This genre is perfect for kids and adults alike. It's fast, there's a lot of action, characters face a quest to complete and an enemy to fight.
Let's have a closer look!
Just like in real life, in the face of danger, we experience a sense of urgency. Something needs to be done, someone has to step in.
The adventure genre plays with this feeling, but there's always someone - usually the MC - who decides waiting is not for them, and decides to take matters in their own hands. Or perhaps they're being commanded to do so and have no other choice. Perhaps, escaping from the command, they stumbled across an even bigger adventure…
There's also a journey the characters need to undertake. This can be taken literally - the characters may have to travel from one country to another - or metaphorically, with the characters having a personal journey into themselves.
Let's also agree that a one day trip isn't enough to be the journey this genre requires. The journey is a crucial element here.
Adventure genre can be combined with all the other genres, but I stumble across it most often in fantasy. Let's take Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. Both series are fantasy, but also meet all the requirements for an adventure story.
There's also a very little difference between an adventure and action. As I was searching for the difference I found a few sources stating: action has physical challenges, adventure has puzzle challenges.
A few subgenres:
SURVIVAL
example: “Robinson Crusoe”, Daniel Defoe
→ the hero is usually a lone survivor or a part of a surviving group who now has to fight for their life
SEA ADVENTURE
→ located on the ship in the middle of the ocean on an adventure into the unknown lands
SPY ADVENTURE
→ the protagonist is a secret agent or a spy
ABOUT THE JOURNEY…
• the journey isn't there just to add an element of outdoors - think it through like it's a puzzle to solve
• what could go wrong? Where could the characters get lost, be trapped or attacked?
• it can't be a journey that's too easy to complete, but also not one that's literally impossible
• use the occasion of the travel for characters to share more about themselves
• carefully plant challenges that will support the characters’ growth
ABOUT THE MC…
• don't settle for the obvious choices when creating a MC for adventure. Look at Bilbo Baggins - he was the opposite of an ideal adventurer, and how well it worked!
• there are many reasons and motivations people (creatures) have to leave their whole lives behind and go on the adventure. Don't be afraid to explore!
romance • science fiction • horror • fantasy • mystery • slice-of-life • historical fiction • folklore • inspirational • western • thriller
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