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Every story has some sense of time or place in history, even if only slight. But not every story is historical fiction. What's the difference? How can you use the history in your story to the best effect, regardless of genre? We'll consider the various aspects of history as a narrative element, for all writers.

Genre is sometimes miscast as a form of fiction that can be overly formulaic, relying on familiar tropes, plot structures and character types. But this frequently is not the case. In this talk, we’ll discuss ways the genres of horror and mystery often take delight in the strange and unexpected. We’ll also think about strategies for avoiding familiar tropes and leaning into the surprises that might occur throughout the writing process. How might we incorporate the unexpected twists and turns of writing without the narrative becoming too random? What are some of the ways stories can gain tension by sometimes going against genre expectations? How might we stray from a too-tight narrative path without getting lost in the forest?