What Is Genre?
What is a genre? A genre is the category or framework around which a story is built. It's the pattern pieces of your narrative. Without them, it'll be hard for the audience to understand what kind of story you're telling. For this exercise, I've made a list of genres that range from literary to television along with some basic elements or features you might find in each. Mix and match or stick to a single genre to give your story a brand new look.
GENRES
Adventure: Courageous heroes embark on a thrilling quest. Accessories: -Swashbuckling -Jungle exploring -Trinkets tied to the plot -Uncharted environments
Action: Action-packed adventures with heroic leads. Accessories: -Fight scenes -Car chases -Goal driven -Fast paced -Spectacles -Race against the clock -Secret agents
Autobiography: Life story of central character in their own words. Accessories: -First person -Moments that made the most impact personally
Biography: Life story of central character from an outsider's point of view. Accessories: -Third person -Moments that made the most impact on the world around them
Cartoon/Anime: Cartoon: Animated illustrations telling humorous stories that mimic real life. Accessories: -Satire -Ridiculous situations and conflicts -Anthropomorphic animals or objects -Kid-friendly or targeted at adults
Anime: Japanese animations with a distinct style of art and storytelling Accessories: -Fantasy -Colorful -Exaggerated emotions -Fighting -Powerful humans and monsters -Slice of life
Children: Life lessons and experiences through the eyes of a child. Accessories: -Child characters -Morals -Adventures -Pictures -Themes that relate to children -Rhymes (for smaller children)
Christian: Clean storytelling with spiritual growth at its heart. Accessories: -Christ-centered lessons -Christian worldview -Faith driven narrative -Clean read Comedy/Sitcom: Lighthearted stories or series of stories that exaggerate the humor of everyday situations. Accessories: -Slapstick gags - Outlandishly funny situations -Mismatched dynamics -Relatable jokes (funny because its true)
Comic Book/Graphic Novel/Manga: Comic Book: One issue, or story, belonging to a larger narrative told through illustrations and dialogue. Graphic Novel: Telling a complete story from beginning to end through stylized art. Manga: Comic books or graphic novels in a Japanese originated style. Accessories: -Super powered heroes and villains -Illustrated characters living normal relatable lives -Fantasy elements -Technology -Speech bubbles -Visually distinctive characters
Dance Movie: Storytelling where the plot line centers around the art of dance. Accessories: -Dance competitions -Rivaling leads -Spectacular dance numbers -Underdogs
Drama: Dramatized depictions of serious real life situations. Accessories: -Hospitals -Police procedurals -Relationship conflict
Dystopian/Utopian: Stories from the future where reality is either cataclysmic or idyllic. Dystopian: Stories told in the aftermath of global or societal devastation. Accessories: -Public mistrust of an oppressive government -Widespread poverty or neglect -Post-apocalyptic Utopian: Stories set in a subjectively perfect world. Accessories: -Everything is optimized and highly advanced -Only peace, harmony, beauty, and safety exists Fable: Stories told by animals to teach a life lesson. Accessories: -Anthropomorphic animals in situations that represent humanity -Endings with a moral for the story
Fairy Tale: Romantic adventures that end happily ever after. Accessory: -Princes and Princesses -Magic and magical creatures -Rags to riches -Good vs. evil.
Fantasy: Magical adventures taking place in epic worlds. Accessories: -Magical character's and creatures -Elaborate, vivid worlds -Castles and kingdoms -Formidable journeys to distant lands
Family: Adventures the whole family can enjoy in live action or animation. Accessories: -Child perspective -Humorous plot kids and adults can enjoy -Road trips -Big, crazy adventures -Animals -Life-lessons Historical Fiction: Fictional characters in historical settings. Accessories: -Characters, dialogue and locations that authentically fit within an era's specific time and place. -Time travel
Horror: Characters find themselves in terrifying situations and must find the courage to escape with their lives. Accessories: -Things that creep in the night or in dark spaces -Haunting locations or objects -Characters face physical monsters or psychological fears
Mockumentary: Documentary of a fictional world. Accessories: -Character commentary/interviews -Satirical -Breaking the fourth wall
Musical: Characters tell their stories through song and dance. Accessories: -Dramatic musical numbers -Dazzling costumes -Story-driven songs with emotional impact -Remarkable visuals Mystery: Cracking cases and solving crimes by following clues and eliminating suspects. Accessories: -Satisfying reveal with no loose ends -Challenging clues to unravel -A number of suspects with questionable stories
Parody: Creating an imitation of an original work for comical purposes. Accessories: -Exaggeration -Satire -Good-humored/poking fun at original work
Reality Show: Shining the spotlight on real people doing real things. Accessories: -Competition-based -Depiction of ordinary or extraordinary events (depending on the stars) -Confessionals -Game shows -Documentaries -Talk shows
Romance: Love leads the way as characters meet, fall for each other, and stumble through various hits and misses to reach their happy ever after. Accessories: -Comedy (for rom-coms) -Sweet, funny, or romantic introductions -Situations that keep the lovers apart until the very end -Almost kisses -Love triangles -Enemies to lovers, friends to lovers; -Fake dating
Science Fiction: Stories centered around scientific concepts set in future, intergalactic or interdimensional worlds. Accessories: -Highly advanced technology -Space -Time travel -Alternate universes -Super human abilities -Steampunk/Cyberpunk Superhero: Heroes with super powers fight to save the world. Accessories: -Blend of science fiction and fantasy. -Superhuman abilities -Origin stories -Hidden identities -Supervillains -Set in a metropolis
Thriller: Heart-pounding pursuits where the antagonist is on the protagonist's heels. Accessories: -High stakes -Impending doom -Plot twists -Suspenseful
Young Adult: Adolescent main character navigates their stressful young life growing up a little along the way. Accessories: -Teen protagonist -High School -Young adult centered themes and situations -Coming of age