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Genre Is Not a Box: Using Story Categories as Creative Tools
This episode explores genre not just as a marketing label, but as a powerful storytelling framework that shapes reader expectations, craft choices, and publishing opportunities. We’ll begin by defining what genre really means, then break down how different genres function, what readers of each genre expect, and how those expectations influence plot, pacing, character, and tone. By the end of the episode, you will have a clearer understanding of how to position your stories, communicate your genre, and use it as a creative tool instead of a restriction.
SHOW NOTES:
Why Genre Matters More than you Think
Understanding Genre as a Framework
Positioning Your Story in the Marketplace
Communicating Genre to Agents and Readers
Genre as a Creative Tool
Common Pitfalls
SOURCES & LINKS:
“How Important is Genre When Pitching and Promoting a Book?” Sangeeta Mehta, Jane Friedman, FEB 2025
“Understanding Genre: How to Writer Better Stories,” Savannah Gilbo, 2026
“In Defense of Labels: On Genre as a Literary Conversation," Lit Hub, Lincoln Michel, 2021
DO NOW (with samples):
Identify your primary genre. Study 5 successful books w/in that genre. Fill out the FREE DOWNLOAD to help get you started writing a genre positioning statement.
Next, write a pitch using genre-specific language:
[Genre] + Protagonist + Goal + Obstacle + Stakes
EX: Romance
A contemporary romance about a burned-out wedding planner who’s forced to work with the cynical journalist who once broke her heart—only to discover that saving her career might mean risking it all for love again.
EX: Thriller
A domestic thriller about a woman who begins to suspect her perfect husband is connected to a string of disappearances—and must uncover the truth before she becomes the next victim.
Full Show Notes are available on our website as well as free downloads mentioned in the episode.
Authors Talking Bookish https://www.authorstalkingbookish.com
Hope Gibbs, author of Where the Grass Grows Blue https://www.authorhopegibbs.com/
Donna Norman-Carbone, author of All That is Sacred & Of Lies and Honey https://www.donnanormancarbone.com
If you found value in this content, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and SHARE. Thank you
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By Donna Norman-Carbone and Hope GibbsThis episode explores genre not just as a marketing label, but as a powerful storytelling framework that shapes reader expectations, craft choices, and publishing opportunities. We’ll begin by defining what genre really means, then break down how different genres function, what readers of each genre expect, and how those expectations influence plot, pacing, character, and tone. By the end of the episode, you will have a clearer understanding of how to position your stories, communicate your genre, and use it as a creative tool instead of a restriction.
SHOW NOTES:
Why Genre Matters More than you Think
Understanding Genre as a Framework
Positioning Your Story in the Marketplace
Communicating Genre to Agents and Readers
Genre as a Creative Tool
Common Pitfalls
SOURCES & LINKS:
“How Important is Genre When Pitching and Promoting a Book?” Sangeeta Mehta, Jane Friedman, FEB 2025
“Understanding Genre: How to Writer Better Stories,” Savannah Gilbo, 2026
“In Defense of Labels: On Genre as a Literary Conversation," Lit Hub, Lincoln Michel, 2021
DO NOW (with samples):
Identify your primary genre. Study 5 successful books w/in that genre. Fill out the FREE DOWNLOAD to help get you started writing a genre positioning statement.
Next, write a pitch using genre-specific language:
[Genre] + Protagonist + Goal + Obstacle + Stakes
EX: Romance
A contemporary romance about a burned-out wedding planner who’s forced to work with the cynical journalist who once broke her heart—only to discover that saving her career might mean risking it all for love again.
EX: Thriller
A domestic thriller about a woman who begins to suspect her perfect husband is connected to a string of disappearances—and must uncover the truth before she becomes the next victim.
Full Show Notes are available on our website as well as free downloads mentioned in the episode.
Authors Talking Bookish https://www.authorstalkingbookish.com
Hope Gibbs, author of Where the Grass Grows Blue https://www.authorhopegibbs.com/
Donna Norman-Carbone, author of All That is Sacred & Of Lies and Honey https://www.donnanormancarbone.com
If you found value in this content, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and SHARE. Thank you