The Trellis Method’s Story Genres Development Workbook
Identify and use details from selected genres to satisfy the audience’s expectations, transporting your readers to a story world.
Satisfy Your Readers’ Expectations!
The content download includes the 48 page step-by-step workbook (PDF file). Also, the prompt-based worksheet is an RTF file for your favorite word processor. Your workbook explains the process, and the worksheet walks you through identifying the essential details for each of your chosen genres.
For example:
- Key Question: The question readers expect this genre to answer.
- Subgenres: For instance, Mystery is a subgenre of the Crime genre.
- Expectations: The genre’s focus, values, emotions, and climax.
- Conventions: A variety of details typically included within the genre.
- Key Scenes: Specific scenes that draw readers to this genre.
- Characters: The typical protagonist, antagonist, and supporting cast.
- Plot/Subplots: The flow of events readers expect in this genre.
- Story Themes: This genre’s external, internal, and psychological themes.
What Writers Are Saying
Genre Mashups
“I like reading genre mashups, Grant, especially when the [usual] conventions or tropes for certain genres [could] make a story a bit too predictable. The ‘key scenes and conventions’ worksheets are excellent tools for keeping us on track as we mash them up.”
— Diana
Illustrations
“Very helpful illustrations, thanks, Grant!”
— Dana
Understand Readers’ Expectations
“Thank you for the downloads, Grant! I think reading broadly and then reading deep in one’s particular writing genre helps to understand readers’ expectations.”
— Priscilla
Free Overview
Click Step 1: Choose Genres to download an overview of the genre selection process.
Author’s Bio
Grant P. Ferguson developed his reading superpower as an under-tall kid in grade school. After balancing on tiptoes to pluck a science fiction novel from the library’s top shelf, it was love at first reading. Like a nerd turned super hero, books transformed his ordinary life into an extraordinary genre mashup of thriller, romance, and faith. He studied writing, and like a mad (but not evil) scientist, turned his research into the Trellis Method. From their ‘Fortress of Solitude’ in Central Texas, Grant and wife share their love of writing.