Editing Formula fiction (section)

==Distinct from genre conventions==
The ''formula'' is limited to structure of the plot itself. It does not include conventional, stereotypical elements of the genre used for the story background.
Genres like [[high fantasy]], [[Western movie|westerns]], and [[space opera]] (an [[Adventure fiction|adventure story]] in a [[science fiction]] setting) often have specific settings, such as a pseudo-[[Medieval Europe]]an setting, the [[Old West]], or [[outer space]].

For any given genre, certain assumed background information covers the nature and purpose of predictable elements of the story, such as the appearance of [[European dragon|dragon]]s and [[Magician (fantasy)|wizard]]s in [[high fantasy]], [[Faster than light|warp drives]] and [[raygun]]s in [[science fiction]], or [[shootout]]s at high noon in [[Western movie|Westerns]]. These are taken as conventional in the genre and do not need to be explained anew to the reader, they may be included implicitly as part of the genre's formula, but they do not constitute the plot structure that makes a story formulaic.

Note however that stereotypical elements can also easily be treated subversively, to contradict some of the expectations inherent in the genre's formula.