Genre conventions essay

Most genres have a set of very particular elements that readers or moviegoers expect, and artists often try to make sure their works include enough of these to keep the audience happy. Genre conventions tend to evolve over time as artists work to break out of the typical mold and create fresh new content.

Narrative writing must have a plot, setting, and characters. Descriptive writing must include good vocabulary that must appeal to the senses. Expository writing must inform, clarify, define and explain. Persuasive writing must present an argument on the basis of facts and logic.

Genre conventions have carried over into movies, including emotional chick flicks and fast-paced action films. A convention of horror films is isolating characters during dangerous situations. Invisibility is a theme explored in the horror and science fiction genres. Images of death are a convention of horror stories.

This means a type of writing, i.e., an essay, a poem, a recipe, an email, a tweet. These are all different types (or categories) of writing, and each one has its own format, type of words, tone, and so on. Analyzing a type of writing (or genre) is considered a genre analysis project.