Dear Creatives,
I hope all is well with you and your creative work. Thank you for commenting, liking, and sharing last week’s post with others. Your kindness gives me a jolt! Hey, isn’t that what Alexa says? Well, she stole it from us, and the statement is no less true. I really am energized by your feedback.
As I stated in Letter #1, 2025, I needed a creative online community, and I’m grateful that you do, too. So, today’s letter is in response to a question I received about last week’s letter. The writer wanted to know what to do after creating the protagonist and deciding on a plot. They wanted to know if they should immediately start writing.
Thank you. I love the questions, and I’m happy to answer them.
Before doing so, let’s step back to look at our achievements. Two things should have happened as a result of last week. If you made a list of everything you want your reader to know about the protagonist, you should now be in possession of what we call a “character sketch.” You will look at your character sketch often as you add more characters to your story. Secondly, now that you have a plot, you should also have a theme. Using the example from last week, Little Red Riding Hood is the Protagonist, and the theme is Coming of Age.
Because you have a well-thought-out character and a plot and them, you are ready to take the next step and no, it is not to start writing immediately. I think there is at least two more items you should check first. One, you need to decide on the genre (the style of writing or content) you plan to write your story, and, two, you need to know the genre expectations. The understanding of both shows respect for your future readers and their preferences.
In Fiction Genre
There are many subgenres, and the reader has certain expectations related to each. In the case of Little Red Riding Hood, the genre is Children’s Literature, Folk story, and Fairytale. The reader in this genre is children (or parents who read to their children).
All fiction genre is for entertainment, but one size does not fit all. Some readers prefer Historical Fiction, and others want Horror. Others enjoy Christian Fiction, and some Dystopian. For instance, if you’re writing a Horror story, your readers would expect a certain level of suspense and fear, while in Christian Fiction, they would expect a moral lesson or a spiritual journey. If you are not certain about the genre you risk turning some readers off.
Imagine a mother thinks she is about to read about Little Red Riding Hood finding her way safely to Grandmother’s home, only to find that Red is going to run off into the sunset with a prince, who keeps a mysterious wolf in his castle, and at night the wolf turns into the ghost of Grandma. That would be tragic.
In Nonfiction Genre
The audience’s expectations are different. They don’t want entertainment as much as they want specific information. For instance, a writer for a car and driver magazine is not going to interest the average bibliophile who traipses around the city via mass transit.
Newspaper journalists, magazine editors, technical writers, and ghostwriters are common careers in this genre. They often become experts in a particular subject to provide specific information to their targeted readers. It’s a writerly win-win.
A current trend in nonfiction includes online influencers, who are getting into the writing space to sell what they know about a particular income-generating product. They typically benefit from an existing audience and a proven track record (a history of successful work or achievements) in a particular field of work, which makes it easy to turn their knowledge into royalties with an accompanying book. Public speakers have done this for years.
The nonfiction genre is a great place for left brain (logical, analytical thinkers) because it is based on facts, real events, and people. However, the most successful nonfiction writers know how to make their left-brain writing read like it is written by right-brainers (creative, intuitive thinkers). These authors often become Pulitzer Prize winners because they have mastered the craft of making a passive writing style come alive.
Write Now?
Of course, you don’t have to follow all the foundational steps I am sharing with you. Creatives often don’t want to be defined or pigeonholed into a specific category, especially novice writers who dream of reaching everybody. But that is usually a mistake. It is as hard to write for everyone as it is to please everyone. You need to find your people.
According to the greats, my best advice is to write what you enjoy reading because you already know the expectations. Whatever the genre, and sub-genre, start there, writing what you know. This recommendation serves all types of creatives. It’s a reminder that your passion and enjoyment in writing can be a powerful motivator, and when you write what you love, it often resonates with your audience.
Thank you again for the questions. As you continue your creative journey, remember to identify your story’s genre and always strive to exceed your audience’s expectations. Your commitment to preparation takes time away from writing, however, it empowers you as a writer and builds confidence in your readers, long-term.
I’m taking my own advice, too. Really,
Leah
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