How to Use Genre to Structure Your Novel

The Write It Scared Podcast

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Struggling to figure out where your story is going?

In this episode, we break down how understanding your content genre can give you a built-in structure for your novel, shaping your plot, character arc, and emotional payoff.

We’ll explore the difference between marketing and content genres, explain why genre is more than just a shelf label, and dive into how frameworks like Save the Cat Writes a Novel and The Story Grid can help you choose your content genre and write with more intention.

Episode Breakdown

00:00 – Introduction to Genre and Storytelling
00:22 – Welcome to The Write It Scared Podcast
01:31 – Understanding Your Story Genre
02:27 – Marketing vs. Content Genre
05:39 – Frameworks for Identifying Content Genre
06:50 – External vs. Internal Content Genres
08:33 – Blending Genres and Finding Your Story’s Spine
10:12 – Conclusion and Next Steps

🔗 Mentioned in this episode:

• [Episode 50: How to Plan and Outline Your Novel]
  
  
• [Episode 42: Understanding Story Structure and Character Arcs]
  
  
• Companion blog post with examples and resources

• 2025 Spark to Story Summit–FREE TICKET! (Please note, this is an affiliate link. If you upgrade to a paid all-access SPARK pass, I may get a commission at no extra cost to you.)

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