Here’s what to DO with your genre once you know which one you’re writing.

So you know your story’s genre.

It’s an Action story with a Worldview internal genre. Or it’s a Love story with a Status internal genre. You’re, like, 32% sure of it.

Which is great, because you’ve studied story enough to know genre is important. You’ve heard that it shapes the foundations of your story, that it has conventions and obligatory scenes, reader expectations that you’ll need to deliver on.

Somehow, though, just knowing some words—Action, Worldview, Love, Status—hasn’t magically solved anything. And it’s not a great feeling to have studied story theory so much, and still be stuck on the application.

So what now? Now that you have some language for your story’s genre, what do you do with it? How do you actually use it as a revision tool?

That’s what I’m exploring in this episode with my friend and fellow writing coach Savannah Gilbo. Savannah is my go-to genre expert, and she shares exactly how to make genre work for you in revision.

You’ll hear:

• Why naming your genre earlier than you think can save you from endless rewrites
• The 3 genre mistakes that secretly stall drafts (and how to avoid them)
• How to turn genre from a rigid list of “must-haves” into a flexible writing tool
• How to blend multiple genres like a pro (and without getting lost)
• And more!

Identifying your genre is a great first step. In this episode, Savannah will show you what to actually do with it once you know which one you’re writing.

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Get Savannah’s guidance on your story in Notes to Novel: alicesudlow.com/notestonovel
• Get the Content Genre Overview: alicesudlow.com/90
• Ep. 90: The 12 Core Genres That Power Every Great Story

The Notes to Novel link is an affiliate link. I wholeheartedly recommend Savannah’s coaching and am delighted to share her resources with you!

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Free Training: 5 Mistakes That Keep Writers Stuck

Struggling to finish your novel? My friend Savannah Gilbo is hosting a FREE live webinar: 5 Mistakes That Keep Writers Stuck. She’ll show you the traps most writers fall into—like skipping genre frameworks or editing as you write—and how to finally finish. Join August 23 or 24. Save your spot: alicesudlow.com/class. (Affiliate link—I may earn a commission.)

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"I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

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Genre isn’t what you think it is. Here’s how to use it better.

Genre. Let me guess:

It’s the bane of your existence. A convoluted soup of arbitrary descriptors that almost but not quite mean the same thing. Sci fi or fantasy? Paranormal or supernatural? Upmarket or book club? Do words even have meaning?

Or, it’s a restrictive box with tropes and conventions you feel like you need to cross off a checklist, until your story is more “paint by numbers” formulaic than an original creation unique to your imagination.

Or, it’s a necessary evil in your query letter. Your task is to say the right genre words to the right agent to appeal to their interests and make them want to request your manuscript. Get it right, you get a book deal. Get it wrong, you fail.

Genre can be all those things, for sure.

But what if, first and foremost, it were a tool that works for you?

In this episode, I’m throwing out the way we usually talk about genre. And I’m replacing it with an approach to genre that’s actually useful for crafting great stories.

Not just useful, actually. Essential.

You’ll learn:

• What “genre” actually means
• Why the genre labels on the shelves at Barnes and Noble won’t help you craft a great story
• The 12 fundamental genres that apply to every great story
• 2 questions to begin identifying your story’s genre

This approach to genre won’t constrain your creativity within someone else’s box. Rather, it will reveal the story you truly want to tell.

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Get the Content Genre Overview: alicesudlow.com/90

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Support the show

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a fiction writer in possession of a brilliant story must craft a captivating opening line.

No pressure, right?

Your opening line is your story’s first impression. Agents, editors, and even readers decide fast whether they want to keep reading or drop the book altogether. And yes, they can make that judgment in as little as the very first sentence.

So your opening line is doing some heavy, heavy lifting.

But what, exactly, do great first lines do?

What sets an unputdownable first sentence apart from a forgettable dud? How do they capture readers—and agents—in a matter of seconds?

I turned to Abigail K. Perry, editor, book coach, and expert in opening chapters, to find out.

You’ll hear:

• What agents are looking for in the first line of a manuscript (and what makes them stop reading)
• What makes captivating first lines actually work
• How to find the hooks of your story—what only your story can deliver
• How to lighten the pressure to get the first line right
• And more!

If you’ve ever worried over the beginning of your book—if you’ve ever written and discarded a dozen different versions of your first sentence, and you’re still stressed that that first line won’t land—well, I think you’re going to love what Abigail has to share.

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Want more first chapter wisdom? Check out the first part of my conversation with Abigail: How Great First Chapters Make Readers Care »

Check out a few of Abigail’s “First Chapter Deep Dive” episodes on Lit Match:

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
• Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Send me a Text Message!

Support the show

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »