So You Want to Write a Book...

Glossary

Here are some words that might be unfamiliar or unknown to you.

G

genre = Genre refers to books that have some powerful element in them that define them as a particular type of book, such as fantasy, romance, or crime fiction. These types of novels have required tropes, and if the novel doesn’t have those, it’s not that genre. Readers expect to see those tropes and are disappointed if they’re not there. Refers to either a general classification of writing, such as the novel or the poem, or to the categories within those classifications, such as the thriller or action story. Genre lets your reader know what to expect from your writing.

P

premise = The premise is the general description of a novel’s idea. It’s the basic story or concept. A two to three-sentence description of your plot or core argument.