Genre Basics - Adventure - article

When you see the word “adventure,” one of the first images that comes to mind is probably Indiana Jones. Never mind that he was a film character. The sentiment rings true, and is one of the hallmarks of the adventure fiction genre. Adventure novel manuscripts are between 65-90K words, and can appeal to both genders, though it could be argued that the genre tends to target men more than women.

Adventure novels often are quick-paced and involve a series of actions outside the usual happenings for the protagonist.

Adventure novels often are quick-paced and involve a series of actions outside the usual happenings for the protagonist. With this in mind, Dan Brown’s book, The DaVinci Code, might be an example of a great adventure novel. This book is often categorized in the mystery genre, however, which leads to the point that adventure novels often blur the lines with other genres. It might be more accurate to say that they are set in other genres, because it is the action that drives the novels and sets them into their own niche. 

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series is a notable adventure through another world, thus finding itself categorized as “fantasy adventure.” Two of the most famous adventure writers, however, are not contemporary – Daniel Defoe (Robinson Crusoe) and Robert Louis Stevenson (Treasure Island). They wrote of the kind of adventures that began to define the genre as something that would be out of the ordinary for what readers expect from their protagonists. 

When you write an adventure novel, keep the action central and quicken the pacing of the story.

When you write an adventure novel, keep the action central and quicken the pacing of the story. The adventurous sentiment should not be lost at any point, and don’t take too long a break from the action because you’ll risk losing the sense of adventure.