How to write a book in your preferred genre

[joycey360]

This is just a basic guide in how to write a book in your preferred genre.

1. Research

This is very important. Thinking you already know everything about your genre, is arrogance. Theres always something new out there. Practice how to describe certain places, (based on your genre) for example in horror you want to practice describing a hellish place, or for fantasy a magical forest (if it's that far fetched) Also try to find out (depending on the age group) what your readers want. Simply Google 'What readers want from a [your genre] story, or How to write today's [your genre]

2. Try to write/follow a checklist

As a horror writer, I like to follow a checklist, you may not want to, but this is just a suggestion, it helps me a lot. Here is the checklist I follow.

The Grabber. Have you opened with a prologue or short chapter which provides a brief but tantalizing
(and usually violent) glimpse of the secret horror which will propel the story forward?

Backfill. Within chapters 1-5, have you introduced the main characters and their problems, then isolated
them in one locale (a town, resort, swamp, etc.) along with the horror?

Turn Up the Heat. Do your middle chapters show increasingly weird/violent events which threaten the
protagonists and force them to investigate and eventually confront the horror (usually ancient or occult) that
has been triggered?

Flash Slash. If the pace slows, have you flashed to a violent scene to show the horror at its gruesome work?

Final Jeopardy. Does your final climax scene contain sufficient pay-off for the reader? When things have
gotten as bad as they can get for the protags, with seemingly no way out, just as they are about to be
overpowered by the superior horrific force, something enables them to triumph -- courage, ingenuity,
imagination, a tool or piece of information previously planted.

It Lives! A short final chapter or epilogue shows the main characters at peace, resuming their normal lives
but changed forever by their encounter with evil. But have you also hinted that the victory is a temporary
one, and that the horror has merely gone back into hiding and could rise again someday -- possibly in a sequel?

3. Read. Read. Read.

For me, this is one of the most important. You must read about your preferred genre. A lot. Study closely how they write, the way they tease the reader with hints, the way they present characters. It's all important.

4. Don't give up!

Okay, try not to give up, but if you must, and you feel like your story is going no where, stop as early as possible. If you stop early, it won't seem much of a loss to you, and you can move on, maybe work on a new project. But nothings worse than dedicating hours, days, months, and then realizing it's going no where. You won't want to let go.

5. No matter what the genre is, make it fun!

If it's a comedy, this is the most important. However in more serious stories like horror, it's still good to throw in the occasional joke. But don't over do it. I don't know how to explain it, but it helps. The best horror stories I've read have the occasional bit of humour in.

6. Have fun!

:)