#57: Action Genre Conventions

In today's episode, I'm going to walk you through the conventions of the action genre. I'm also going to show you how these conventions show up in the movie The Hunger Games. Here's a preview of what's included: [01:25] Action stories are about life and death, and good versus evil. They’re about a character who has to rise up, overcome great obstacles, defeat forces of evil, and maybe even save the world. But that being said, these stories aren’t always about superheroes. [02:35] Readers choose action stories to experience the excitement of the life and death stakes and situations that the protagonist is presented with. But it’s not just about that—we choose these stories because they inspire us to become the best versions of ourselves, too. [03:35] Genre conventions are the character roles, settings, and micro-events that are specific to a genre. They’re what help us writers write a story that works AND evoke emotional reactions in our readers. [04:50] #1 - The protagonist has a special talent or gift and the potential for heroism. [06:55] #2 - The protagonist’s goal is to stop the antagonist and save victims. [08:10] #3 - There are multiple lives at stake (including the protagonist’s). [09:10] #4 - The antagonist is stronger and/or more powerful than the protagonist. [10:25] #5 - The protagonist has a moral compass that the antagonist does not. [11:50] #6 - There’s a speech in praise of the antagonist. [13:00] #7 - There’s a MacGuffin (or a very specific thing the antagonist wants). [13:50] #8 - There are sidekicks who help the protagonist save the victim/s. [14:45] #9 - There’s at least one mentor figure who gives the protagonist guidance. [15:25] #10 - There’s a ticking clock that puts pressure on the protagonist. [17:05] Key points and episode recap. Follow & Review in Apple Podcasts Are you following my podcast? If not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode! Especially because I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not following the show there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. So, click here to follow the show in Apple Podcasts! If you're already a follower, and if you enjoy the show, I would be really grateful if you left a review over on Apple Podcasts, too. Those reviews help other writers find my podcast and they’re also super fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the show is. Thanks in advance! Links mentioned in this episode: Episode Freebie: Action Genre Conventions PDF Cheat Sheet Action Conventions: The 10 Things Every Action Story Needs (article) Action Obligatory Scenes: The 6 Scenes Every Action Story Needs (article) Conventions vs. tropes: What's the difference? (podcast and article) FREE QUIZ: Take this 30-second quiz to get a custom action plan that'll help you move from stuck writer to published author! Support the show