Genre vs Setting

Friend of the blog author David V. Stewart’s recent stream on speculative fiction settings uncovered a curious phenomenon. It seems a lot of people, even some new authors, have trouble telling the difference between genre vs setting in speculative fiction.

It’s a worthwhile stream, covering a range of topics from the above literary categories to what the 60s, 70s, and 80s really looked like.

Give it a watch:

Inspired by David’s interaction with his viewers, I’ve decided to take it upon myself to clearly define genre and setting. And I’ll give you aspiring authors some pro tips on how to make your settings memorable.

As a new author embarking on your writing adventure, it’s essential to understand the distinction between setting and genre in fiction.

While these two elements play different roles in your storytelling, they are equally crucial in shaping your narrative and immersing readers in your world.

Setting vs. Genre: What’s the Difference?
Setting is the physical and temporal backdrop of your story. It encompasses the where and when, describing the environment, time period, and atmosphere in which your narrative unfolds.

Your setting serves as the canvas on which your characters and plot come to life.

Genre, on the other hand, refers to the category or style of your story. It defines the thematic and structural elements that your narrative follows, such as romance, science fiction, mystery, fantasy, or historical fiction. Genre influences the tone, themes, and tropes your readers can expect.

In the current market especially, it’s vital to understand that contemporary genre categories are determined and maintained by Amazon, Hachette Group, and Barnes & Noble. They’re marketing tools more than literary divisions.

Yet understanding the difference between setting and genre is still pivotal, since they work together to create a compelling and memorable reading experience.

Here are some tips on how to make your story settings unforgettable:

Immerse Yourself in Research
For historical fiction or stories set in a specific era, thorough research is essential. You need to accurately portray the period’s customs, culture, and historical events.

One advantage of doing a period piece is that once you’ve got all the setting details right, you can largely let the story tell itself.

But if your story unfolds in a unique, otherworldly setting, create a detailed backstory, mythology, and rules for that world.

See my guide on creating believable secondary world religions that don’t devolve into Evil Church of Evil tropes here.

Use Vivid Descriptions
Bring your settings to life by using vivid and evocative descriptions. Help readers visualize the places and imagine themselves there.

Engage all the senses by describing not only what your viewpoint characters see, but also what they hear, smell, touch, and taste.

A piece of advice I give my editing clients is to always give the 3 most important descriptive details, at least one of which should be non-visual, whenever a new setting is introduced. Not only does this approach help orient readers, thus avoiding confusing, it makes the story feel more present to them.

Make the Setting a Character
Sometimes, the setting can take on a character of its own, influencing the plot and characters. That way, it becomes an active participant in the narrative.

Think of how the harsh desert environment in Dune by Frank Herbert shapes the story and characters. That setting is so ubiquitous and impactful that it conditions character interactions like another major character would.

For another example, I used this conceit with the infernal exploration ship Exodus in my first acclaimed novel.

So can you!

Be Consistent
Ensure that the setting remains consistent throughout your narrative. Readers should feel anchored in the world you’ve created. If you placed The Lord Chamberlain’s Arms tavern on the corner of High Street and Northgate Road in Act I, it had better still be there in Act III – barring some kind of catastrophe.

The point is, avoid contradictions or inconsistencies that might disrupt the reader’s suspension of disbelief. Because confused readers put down books, and books that are put down seldom get picked back up.

Balance Familiarity and Uniqueness
Blend familiar elements with unique twists. This approach lets your readers relate to the setting while still experiencing the allure of the unknown.

For example, consider how J.K. Rowling combines the everyday world with the magical realm in her Harry Potter series, making it what David Stewart terms a low fantasy setting. Or consider how The Doctor from Doctor Who time travels to new and exotic locales each episode while having kept many of his trademark quirks and props for decades.

Show, Don’t Tell
Rather than saddling readers with a half-page infodump about the setting, reveal it gradually through action, character reactions, and dialogue.

Give several subtle nods that hint at your world building: a rusted shield bearing a dead house’s coat of arms, a faded mission patch from a long lost voyage, a jagged canyon attributed by an offhand mention to a titan’s death throes. Not only do these small touches add up over time, they make your setting feel lived-in.

Let the setting emerge organically to create a deeper connection between readers and your story.

So yes, do your world building. But only tell your readers 25-30% of it. Trust me: If you do your job, they’ll know the rest is there.

Explore Your Cultures
If your story is set in a particular location, delve into the local traditions and flavor. Showing your characters taking part in a living, breathing culture adds depth and authenticity to your setting.

The advice on secondary world religions linked above comes in especially handy here, since you can’t spell “culture” without “cult”.

Use Setting to Support Themes
Your setting can enhance the themes of your story. For example, a desolate post-apocalyptic landscape can underscore themes of survival and hope.

Whatever your story’s themes, choose a setting that aligns with the emotions and ideas you want to convey.

Creating a memorable setting involves meticulous world building and a deep understanding of how your setting interacts with the narrative. By combining your genre with a well-crafted setting, you can transport readers to new worlds and make your story unforgettable.

And to see this advice in action, read my award-winning Soul Cycle, which you can get now through the crowdfunder for its highly anticipated prequel The Burned Book. Back the campaign to get the Soul Cycle eBooks today and the new book before launch! And that’s just for starters, because we’ve got a vast selection of sweet perks like the official T-shirt and signed books and posters!

So get your deep setting, genre-bashed swag. Back The Burned Book now