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Dec. 6th, 2010 10:19 amI had an insight on genre fiction the other day. What I'm thinking is that genres can be grouped into two basic categories: plot-driven and setting driven.
Sci-fi and Fantasy are setting-driven genres - what's important in books in these genres are creating a believable world.
Plot-driven genres are mysteries, romances, and spy thrillers. What's important here is how well you write the story around the plot framework. (Hmmm, kind of like a cookie baking contest, eh?)
Another point of interest to me is that sub-genres are usually of the opposite category: sci-fi subgenre categories are usually plot-based (space opera, cold-equations) whereas romance subgenres are usually setting based (modern, regency, paranormal). But I can think of lot's of exceptions here, and I think that many mystery sub-genres are also plot-based.
I think horror would fall under setting-driven, but I'm not quite sure.
What have I missed? Is there another category altogether?
Sci-fi and Fantasy are setting-driven genres - what's important in books in these genres are creating a believable world.
Plot-driven genres are mysteries, romances, and spy thrillers. What's important here is how well you write the story around the plot framework. (Hmmm, kind of like a cookie baking contest, eh?)
Another point of interest to me is that sub-genres are usually of the opposite category: sci-fi subgenre categories are usually plot-based (space opera, cold-equations) whereas romance subgenres are usually setting based (modern, regency, paranormal). But I can think of lot's of exceptions here, and I think that many mystery sub-genres are also plot-based.
I think horror would fall under setting-driven, but I'm not quite sure.
What have I missed? Is there another category altogether?
