How do you use the slice of life genre?

[Syahardian]

Like, do you use it for the whole story because of its vibe? Or are you also include it because the story has a slice of life scene? (ex: MC hang out with friends and nothing happened, MC doing mundane daily life thingy, etc...)

 

[LilRora]

Slice of life generally refers to stories where the mc has no large or important goals plot-wise, that just shows the daily life sometimes with some spice. If you look up some definitions, you'll probably find it often lacks plot development, conflict and exposition, as well as often has an open ending, and all of it refers to whole stories not individual scenes.

I wouldn't include it if slice of life kind of scenes are just a part of the story; they have to be the essence of it, or at least a large, meaningful part.

 

[Corty]

My opinion:

Tagging your story as Slice of Life is valid if your story has at least half of the chapters about the characters' everyday lives. This can include story elements, drama, and action, but the story has to focus on their lives and how they deal with all of it.

Slice of Life doesn't mean nothing is happening; it is not only doing mundane things like taking out the trash or doing laundry.

 

[Rhaps]

As someone who tagged their story as Slice of Life, I have no fucking idea. Listen to others, not whatever crazy shit I'm writing.

 

[Syahardian]

If you look up some definitions, you'll probably find it often lacks plot development, conflict and exposition, as well as often has an open ending, and all of it refers to whole stories not individual scenes.

Yeah, from my understanding, slice of life stories exists only to be enjoyed with chill because there's no plot to begin with.

Slice of Life doesn't mean nothing is happening; it is not only doing mundane things like taking out the trash or doing laundry.

By nothing happened, I mean the slice of life scenes doesn't leave much of an impact to the overall story nor for the character development, etc.

But yeah, I think both these points does make sense. Thanks for the answers

 

[Story_Marc]

I'll include it in parts of the bigger narrative here and there while keeping in mind stuff that makes slice-of-life effective.

Such as understanding that slice-of-life looks at the mundane aspects of life and sees them in new and interesting ways. It's why, if I do it, I'd rather do it from an angle of sticking interesting characters into ordinary situations to help see stuff from a different (sometimes amusing) angle otherwise wouldn't.

To note, for an example of how this works well, this is why stuff like Spy X Family does slice of life so well. It isn't just mundane stuff happening, it's the fact it's about a spy, assassin, and telepath in slice-of-life scenarios and how they navigate them.

...So yeah, impromptu writing lesson.

 

[DemonOppai]

I use it religiously

 

[TheEldritchGod]

As a cloud of spite and eyes that exist beyond mortal ken, I slice at life all the time. I find that most forms of life tend to be much more controllable when properly bifurcated.

 

[Kalliel]

I don't.

 

[Tempokai]

My novel basically slice-of-life that's got invaded by a supernatural happenings. So it's my main point of the story

 

[Panthers426]

I just use it to break up the tension and since my story is an OP MC, I feel like we need those to be a large part of the story to keep it from becoming boring.

 

[J_Chemist]

Carefully

 

[BouncyCactus]

By nothing happened, I mean the slice of life scenes doesn't leave much of an impact to the overall story nor for the character development, etc.

I think that S-o-L is a trove for character development, matter of fact. People grow as they live their lives. SoL is for little drama, conflict between friends, love interests, or how they discovered their hobby. SoL is basically thinking about what happens daily in a character's life. Most romance story is SoL, and, well so is every other story, just that, the other genre then to take the front stage instead.

A good SoL can be someone doing laundry, but maybe it is their first time, and they messed up, shrunk, or dyed their favorite shirt, wail about it, and then have to go and buy a new shirt. Maybe it is their first time doing chores, moving out for college. Or they are just scatterbrained, klutzy, or just didn't pay attention. Make the character and their interaction interesting.

This genre relied more on the character's personality than most other stories, as the characters themselves ARE the main focus, not some big bad, or the battle, or the adventure. Or, my favorite approach, other-worldly SoL as a way to showcase the world-building, the daily life of someone in a world where magic is commonplace. It shows the little details (the most interesting detail in my opinion), like how construction work, how lighting work, what if it breaks, and who can fix it.

 

[AnonUnlimited]

Slice of life is for the kind of people who play animal crossing.

 

[CarburetorThompson]

My favorite stories are those that mix slice of life with action/adventure. Pacing with a few slice of life chapters that lead into and set up some action driven chapters, then lead out with more slice of life chapters that set you up for the new action driven element. Love stuff like that

 

[StarrGaze]

Use it so readers can't complain about slower/filler chapters jk jk

 

[Verdante]

I have the same question. I like putting my characters’ normal life first before ripping everything apart so readers can tell the difference.

I think it also helps ground the readers first and have a breather before getting thrown into another arc.

 

[TsumiHokiro]

I have the same question. I like putting my characters’ normal life first before ripping everything apart so readers can tell the difference.

I think it also helps ground the readers first and have a breather before getting thrown into another arc.

You're not writing slice of life... you're writing psychological or tragedy.
Might be both.

 

[Verdante]

You're not writing slice of life... you're writing psychological or tragedy.
Might be both.

I got a comment saying it was slice of life, but now that I think about it it’s probably because of my earlier chapters…

 

[Syahardian]

I think it also helps ground the readers first and have a breather before getting thrown into another arc.

Basically me with my draft for the first arc of my story. And probably will do it too in the 2nd arc.

I want to show a glimpse or maybe a lot of MC's life first before the shit hit the fan in the story and do the slice of life thing again as a breather.