75 - Avoiding the Genre Trap - Worldbuilding in a way that draws your audience in without burning you out

Aug 6, 2024

This discussion dives into the paradox of genre in storytelling. Genre is a useful marketing tool yet can restrict creative freedom. Seth emphasizes focusing on tropes instead, which allows writers to explore various genres while staying true to their core themes. The conversation addresses the challenges authors face when pigeonholed and how adopting a trope-based approach can foster innovation. Practical advice is shared, encouraging writers to start with an idea, identify key tropes, and then label the genre last for greater flexibility.

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INSIGHT

Genre Is A Marketing Shorthand

Genres are primarily a marketing shorthand that set reader expectations rather than rules for authors.
Relying on genre can both help and constrain creative worldbuilding.

ADVICE

Build Around Tropes, Not Genres

Reject strict genre-first thinking and focus on the specific tropes you want to use.
Build worlds around tropes because they give clearer creative boundaries and audience hooks.

INSIGHT

Tropes Travel Across Genres

Tropes translate across genres and explain why readers stay in a world longer than a genre label does.
Identifying favorite tropes gives finer control and widens potential audience reach.

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In this episode of The Worldcraft Club, host James and guest Seth delve into the complex topic of genre and its impact on storytelling and worldbuilding. They explore the dual-edged nature of genre as both a helpful guide for setting reader expectations and a restrictive boundary for creative expression. Seth shares his seasoned perspective on genre, discussing how it has influenced and sometimes constrained his prolific writing career. He argues that focusing on tropes rather than strict genre classifications offers a more flexible and rewarding approach to both creating and marketing stories. The conversation also touches on the emotional and professional challenges authors face when they're typecast into specific genres and Seth’s personal experiences dealing with this issue. The episode wraps up with practical advice for writers, emphasizing the importance of maintaining creative freedom by embracing tropes to avoid being boxed into a single genre.

Genre vs. Tropes: Genre serves as a marketing tool and a communication shorthand for readers, but it can be restrictive for writers. Instead, focusing on tropes allows for more creative freedom and can help maintain audience engagement across various genres.
Creative Freedom: Writers often feel typecast into specific genres by their audience's expectations. Transitioning to a trope-based approach can alleviate this constraint, enabling authors to explore different genres while maintaining core thematic elements.
Career Sustainability: For established authors, adhering to favorite tropes rather than fixed genres supports artistic expression and prevents creative stagnation, ultimately benefiting both the author's well-being and the longevity of their career.

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