formula fiction
Genre with templates
Formula fiction follows predictable patterns and conventions rather than pursuing originality.
Romance novels, procedural mysteries, and adventure serials often qualify—readers know roughly what to expect and find comfort in the familiar structure.
The term is mildly dismissive, suggesting craft without artistry: He churned out formula fiction for the pulp magazines.
Also called formulaic fiction.
- genreCategory of creative work
- pulpSoft wet mass
- tropesRecurring thematic conventions
- predictableAble to be foreseen
- conventionsAccepted social practices
romance · mystery · cozy mystery · thriller · action hero · potboiler · hackneyed · clichés · templates · bestseller · mass appeal · escapism · guilty pleasure · paperback · plots · serialized · detective · western
formula fictionexperimental fiction
Nontraditional narrative prose
anti-narrative · metafiction · postmodern fiction · stream of consciousness · ergodic literature
formula fictionliterary fiction
Prose emphasizing craft and depth
formula, formulaic, formulaically, formulas, formulae, formulate, formulated, formulating, formulation