034: Game of Thrones S2 - How to write a successful book series

Editor Reactions:

Randall: The intertwining storylines are so intriguing. Great setup.

Mel: The Game of Thrones has officially started in this season with everyone wanting to be the next king, no matter who has a right to it and who does not.

Parul: The hungry for power in Season 1 (society genre) has continued and kicked off a war.

What's the Global Genre?

In a multi-plotted saga like Game of Thrones, how do you work out the genre and why should you? So why we dissect it is to help us understand why we love it, and why it’s compelling. By analyzing this masterwork, we come to understand how stories are constructed and we might be inspired for our own stories.

How do we determine the genre? One method is to look at the core event of the season. What is the big showdown that happens towards the end of the series? We have a big battle scene, which is the core event for a war story. But we also have an attempted revolution - Stannis tries and fails to overcome the Lannisters but fails. This is the Society genre. Power battles still rein within the Lannister households and amongst every house

We have a range of values that run through the season from victory to defeat.

Of course, there are other storylines going on alongside these:

Horror (core series storyline): White walkers emerge ready for battle () (life/death)

Action: The Stark children are on the run to save their lives. Jon is beyond the wall (against nature - cold, against time - missing uncle, against the state - wildlings)

Love: A twisted power/ love game between Melisandre and Stannis Baratheon. Robb Stark falls for Talisa Maegyr, culminating in their secret marriage.

See complete show notes at www.storygrid.com or www.sgshowrunners.com