What is Genre? (You'll be surprised at the answer.)
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- Опубліковано 14 сер 2023
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Understanding genre will unlock the problems in your writing.
Do you find your story meandering without a clear focus? Join me as we delve into the essential components of genre, utilizing Maslow's hierarchy of needs and the proven techniques of Story Grid.
Learn more in Story Grid's comprehensive guide to GENRE:
storygrid.com/genres-of-writing/
✍️ Join my next scene writing workshop: storygrid.com/workshop?...
In this video, you'll discover:
• The real meaning of genre and common misunderstandings.
• How to differentiate between marketing genres like Young Adult or Science Fiction and the real value at stake in your story.
• The connection between Maslow's hierarchy of needs and storytelling genres.
• How to pinpoint the value that drives your story and keep it focused.
• The importance of knowing the five commandments of storytelling within your chosen genre.
By watching this video, you'll gain a clearer understanding of your story's core and find the direction you need to make it resonate with readers. Whether you're writing action, love, thriller, or exploring internal needs like status, morality, and worldview, Story Grid provides the tools to master your craft.
Don't let your story wander aimlessly. Find clarity and direction with Story Grid's unique approach. Explore our website at storygrid.com for more articles, books, and tools tailored to your storytelling needs.
🙋♀️ Have a question or topic for a future episode? storygrid.com/youtube-questions - Навчання та стиль
I would like to see a video where you put each of the genres onto the hierarchy of needs. For instance Love goes on level 3 'Love and Belonging", does War go on level one "Physiological - survival'? etc.
War is a racket, so it's always about making rich people richer. I guess the genre would depend on the POV of the story---from the POV of victims of war (survival/safety) or the beneficiaries of war (status)? There are never any winners in war, except the people making the money off it.
Tim, I am so proud of you. This is what you should do: Talk to us directly about the concepts of Story Grid. You have always been a huge lift to Story Grid, but now it has become evident that this should be your path (UA-camr). I have not seen anyone do this quite as well as you do, naturally. And the subject matter is also of course important, and you express it very clearly. It's obvious you've put a lot of thought, and work, into creating the content for this video. So please keep on posting videos like this. This is the best, most important thing I have seen from Story Grid in years. Kudos.
When I began writing, it was like I was shot out of a cannon. I was banging out scenes like mad, for a single story. about a year and a half later I realized that I had no clear idea how to combine them into a novel. I'd accomplished a lot, but all I really had was a stack of scenes. A lot of them. They were good scenes, but how could I connect them together in the best way for a reader? And what might be missing? Where should the focus be?
Then I found Story Grid. Shawn Coyne's concepts are just beyond brilliant. His understanding completely rocked my world, and showed me my path. I was told it was not unusual to not really know for a surprisingly long time what my global genre might be when writing a story with secondary plots, but that I needed to figure this out to be able to proceed.
And it was learning these concepts which Shawn codified for us-values at stake, conventions (and the obligatory moments needed to serve them), and story elements of scenes, and all the understanding behind these things, that allowed me to become the writer I knew I could be. Only Story Grid was able to get me to understand, probably bc Story Grid did understand, while few others did, or do.
These concepts were not easy to learn, and they were not distilled down all that clearly for me at the time, but it is evident now that you now have the ability to put these things into clear thoughts, and so it seems that this should be your path. There are a couple great minds behind Story Grid, but you should be a primary spokesperson. We will only benefit.
Go get 'em, kiddo.
Thanks Tom! Glad you enjoyed the training. I have a lot more coming!
Right, on.
I just finished the first draft of my first book. So excited! The only thing that I've been clear about since the beginning (and I mean the ONLY thing - LOL ) is genre. The title is Stranger Stories and it explores the stranger from 3 perspectives that all have to do with love and belonging. Speaking of love. I love this vid!
Congrats @robinfletcher6718! That’s a huge accomplishment!
This is fascinating! I have never heard this idea of genre before, but the breakdown you're describing absolutely makes sense. I am going to go dig into what each of these are more in depth on your website and blog. Thank you so much for sharing this knowledge.
I absolutely agree with this. I always struggle when people say their genre is "young adult" or something, like you said.
The best science fiction story I have ever read was FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON by Daniel Scott Keys. It never even occurred to me that it WAS science fiction until I found out that it had won the Hugo and Nebula awards.
I am currently learning about Genre and was struggling with the understanding of it. I did a search in Youtupe and your video came up. I want to thank you for making such clear videos and for using basic terms to describe Genre in a way I or new learners can understand. You eye contact, voice and just videos over all are just basic and clear for anyone to watch. I see you also have other videos and look forward to also watching those.
Dude, I am SO glad I found this RITE NOW> I am working on the tail end of chapter 1 of a novel formatted memoir, and in order to progress I need ALL of this information! Thank you! You are so important! I hope you know this.... you're going to make my book sooooo much better...lol ❤
This channel is what I've been looking for for years!
I really wish this video had actually dived into the content genre as it is referenced that way by other videos on this channel. I hope at some point we get a full deeper dive into the content genre, with an explanation of each of the 12, and the obligatory/required moments and thematic elements therein. This was just another overview instead.
My new favourite YT channel. Thank you Story Grid for all your insight🥰
Great video, Tim! Looking forward to more of your UA-cam Content!
Thanks Marie!
Great video! Kudos!
Brilliant content 😀
I am going to read your Book 📖 ❤
After watching this video which is excellent, I did a deeper dive into Story Grid and genres and I have one burning question I'd love an answer to from someone, anyone.
What Genre would the movie 'Inside Out' be in as far as the reality genre?
So am I right to say my story is: A young adult magical fantasy novel. That takes place over a week. It is cinematic and is of the Drama style, and contains Love: Family. Is that how I would basically word it if someone asked me? Or would I cut stuff out or reword it etc. This really helped thank you so much, but i just want to be absolutely clear. Thanks in advance! ❤
🖐🏼 Question: How does maturation fit in here? It's an internal maturation plot, but what internal genre would that be?
Maturation is a sub-genre of Worldview. storygrid.com/worldview-genre/
@@StoryGrid Thank you Tim!
Excellent video. I would like to ask a question to clarify something bouncing around in my head. In this video, you mentioned the 9 external genres. Totally understand that. My confusion relates to the words Action, Love, and Horror as they relate to another video in which Shawn is talking about the Matrix Characters and he is referencing the seven questions. In that video, he talks about Action, Horror and Love in relation to "how to survive", "where to derive", and "when to thrive". Is he using the words Action, Horror and Love different in the context of that video? Are Action, Horror and Love both external genres as they exist separately from an internalized Action, Horror and Love concept? Thanks! 😀
The way I am referring to genre is in the original Story Grid 1.0 way from the book, which is extremely useful to zero in on one global genre for your story, especially in the creation phase.
When you are revising (whether this means revising your plan/outline or revising your draft), this is when it’s useful to shift into the genre blueprint view, which is what Shawn is referencing. These are broader, more abstract genres. They show up in every story that works. It’s very important to make sure that your story touches on all of these genres, but it can be overwhelming to start planning/executing from that standpoint. So these are two different tools that facilitate different ways of thinking about your story.
I always disliked how publishers and agents spoke about genre. I submitted my manuscript to someone with the genre "New Adult Fantasy" instead of "Adult Fantasy," and they responded, "We don't work in that genre." That's when I knew it was dumb. Adult fantasy hits more at my audience (people who like fantastical elements and can handle the word "fuck") than what story is really about. I plan to look at Story Grid and determine what actual genre I'm writing. Thanks!
So what's Forrest Gump's genre?
The theme is destiny vs choice vs "being a feather on the wind".
I'm looking at these 9 external genres and none of them seem to fit.
so is it poosible that the hunger games genre actually is morality or that this genre is almost as much focused as action? Because this is the question I've been asking myself... when I asked myself what genere I want to write my book in, I thought of sci fi. However there's sci fi books like the hunger games that I love and there's sci fi books like dune I do not love and so I now think it probably has to do with the deeper meaning or the real genre
I love the explanation and it all makes sense to me, but I'm still struggling to find where my story fits in. It's about a women re-discovering her self-worth while trying to find the strength to break off a toxic relationship. Is this like the worldview genre?
If I think of my story in these terms - it would be Worldview with a mix of the maturation and revelation subtypes.
As far as the conventions, that's where I'm fuzzy on because some of these roles are technically empty at the moment but I could see them being filled later in the story and one, the antagonist, that, the more I think about it, appears to be either the protagonist or one that would/should be on the protag's side. Perhaps that makes her the shapeshifter into antagonist by the end, while the currently-appearing antagonist (and one that started the Inciting Incident) might rotate into mentor or similar role.
The other one is the social injustice convention - like a race being oppressed, etc. There is an "other" people in the story but I don't think I have them oppressed/or second-class citizens, at least not in the usual sense. I think of the Roselle in Triangle Strategy (a video game, yes I know) where they are oppressed and are one step above dirt by the nation that's "overseeing" (read: using as slaves) them.
It's an interesting way to think about it and certainly made me think more about the characters and the overall world state.
Yes and no, I'm afraid. This is not how I would use the word 'genre', which is more traditionally defined in terms of setting and style. I would rather say that you're talking about different 'intentions' for writing a book. And I disagree with your absolute purism. I think some judicious mixing of intentions (and genres) can be paradigm shifting, in the right hands, in the same sort of way that rock'n'roll is blues meets country dance songs. But purity of intent is very useful for beginnings to master their craft I would agree.
All he’s saying is to know when you’re mixing jazz with blues and leaving out the bluegrass but keeping the Americana, and one would have to understand those genres well first.
@@arzabael Yes, get wisdom, get understanding, though it cost you everything you have.
@@grantbartley483 my strain of wisdom for better or worse has cost me and the ones I love a great deal.
@@arzabael I'm sorry to read that. It sounds like you had a bit of a Hobson's choice.
I always like your videos, but this one doesn't quite gel with me. My story certainly isn't rambling or unfocused - it's pretty tightly written and knows where it's going. I call it sciFi because it involves time-travel and physics, but it covers all five of Maslow's levels and more or less in sequence, bottom to top. It covers action, crime, love society (not sure what 'performance' is, but there's probably some of that, too). Anyway, what should scifi be in the first place?
No wiser now than I was at the beginning. Apparently 'genre' is just a fairly meaningless label. My book is just a story about some characters which I hope is engaging and resonates with the reader.
Lol
Well you’re wrong that “Young Adult = PG13”. Young adult focuses on young adult characters dealing with young adult issues - that’s why writers and publishers call it a genre.
Also, plenty of young adult fiction not only has sex and violence, but has one or both those elements as a central focus. Violence and sex has been a part of YA since SE Hinton was writing it back in the 1970s. Today, much of it is too extreme for Amazon, and Amazon has books like American Psycho.