Viewing genre techniques as a toolbox helps you to surpass reader expectations and increase your chances of success. This is why.
While commercial genre is about marketing your book to the right reader and content genre is about structuring your main storyline to fulfill your reader's expectations, seeing genre techniques as a toolbox helps you exceed these expecations.
Everyone expects a plot twist at the end of a mystery novel, because that's part of the genre and the payoff to the question that drives the narrative—often who, why and how a murder was committed. But a plot twist can appear seemingly out of the blue in a story with a different narrative drive, like an action story, adventure, school story or romance, and answer a question the readers didn't even know they should be asking. A well-crafted twist can add excitement to the climax and a feeling of plot cohesion, a sense that the author planned the story well and everything was there for a reason.
Similarly, everyone expects a humor story to make them laugh, but adding comic relief to an otherwise serious story brings unexpected delights, adding moments of levity that can provide a contrast that even heightens the dramatic moments.
Genre is, at its core, a promise to the reader of a specific emotional experience. Using several genre techniques skillfully evokes a rich tapestry of emotions in the reader and makes them come back for more.
Seeing genre as a toolbox is foundational for the way I approach my courses, such as the free beta versions on crime and fantasy. Learn more about my courses here.