that takes place in the
contemporary world that operatesexactly like our own.
(13:11):
So there are no magicalelements, no future technologies
and no supernatural occurrences.
So, for example, you couldwrite a romance novel set in
modern day Boston, or a familydrama that's set in a suburban
neighborhood somewhere in Maine.
Right, it's in our existingworld.
Now, for a lot of new writers,a contemporary, realistic
setting can be easier to managebecause you're working with
(13:33):
familiar rules.
So if you're feeling stuck atthe starting line or overwhelmed
about all the things that youcould write about maybe you're
juggling between a few differentideas my advice would be to
start with the story that is setin a realistic, contemporary
setting, because that might helpyou focus on things like
character and plot and learn howto do those well without the
added complexity of worldbuilding just yet.
(13:55):
So again, maybe if you'rechoosing between two different
ideas, you could save the onethat requires world building for
a little bit later.
All right, now speaking of worldbuilding, next up, fantasy.
So a fantasy world obviously isgoing to include magical or
supernatural elements that don'texist in our own world.
Now, there is a spectrum ofwhat this looks like as well.
Right, there are high fantasystories that take place in
(14:18):
worlds that are completelyimagined, like Middle Earth.
There are urban fantasy storiesthat take place in our modern
world but include magicalelements, and then everything in
between.
Now, a lot of writers are drawnto fantasy because they think
it's going to give them a wholelot of creative freedom.
But then they start working ontheir drafts and they get
overwhelmed by all the worldbuilding required, because, even
(14:40):
though your story world is madeup, it does need to have a
sense of internal logic to it.
Everything needs to make sensefor that world, and so it
requires a lot of work, but thegood news is that you don't need
to have everything figured outbefore you start writing.
You can absolutely build yourworld as you get to know your
story and your characters moreAlright.
And then the last main buckethere is science fiction, and
(15:01):
science fiction exploresspeculative technologies, space
exploration, alternate historiesor new and exciting scientific
concepts.
And, like fantasy, sciencefiction is going to require
thoughtful world building, butwith an emphasis on scientific
plausibility, even if it'sstretching current scientific
understanding.
Now, I said those are the threemain buckets, so there's a lot
(15:24):
I didn't mention, right?
Supernatural, paranormal,magical realism, dystopian,
utopian and alternate history.
I say there are three mainbuckets because all of those
sub-buckets tend to fit in eachof those main reality or setting
buckets.
All right, and that's thefourth way to think about genre
in terms of your story settingor the reality in which your
(15:45):
story takes place.
So, now that we've covered theelements that will help position
your book in the market, let'sexplore what I consider to be
the most crucial dimension ofgenre, and that is your story's
content genre.
I like to call this thewriter's genre, because it's the
dimension of genre that mostdirectly helps you craft a story
that works, by providing theframework for your plot,
(16:06):
structure, character arcs, themeand even the core emotional
experience that you're promisingto deliver your readers.
So, for example, action storiespromise an adrenaline rush and
physical danger.
They feature a protagonistfighting against powerful forces
to achieve a worthy goal, withlife or death stakes.
Examples of stories like thisare things like Fourth Wing, the
(16:29):
Marvel movies and the Martian.
Another example is horror, sohorror promises fear and dread.
These stories typically featurea monster whether they're a
supernatural monster or a humanmonster that is threatening the
protagonist with life or deathstakes and often psychological
torment.
So think of things like theShining or Bird Box.
(16:49):
Another example would beThriller.
Thrillers promise excitement.
They promise suspense.
They typically feature aprotagonist battling a villain
who's targeting the protagonistdirectly with life or death
stakes and or psychologicalmanipulation, and stories like
this include things like GoneGirl and the Silent Patient.
Another example would bemysteries.
(17:10):
So these type of storiespromise an intellectual puzzle
and the satisfaction of solvinga crime.
These stories need to have acrime, usually a murder, but not
always.
That needs to be solved by theprotagonist, for example, like
in the Thursday Murder Club orKnives Out.
And the last example I'll gothrough is romance, so romance
(17:31):
novels promise the hope andfulfillment of love, and these
stories tend to feature two, orsometimes more, individuals who
are overcoming obstacles to forma loving relationship with a
required happily ever afterending.
Examples of stories like thisinclude the kiss quotient, and
red, white and royal blue.
Now there are other contentgenres, so things like society,
(17:52):
performance, morality, statusand worldview.
Each one of these delivers adifferent emotional experience
and has different required keyscenes and conventions.
I did a deeper dive intocontent genres on episode two of
this podcast, which I will linkto in the show notes, and if
you click into that link, youwill find breakdowns of each of
the content genres that I'vedone over the years.
(18:13):
All right now.
It's worth noting that contentgenres often overlap with
marketing categories, which cancreate confusion for a lot of
writers.
So, for example, a bookcategorized as romance in a
bookstore that's, its marketingcategory needs to deliver
certain emotional experiencesand conventions, but that
romance could be commercial orupmarket, it could be historical
(18:36):
or contemporary, and it couldbe aimed at adults or young
adults.
So what does all this mean foryou as a writer?
Well, identifying your primarycontent genre is going to give
you a roadmap for your plot,characters, theme, etc.
For example, a romance novelneeds a meet-cute scene and a
happily-ever-after ending, whilea mystery needs an inciting
crime and a reveal of theculprit at the end.
(18:58):
Your content genre can alsogive you insight to the type of
character roles you'll need, anyelements of the setting that
readers will expect, the themeof your story and so much more.
Alright, so that is the fifthway you could look at the genre
of any story.
You can ask what is its contentgenre?
Or what type of content is inthe story?
What type of emotionalexperience is that content
(19:19):
delivering to readers?
And so, now that you understandthe five dimensions of genre,
you can create what I call yourstory's genre DNA, and this will
give you a complete picture ofyour unique story.
So, for example, something likeLessons in Chemistry by Bonnie
Garmis.
You could break it down likethis it's upmarket fiction, so
that's the commercial appeal.
The time period is historical.
(19:41):
It takes place in the 1960s.
The target audience isprimarily women, although men do
enjoy it as well.
The setting or the reality thatit takes place in is the
contemporary, realistic world,and the content genre is a mix
of society and status.
Another example something likethe Thursday Murder Club by
Richard Osman.
You could say that it'supmarket fiction.
(20:03):
So again, that's the commercialappeal.
It takes place in acontemporary time period, it's
targeted at adult readers, setin our realistic or contemporary
reality, and the content genreis mystery.
And then, lastly, for somethinglike Fourth Wing by Rebecca
Yaros, that is commercialfiction.
So again, that's the commercialappeal, time period wise.
(20:24):
It takes place in a medievalinspired fantasy world.
Target reader age range issomewhere between new adult and
adult, the setting or thereality is fantasy and the
content genre is a blend ofaction, romance and worldview.
So hopefully you can see howknowing all of these different
dimensions will not only giveyou clarity about your story,
(20:44):
but it will also help youarticulate exactly what your
story is, who it's for and whatreaders can expect, which is
pretty cool.
Right Now, let's quickly talkabout why genre matters at each
stage of your writing, editingand publishing journey.
So let's say you're starting abrand new draft.
At this stage, knowing yourcontent genre is going to give
you a clear roadmap.
So what kinds of scenes toinclude, what promises you're
(21:07):
making to reader, how tostructure your plot, what kind
of themes you're touching on,and things like that.
If you pair that with clarityon your target reader age range,
you'll have a word count, goaland content boundaries that'll
help you write with confidenceinstead of second-guessing every
single thing.
Also, if you choose a settingthat plays to your strengths,
you'll avoid the kind ofworld-building overwhelm that
(21:28):
stops so many writers at thestarting line before they even
get their draft going.
Alright.
Now let's say you're stuck inthe middle of a draft.
Well, this is where genre cancome to your rescue.
Reconnecting with your content,genre can remind you what kind
of emotional journey you'reguiding readers through, and it
can help you see what might bemissing in your draft.
Also, if your draft feels likeit's drifting or starting to
(21:49):
lose focus, you can take a stepback and ask am I still writing
the story I set out to tell, orhas it changed?
And if it's changed, that'sokay too.
Reclarifying your story's genreDNA at this stage can really
bring your story back into focusand help you get going forward
again.
Now let's say that you're aboutto start revisions.
Well, this is where genre canbecome your editorial compass.
(22:12):
It's going to help you checkwhether you've delivered the key
scenes and conventions thatreaders expect.
It's going to help you makesure that your story is
fulfilling that emotionalpromise that you've made to
readers, and it's also going tohelp you make sure the pacing of
your story is appropriate foryour genre.
So, for example, things like athriller and romance move very
differently, right, they havedifferent paces.
(22:33):
So, all in all, understandingyour genre can help you revise
with clarity and purpose.
Now, let's say, you'repreparing to publish.
Clear genre positioning isgoing to make everything easier,
from finding the right agentsor publishers to crafting a
compelling book description.
And when you understand yourstory's genre DNA, you can
confidently share what kind ofexperience your book delivers
(22:55):
and then make sure the rightreaders pick it up.
All right.
So again, genre can reallyimpact you at every single stage
of the writing, editing andpublishing process.
Now, something I just want toclear up is that understanding
these five dimensions of genreisn't about limiting your
creativity.
It's about providing frameworksthat actually make writing
easier and more focused, andeach layer of your story's genre
(23:19):
DNA should work together tocreate a comprehensive picture
that helps you make informeddecisions about everything from
character development to theme,to setting, to plot structure
and things like that.
If you've been stuck startingand stopping drafts or if you've
been paralyzed by uncertaintyabout what you're writing.
Why not take 15 minutes rightnow to identify your story's
(23:40):
position in each one of thesefive dimensions?
This simple exercise might bejust what you need to move
forward with confidence.
And to help you do that, I'vecreated a freebie that goes
along with this episode thatwill help you identify each one
of these five dimensions foryour story.
So if you want to download thatand do this exercise now, go to
savannahgilbocom forward slashgenre DNA.
(24:02):
That's one word.
So one more timesavannahgilbocom forward slash
genre DNA.
To get the worksheet that goesalong with this episode so you
can identify these fivedimensions of genre for your
story All right now.
Before I let you go, I want torecap three key points that we
went over in today's episode.
Number one is that genre isn'tjust one label.
There are actually fivedimensions to the genre of each
(24:25):
story.
So understanding your story'scommercial appeal, the time
period in which your story takesplace, the age range of your
target reader, the reality orworld that your story takes
place in, and then its contentgenre All of this will give you
a complete picture of what kindof story you're writing and who
it's for.
Key point number two is thatgenre clarity guides every stage
(24:46):
in the writing, editing andpublishing process.
Knowing your genre DNA willhelp you stay focused, meet
reader expectations and avoidcommon story pitfalls.
Key point number three is thatyou don't have to guess at your
story's genre.
You can make an informeddecision and define it before
you even start writing yourfirst draft.
This will help you startwriting with more confidence,
(25:07):
clarity and creative direction.
And remember understandinggenre doesn't mean following
formulaic templates.
It means recognizing thepromises you're making to
readers so that you can fulfillthem in your own unique way.
The most innovative storiesoften come from writers who
thoroughly understand genreexpectations and then
thoughtfully subvert them.
(25:27):
So that's it for today'sepisode.
As always, thank you so much fortuning in and for showing your
support.
If you want to check out any ofthe links I mentioned in this
episode, you can find them inthe show notes listed in the
description of each episodeinside your podcast player or at
savannagilbocom forward slashpodcast.
(25:47):
If you're an Apple user, I'dreally appreciate it if you took
a few seconds to leave a ratingand a review.
Your ratings and reviews tellApple that this is a podcast
that's worth listening to and,in turn, your reviews will help
this podcast get in front ofmore fiction writers just like
you.
And while you're there, goahead and hit that follow button
, because there's going to beanother brand new episode next
(26:08):
week, full of actionable tips,tools and strategies to help you
become a better writer.
So I'll see you next week anduntil then, happy writing.
Let's say you're stuck in the middle of a draft.
Well, this is where genre cancome to your rescue.
Reconnecting with your content,genre can remind you what kind
of emotional journey you'reguiding readers through, and it
can help you see what might bemissing in your draft.
Also, if your draft feels likeit's drifting or starting to
lose focus, you can take a stepback and ask am I still writing
(00:20):
the story I set out to tell orhas it changed?
And if it's changed, that'sokay too.
Welcome to the Fiction WritingMade Easy podcast.
My name is Savannah Gilbo andI'm here to help you write a
story that works.
I want to prove to you thatwriting a novel doesn't have to
be overwhelming, so each week,I'll bring you a brand new
(00:41):
episode with simple, actionableand step-by-step strategies that
you can implement in yourwriting right away.
So whether you're brand new towriting or more of a seasoned
author looking to improve yourcraft, this podcast is for you.
So pick up a pen and let's getstarted.
In this episode, we're tacklingone of the most confusing
aspects of the writing, editingand publishing journey, and that
(01:03):
is genre.
A lot of writers faceuncertainty about how to
categorize their work.
Is it commercial, upmarket orliterary, is it middle grade or
young adult, is it historical orcontemporary, and so on and so
on.
And this confusion isn't justfrustrating.
It can make the writing,editing and publishing process
(01:23):
so much harder, from abandoningstory ideas you love because you
felt lost, without cleardirection, to targeting the
wrong agents when it comes timeto query, and things like that.
But here's the good news Ifyou're confused about genre,
this doesn't come from a placeof you doing anything wrong.
It's also not because you'renot cut out to be a writer or
anything like that.
(01:44):
Genre can be confusing,especially if you're working on
your first book.
Plus, genre doesn't mean justone thing.
There are actually fivedifferent dimensions to genre
that all work together to helpyou describe your unique story,
and that's exactly what we'regoing to talk about in this
episode.
So I'm going to break down whatI call your story's genre DNA
(02:05):
the five key descriptions ordimensions that define your
story's identity.
By the end of this episode,you'll have a clear
understanding of what kind ofstory you're writing and
hopefully you'll have theconfidence to finally move
forward with your draft,especially if genre has been a
sticking point for you in thepast.
So let's dive in and demystifygenre once and for all, starting
(02:26):
with the very first way you canclassify any story.
Alright, so the very first wayyou can talk about genre is in
terms of a story's commercialappeal.
So is it literary, upmarket orcommercial fiction?
And this first classificationoften intimidates new writers
because it seems to carryjudgment about the quality or
the quote-unquote worthiness ofyour writing.
(02:47):
So I want to just clear that upright away and say that none of
these categories is inherentlybetter than the others.
They simply describe differentapproaches to storytelling and
different target audiences.
So let's break these down oneby one, starting with commercial
fiction.
Commercial fiction is writtenprimarily to entertain readers
and tell a compelling story.
(03:08):
These books tend to prioritizepacing, plot and accessibility.
Think of authors like JamesPatterson, nora Roberts or
Stephen King.
If you like writing pageturners that keep readers up
past their bedtime, then you'reprobably writing commercial
fiction, and that's something tobe really proud of, because the
majority of bestsellers fallinto this category.
(03:29):
Alright, next up is literaryfiction, and literary fiction
focuses more on artisticexpression, complex themes and
innovative writing techniques.
These type of stories oftenemphasize character development
over plot and may feature moreexperimental structures or
language.
Authors like Toni Morrison,haruki Murakami or Sally Rooney
(03:51):
typically write literary fiction.
So if you're drawn to exploringdeep philosophical questions or
creating prose that feels likepoetry, then you might be
writing literary fiction.
Now, last up, we have upmarketfiction, and upmarket fiction
bridges the gap betweencommercial and literary fiction.
These type of stories offer thereadability and plot momentum
(04:13):
of commercial fiction, but withdeeper 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 beboth thought-provoking and
accessible, then upmarketfiction might be your sweet spot
.
Now, one thing that's importantto remember is that many novels
(04:34):
contain elements of multipledifferent categories.
Your story might lean primarilytowards commercial fiction
while incorporating someupmarket elements, or vice versa
.
What matters most isidentifying your primary
approach so that you can makeconsistent craft decisions that
align with your readers'expectations.
Now a little pro tip.
If you're not sure where yourstory fits here, I want you to
(04:57):
be honest with yourself aboutwhere your natural voice falls.
Trying to force literary prosewhen your strength is in snappy
dialogue and fast-paced plottingis only going to frustrate you
and may cause you to abandonyour project altogether.
So just something to keep inmind.
Alright, so that's the firstway to talk about the genre of
any story, and it's in regard toits commercial appeal.
(05:18):
So is it literary, upmarket orcommercial fiction?
The second way you can talkabout the genre of any story has
to do with the time period thatstory takes place in.
The time period of your storyaffects everything from your
research needs to yourcharacter's dialogue patterns
and so much more, and here youhave a couple options, so let's
dig into them one by one,starting with historical fiction
(05:41):
.
Now, you might already knowthis, but, just in case,
historical fiction takes placein a real past time period.
So this could be ancient Rome,the roaring 20s or the 1980s,
which, yes, is now consideredhistorical fiction.
Do you feel old yet?
Now, if you're writinghistorical fiction, you'll need
to research the details of yourchosen era.
(06:02):
Of course right, because wewant to make our story as
accurate as possible.
But, that being said, rememberthat your first draft doesn't
need perfect historical accuracyand that you can refine those
details when you get intorevisions.
All right, next up iscontemporary fiction, and
contemporary fiction is set inthe present day or in the very
recent past.
(06:22):
This type of setting requiresless research about time period
details, but you will still needto get the current cultural
references and technology right,and one of the benefits of
using a contemporary time periodfor your story is that
sometimes it's the path of leastresistance.
Next up is futuristic fictionwhich happens in a time that
(06:43):
hasn't happened yet.
So this could be the nearfuture, like next year, or it
could be the distant future,like thousands of years from now
.
And while this type of timesetting offers a lot of creative
freedom, it also requires a lotof thoughtful world building to
make your future world feelbelievable as well.
All right now.
A little pro tip from me here ischoose a time period that plays
(07:05):
to your strengths and yourinterests, so don't force
yourself to write something likea Regency romance just because
they're popular, if researchinghistorical details will make you
miserable.
The most important part is tobe intentional about your time
period choice, and just rememberthat each option will offer
different storytellingpossibilities and constraints.
All right, so that's the secondway you can think about genre,
(07:31):
and that is in terms of astory's time period.
So when does that story takeplace?
Now, the third way you can talkabout genre is in terms of the
target reader's age.
So who are you writing for?
A lot of new writers don'trealize that the age of your
intended audience is a reallyimportant classification that's
going to affect everything fromyour word count to what type of
content you'll put in your storyand things like that.
(07:52):
So let's quickly go througheach of the age range buckets so
you can see where your storyfits.
And first up we have middlegrade stories.
Middle grade stories targetreaders around 8 years to 12
years old.
These kind of books typicallyfeature protagonists who are
around 10 to 13 years old andwho deal with themes relevant to
that age group, so friendship,family, identity and finding
(08:15):
one's place in the world.
Middle grade books avoidexplicit content and they
usually range from 25,000 to65,000 words.
A few examples of middle gradebooks are things like Percy
Jackson and the Olympians or theDiary of a Wimpy Kid books All
right.
Next up is young adult.
Young adult is for readers whoare approximately 12 to 18 years
(08:35):
old, though many adults enjoyreading these books as well.
These stories tend to featureprotagonists who are around 14
to 18 and who are dealing withcoming-of-age themes, first,
love and increasing independence.
These stories often exploremore complex issues than middle
grade stories do, but still inan age appropriate way, and
(08:56):
these books usually run fromaround 50 to 90,000 words.
Examples of young adult storiesare things like the Hunger
Games and the Hate U Give Allright.
Next up is New Adult, and NewAdult targets readers in their
late teens and early 20s, andoften features protagonists who
are between 18 and 25, who arenavigating early adulthood
(09:17):
challenges.
So things like college firstjobs, serious relationships.
So things like college firstjobs, serious relationships and
establishing independence.
These stories often includemore mature content than adult
books do, with themes that arecentered on identity formation,
leaving home and finding one'splace in the world.
Stories like Fourth Wing andRed White and Royal Blue are
(09:38):
good examples of new adult books.
Now, that being said, a littlecaveat here the boundaries
between new adult and adult cansometimes be rather blurry, but
new adult stories typicallyfocus on the transitional
experiences between adolescenceand established adulthood.
So if you're writing a storylike that, it might fit within
this new adult age rangecategory.
(09:59):
All right now.
Last up is adult fiction, andyou guessed it.
Adult fiction is for adultreaders, usually 18 and up, and
these stories can featureprotagonists of any age,
although they are adults.
These books don't really haveany kind of content restrictions
and they can explore themes atany level of complexity or
explicitness.
A lot of the big best-sellingbooks fall into this category,
(10:22):
including things like BookLovers and the Seven Husbands of
Evelyn Hugo.
All right, now a little pro tip.
It's best to choose your targetage category based on the
themes you want to explore andthe type of protagonist that
best serves your story.
Sometimes I talk to writers whoassume that writing for a
younger audience will be easier,but that's not actually true.
Writing for a younger audienceoften requires more skill to
(10:45):
craft compelling stories withincontent constraints.
So just something to keep inmind.
Also, your protagonist's ageshould generally match your
target audience category,although middle grade and young
adult readers typically preferreading about characters who are
just slightly older thanthemselves.
Also, be aware of the contentexpectations for each age
(11:05):
category, because placingsomething like explicit content
or a lot of like graphic death,things like that, in a middle
grade book will probably createproblems with agents, publishers
and readers as well.
So, again, just something tokeep in mind.
And that is the third way tothink about genre and
classifying stories by theintended target reader age.
(11:26):
So who are you writing for Now?
The fourth way you can thinkabout genre is in terms of your
setting.
So what kind of world or whatkind of reality will your story
take place in?
And this really just describesthe rules of reality in your
fictional world.
So are you writing somethingthat could happen in our world
as we know it or are youcreating something entirely new?
(11:48):
And this is similar to what wetalked about earlier in terms of
time period.
But I do think it's helpful tothink about it in two separate
ways Because, for example, youcould be writing a story that
takes place in the past, so it'shistorical fiction, but maybe
it takes place in a fantasyworld, which would make it
historical fantasy.
The historical time period willgive you certain things to
(12:09):
think through, and the fantasyelement will give you another
set of things to think through.
Both are important and bothwill carry different weights
depending on the type of storyyou're writing.
So similar categories, butdefinitely worth thinking about
separately, because, a yourreader will have different
expectations depending on yourtime period and setting, and, b
(12:29):
you'll have to approach what youput in your story differently,
depending on the time period anddepending on the setting.
So an easy way to think aboutthis is that time period equals
when your story takes place inthe past, the present or the
future, and the reality or thesetting is more about where your
story takes place.
So here we're focusing more onthe rules of reality.
(12:50):
So, what is possible in yourworld and what is not possible
in your world, all right.
So again, I'm drawing probablymore attention to this than I
need to, but I want to make surethat you think through both
when it comes to the storyyou're writing.
All right.
So now let's talk through youroptions here.
Option one is you could write astory that takes place in the
contemporary world that operatesexactly like our own.
(13:11):
So there are no magicalelements, no future technologies
and no supernatural occurrences.
So, for example, you couldwrite a romance novel set in
modern day Boston, or a familydrama that's set in a suburban
neighborhood somewhere in Maine.
Right, it's in our existingworld.
Now, for a lot of new writers,a contemporary, realistic
setting can be easier to managebecause you're working with
(13:33):
familiar rules.
So if you're feeling stuck atthe starting line or overwhelmed
about all the things that youcould write about maybe you're
juggling between a few differentideas my advice would be to
start with the story that is setin a realistic, contemporary
setting, because that might helpyou focus on things like
character and plot and learn howto do those well without the
added complexity of worldbuilding just yet.
(13:55):
So again, maybe if you'rechoosing between two different
ideas, you could save the onethat requires world building for
a little bit later.
All right, now speaking of worldbuilding, next up, fantasy.
So a fantasy world obviously isgoing to include magical or
supernatural elements that don'texist in our own world.
Now, there is a spectrum ofwhat this looks like as well.
Right, there are high fantasystories that take place in
(14:18):
worlds that are completelyimagined, like Middle Earth.
There are urban fantasy storiesthat take place in our modern
world but include magicalelements, and then everything in
between.
Now, a lot of writers are drawnto fantasy because they think
it's going to give them a wholelot of creative freedom.
But then they start working ontheir drafts and they get
overwhelmed by all the worldbuilding required, because, even
(14:40):
though your story world is madeup, it does need to have a
sense of internal logic to it.
Everything needs to make sensefor that world, and so it
requires a lot of work, but thegood news is that you don't need
to have everything figured outbefore you start writing.
You can absolutely build yourworld as you get to know your
story and your characters moreAlright.
And then the last main buckethere is science fiction, and
(15:01):
science fiction exploresspeculative technologies, space
exploration, alternate historiesor new and exciting scientific
concepts.
And, like fantasy, sciencefiction is going to require
thoughtful world building, butwith an emphasis on scientific
plausibility, even if it'sstretching current scientific
understanding.
Now, I said those are the threemain buckets, so there's a lot
(15:24):
I didn't mention, right?
Supernatural, paranormal,magical realism, dystopian,
utopian and alternate history.
I say there are three mainbuckets because all of those
sub-buckets tend to fit in eachof those main reality or setting
buckets.
All right, and that's thefourth way to think about genre
in terms of your story settingor the reality in which your
(15:45):
story takes place.
So, now that we've covered theelements that will help position
your book in the market, let'sexplore what I consider to be
the most crucial dimension ofgenre, and that is your story's
content genre.
I like to call this thewriter's genre, because it's the
dimension of genre that mostdirectly helps you craft a story
that works, by providing theframework for your plot,
(16:06):
structure, character arcs, themeand even the core emotional
experience that you're promisingto deliver your readers.
So, for example, action storiespromise an adrenaline rush and
physical danger.
They feature a protagonistfighting against powerful forces
to achieve a worthy goal, withlife or death stakes.
Examples of stories like thisare things like Fourth Wing, the
(16:29):
Marvel movies and the Martian.
Another example is horror, sohorror promises fear and dread.
These stories typically featurea monster whether they're a
supernatural monster or a humanmonster that is threatening the
protagonist with life or deathstakes and often psychological
torment.
So think of things like theShining or Bird Box.
(16:49):
Another example would beThriller.
Thrillers promise excitement.
They promise suspense.
They typically feature aprotagonist battling a villain
who's targeting the protagonistdirectly with life or death
stakes and or psychologicalmanipulation, and stories like
this include things like GoneGirl and the Silent Patient.
Another example would bemysteries.
(17:10):
So these type of storiespromise an intellectual puzzle
and the satisfaction of solvinga crime.
These stories need to have acrime, usually a murder, but not
always.
That needs to be solved by theprotagonist, for example, like
in the Thursday Murder Club orKnives Out.
And the last example I'll gothrough is romance, so romance
(17:31):
novels promise the hope andfulfillment of love, and these
stories tend to feature two, orsometimes more, individuals who
are overcoming obstacles to forma loving relationship with a
required happily ever afterending.
Examples of stories like thisinclude the kiss quotient, and
red, white and royal blue.
Now there are other contentgenres, so things like society,
(17:52):
performance, morality, statusand worldview.
Each one of these delivers adifferent emotional experience
and has different required keyscenes and conventions.
I did a deeper dive intocontent genres on episode two of
this podcast, which I will linkto in the show notes, and if
you click into that link, youwill find breakdowns of each of
the content genres that I'vedone over the years.
(18:13):
All right now.
It's worth noting that contentgenres often overlap with
marketing categories, which cancreate confusion for a lot of
writers.
So, for example, a bookcategorized as romance in a
bookstore that's, its marketingcategory needs to deliver
certain emotional experiencesand conventions, but that
romance could be commercial orupmarket, it could be historical
(18:36):
or contemporary, and it couldbe aimed at adults or young
adults.
So what does all this mean foryou as a writer?
Well, identifying your primarycontent genre is going to give
you a roadmap for your plot,characters, theme, etc.
For example, a romance novelneeds a meet-cute scene and a
happily-ever-after ending, whilea mystery needs an inciting
crime and a reveal of theculprit at the end.
(18:58):
Your content genre can alsogive you insight to the type of
character roles you'll need, anyelements of the setting that
readers will expect, the themeof your story and so much more.
Alright, so that is the fifthway you could look at the genre
of any story.
You can ask what is its contentgenre?
Or what type of content is inthe story?
What type of emotionalexperience is that content
(19:19):
delivering to readers?
And so, now that you understandthe five dimensions of genre,
you can create what I call yourstory's genre DNA, and this will
give you a complete picture ofyour unique story.
So, for example, something likeLessons in Chemistry by Bonnie
Garmis.
You could break it down likethis it's upmarket fiction, so
that's the commercial appeal.
The time period is historical.
(19:41):
It takes place in the 1960s.
The target audience isprimarily women, although men do
enjoy it as well.
The setting or the reality thatit takes place in is the
contemporary, realistic world,and the content genre is a mix
of society and status.
Another example something likethe Thursday Murder Club by
Richard Osman.
You could say that it'supmarket fiction.
(20:03):
So again, that's the commercialappeal.
It takes place in acontemporary time period, it's
targeted at adult readers, setin our realistic or contemporary
reality, and the content genreis mystery.
And then, lastly, for somethinglike Fourth Wing by Rebecca
Yaros, that is commercialfiction.
So again, that's the commercialappeal, time period wise.
(20:24):
It takes place in a medievalinspired fantasy world.
Target reader age range issomewhere between new adult and
adult, the setting or thereality is fantasy and the
content genre is a blend ofaction, romance and worldview.
So hopefully you can see howknowing all of these different
dimensions will not only giveyou clarity about your story,
(20:44):
but it will also help youarticulate exactly what your
story is, who it's for and whatreaders can expect, which is
pretty cool.
Right Now, let's quickly talkabout why genre matters at each
stage of your writing, editingand publishing journey.
So let's say you're starting abrand new draft.
At this stage, knowing yourcontent genre is going to give
you a clear roadmap.
So what kinds of scenes toinclude, what promises you're
(21:07):
making to reader, how tostructure your plot, what kind
of themes you're touching on,and things like that.
If you pair that with clarityon your target reader age range,
you'll have a word count, goaland content boundaries that'll
help you write with confidenceinstead of second-guessing every
single thing.
Also, if you choose a settingthat plays to your strengths,
you'll avoid the kind ofworld-building overwhelm that
(21:28):
stops so many writers at thestarting line before they even
get their draft going.
Alright.
Now let's say you're stuck inthe middle of a draft.
Well, this is where genre cancome to your rescue.
Reconnecting with your content,genre can remind you what kind
of emotional journey you'reguiding readers through, and it
can help you see what might bemissing in your draft.
Also, if your draft feels likeit's drifting or starting to
(21:49):
lose focus, you can take a stepback and ask am I still writing
the story I set out to tell, orhas it changed?
And if it's changed, that'sokay too.
Reclarifying your story's genreDNA at this stage can really
bring your story back into focusand help you get going forward
again.
Now let's say that you're aboutto start revisions.
Well, this is where genre canbecome your editorial compass.
(22:12):
It's going to help you checkwhether you've delivered the key
scenes and conventions thatreaders expect.
It's going to help you makesure that your story is
fulfilling that emotionalpromise that you've made to
readers, and it's also going tohelp you make sure the pacing of
your story is appropriate foryour genre.
So, for example, things like athriller and romance move very
differently, right, they havedifferent paces.
(22:33):
So, all in all, understandingyour genre can help you revise
with clarity and purpose.
Now, let's say, you'repreparing to publish.
Clear genre positioning isgoing to make everything easier,
from finding the right agentsor publishers to crafting a
compelling book description.
And when you understand yourstory's genre DNA, you can
confidently share what kind ofexperience your book delivers
(22:55):
and then make sure the rightreaders pick it up.
All right.
So again, genre can reallyimpact you at every single stage
of the writing, editing andpublishing process.
Now, something I just want toclear up is that understanding
these five dimensions of genreisn't about limiting your
creativity.
It's about providing frameworksthat actually make writing
easier and more focused, andeach layer of your story's genre
(23:19):
DNA should work together tocreate a comprehensive picture
that helps you make informeddecisions about everything from
character development to theme,to setting, to plot structure
and things like that.
If you've been stuck startingand stopping drafts or if you've
been paralyzed by uncertaintyabout what you're writing.
Why not take 15 minutes rightnow to identify your story's
(23:40):
position in each one of thesefive dimensions?
This simple exercise might bejust what you need to move
forward with confidence.
And to help you do that, I'vecreated a freebie that goes
along with this episode thatwill help you identify each one
of these five dimensions foryour story.
So if you want to download thatand do this exercise now, go to
savannahgilbocom forward slashgenre DNA.
(24:02):
That's one word.
So one more timesavannahgilbocom forward slash
genre DNA.
To get the worksheet that goesalong with this episode so you
can identify these fivedimensions of genre for your
story All right now.
Before I let you go, I want torecap three key points that we
went over in today's episode.
Number one is that genre isn'tjust one label.
There are actually fivedimensions to the genre of each
(24:25):
story.
So understanding your story'scommercial appeal, the time
period in which your story takesplace, the age range of your
target reader, the reality orworld that your story takes
place in, and then its contentgenre All of this will give you
a complete picture of what kindof story you're writing and who
it's for.
Key point number two is thatgenre clarity guides every stage
(24:46):
in the writing, editing andpublishing process.
Knowing your genre DNA willhelp you stay focused, meet
reader expectations and avoidcommon story pitfalls.
Key point number three is thatyou don't have to guess at your
story's genre.
You can make an informeddecision and define it before
you even start writing yourfirst draft.
This will help you startwriting with more confidence,
(25:07):
clarity and creative direction.
And remember understandinggenre doesn't mean following
formulaic templates.
It means recognizing thepromises you're making to
readers so that you can fulfillthem in your own unique way.
The most innovative storiesoften come from writers who
thoroughly understand genreexpectations and then
thoughtfully subvert them.
(25:27):
So that's it for today'sepisode.
As always, thank you so much fortuning in and for showing your
support.
If you want to check out any ofthe links I mentioned in this
episode, you can find them inthe show notes listed in the
description of each episodeinside your podcast player or at
savannagilbocom forward slashpodcast.
(25:47):
If you're an Apple user, I'dreally appreciate it if you took
a few seconds to leave a ratingand a review.
Your ratings and reviews tellApple that this is a podcast
that's worth listening to and,in turn, your reviews will help
this podcast get in front ofmore fiction writers just like
you.
And while you're there, goahead and hit that follow button
, because there's going to beanother brand new episode next
(26:08):
week, full of actionable tips,tools and strategies to help you
become a better writer.
So I'll see you next week anduntil then, happy writing.
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