Meagan's Guide to Genres: The Answer Key

Genres can be scary. Both because their defining lines can seem nebulous when looking for similarities in a set, and also because publishing marketing can make us feel like our writing needs to clearly belong to one, two tops. 

People could and have written entire posts or books about one Genre alone. As well they should because it is amazing to explore the themes and tropes that are given birth by the genre's restraints. 

But if you have been reading and writing a vast variety of genres, sometimes against your will, for a long time like I have, you quickly learn that the key to writing within that Genre isn't understanding the vastness of its possibility, but in realizing what its core is and whether that core is a wrapping paper or a blue print (by doing this you can unwittinly release the vastness of possibilty). 

What I mean is, genres that are defined by "what" are wrapping papers and genres that are defined by "how" are blue prints. 

Fantasy, Sci fi, historical fiction, steam punk, are largely wrapping papers. They are defined mostly by their worlds and settings. The outer shells the stories take place within. Genres like suspense or thriller or even fairy tale are largely defined by their pacing and type of narration, their topics/goals. How you are constructing the plot. 

All of this is just another needlessly fancy way of saying that you just need to remember the following:

-  Tell whatever story you want, but address the required element. 

I've been doing NYC Midnight contests for 10 years, 1-2 or sometimes 3-4 a year. They are prompt based, timed competitions where you have a short period of time (48 hours most typical) to respond to a prompt that gives you a genre, and a few other items to work with (location and object, or character and theme/topic). You do not always get the genre you were hoping for. 

Often if we get a genre we've never done before we tend to over think and also freak. I see it every competition, and with repeat offenders. Someone who was upset about romance survives, and then has the same reaction to action adventure in the next round. I am also guilty. 

It took a long time for me to realize the key to settling down was to realize what was REALLY being asked with each genre. 

I'm not going to lie, I still have my favorites and the ones I am more naturally inclined to. But expanding your wheelhouse isn't a bad thing either, and you can learn things from an unfamiliar genre that improve your go-to. 

I shared the following with some writing friends recently, and they loved it so much, I'm sharing it now with you. I wrote it at 3 am when I couldn't sleep one night coming off a recent NYC competition (hence the title). 

For each genre, I've tried to focus on its core (what makes it what it is) and then added "bonus points" for accomplishing something that makes it recognizable, or for doing something that all the great ones share. 

A friend said these weren't just descriptions, but they were the answer key to writing them. 
She called it what it is better than I did, but that was my hope! 

The genres listed below are restricted to the ones we typically see in NYC competitions. Don't forget genre mixing is absolutely fine so long as you don't damage the core of the one you're assigned!

The Meagan-is-an-Insomniac Guide to Genres, a post 10-years-of-NYC-Midnight breakdown.

Drama: Hooray! You are just writing about people and the human experience. Bonus points for epiphanies and heartstrings.

Historical Fiction: The same as drama but takes place at least 25 years in the past. Preference is be sure to reference or use an actual historic event or person, but they do not need to be the central focus so long as the characters are aware and affected by it/them. Aftermath Bonus points for details and research that enhance setting and which are unique to that period.

Fantasy: Write whatever you want, but include magic or magical creatures. Bonus points for details that establish world and lore.

Sci Fi: write whatever you want but include tech that does not yet exist and/or aliens. Bonus points if your story criticizes or makes a statement about society.

Mystery: Start with the end and have the characters(or key details) work backwards while moving forward in time. We really shouldn't fully understand the truth until the end. Bonus points for a particularly astute character who can put the pieces together.

Suspense: Anything can happen, just make sure we are really worried about what will happen the whole time and don't let it happen til near the end. Bonus points for actual danger.

Thriller: like suspense, but quicker paced and more exciting. There is plenty to worry about but we haven't got the time. Also bonus points for actual danger.

Action/Adventure: Whatever the hell your characters are grappling with, keep them moving physically, either their bodies and/or their locations. They are usually largely reactive to their situations. Bonus points for excitement and quips.

Spy: Must have at least one spy who is spying. Bonus points for double crosses or plot twists.

Ghost: Must have a ghost but doesn't need to be scary. Like can even be funny. Bonus points for atmosphere or useful ambiguity.

Horror: Just scare us but make it mean something. You know what scares you; use it. Bonus points for using metaphor to play on real world fears beyond death and pain.

Fairy-tale: Teach us a lesson but make it clever and pretty (pretty as in language. You can absolutely be dark). Bonus points for a narration that solidifies the feeling of being *told* a story. Hat tips to a bit of mystic.

Political Satire: write about a real life political issue or event, but either exaggerate the people's behavior OR make the topic itself absurd. (Like trading COVID for Raptors but having everyone respond as if it were COVID). Bonus points for current events, insight, and added humor.

Romance: Some characters are in love and they feel it with everything that they are. Ending can be happy or sad. Bonus points for longing and heartstrings.

Romantic Comedy: Like romance, but everyone is awkward like in real life and you amplify that. Endings generally make us feel good. Bonus points for achieving both an Awwww moment and a genuine chuckle. Extra bonus points if both these moments happen at the same time.

Comedy: The art of pairing unexpected ideas and achieving mild offenses. It can be physical, intellectual, dark, punny, absurd... just take a situation and exaggerate coincidence and expectations at small and/or large levels. Bonus points for making us see the world a little differently or more clearly.

Crime Caper: Like comedy, but a crime with a plan, preferably elaborate or inherently flawed, and the theives/crooks must be the focus. It's a romp. Can even be really flirty. Bonus points for silliness or inventiveness on part of the crime.

Can and do the genre sometimes or even often have other tropes and elements you can explore to great depths? Absolutely. But, don't change who you are as a writer to reach them. If you tend to write about kids, write about kids. If love is always a centerpiece for you, then let it be a centerpiece here too. Find the thing you like/want to write about and she how it fits into the restraints. Besides, it can be a cliche-danger trap if you aim for just copying what you saw other genres do alone.

Keep the genre's intrusion simple by sticking to the core. The fabulous things you create on top of or because of that, might surprise you.