: Re: Where's the middle ground between genre conventions and originality? I've long been interested in writing a fantasy novel. Over the countless iterations I've gone through, one thing has remained

@Karen856

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Using elves as our case point in originality, there are several approaches:

Elves are elves: so you read Tolkien, or are an avid D&D player, or basically, love the hell of 99% of literature that's marketed as fantasy, and you know elves as these pointy-eared, stoic, uptight Mary Sues who are better than you at everything (specially magic), who follow very strict social rules and hug trees, so you include them in your story. There is nothing wrong with this approach other than not being very original, but on the upside, you can be sure there are people who like this, and you have a very real market waiting for more elves.
No, really, ALL elves are elves: one of the most common pitfalls in fantasy writing is assuming all people of a specific non-human species always acts the same way. So while elves usually are pointy-eared, stoic, uptight Mary Sues who are better than you at everything (specially magic), who follow very strict social rules and hug trees, not all of them have to, for example. hug trees. In fact, there may be other tribes of elves where it is normal not to hug trees, or where it is more normal to disregard pointless social conventions to achieve a chiller atmosphere. The only way all elves, all around the world, all act the same, is if they are a hivemind, but writers don't tend to imply that.
All elves are elves, except this guy: then, in order to show some variance, you consider making a guy that's the exact opposite of the archetype of that race/species you have established. He is one of his kind, because everyone else seems to be very markedly elvish. While it can be done well, it is usually lazy, and unless you play it for laughs, you may end up writing an angsty Mary Sue, and nobody likes Mary Sues.
Elves are mostly elves: you like elves, but let's get real, they are kitsch, mainstream and overdone, maybe even outright boring. You want to get original with your elves, so you decide you have had enough of clichés, and decide to put a twist on them. So now your elves are pointy eapointy-eared, stoic, uptight Mary Sues who are better than you at everything (specially magic), who follow very strict social rules and hug trees BUT they are cannibalistic. At this point, this is pretty much the expected elf behaviour, so it applies the same as above, just very slightly more original.
Elves are humans: what's the difference between an elf and a human? They have funny shaped ears, and that's it. This is not a bad idea, but it is kinda pointless; why not make those characters humans if being elves isn't going to make a difference?
Fal'kehs'tdzth are elves: so you have these these guys who are pointy-eared, stoic, uptight Mary Sues who are better than you at everything (specially magic), who follow very strict social rules and hug trees, but they are called Fal'kehs'tdzth, and they definitely aren't elves. This is usually a lazy attempt at originality, so unless you are trying to play it for laughs, try avoiding this.
Elves are not elves: so you have elves. "Oh, nice, tree hugging people!", your reader says. Except they do not hug trees because they live in underground caves. And they have two tongues, no eyes, no hair, gray skin, and they make hissing noises when they are angry. Okay cool, they are original, but why call them elves at that point?
No elves, only humans: your approach, and also the same approach most fantasy writers who don't want to follow Tolkien or D&D's conventions on the genre follow. It's a breath of fresh air, but sadly not very original regarding species/races, so you will have to compensate if you want your story to be classified as fantasy.
No humans, only elves and friends: usually unheard of, since most fantasy worlds place humans in order to have a reality anchor that lets us know in which ways do these fantasy races differ on. Can get very snowflakey very easily, so while it can be fun if done correctly, you might sound like a tryhard at originality if you don't execute it well.
No elves, no humans: would be peak snowflakism, but still a valid approach if well executed. What about trying some other unconventional races/species in your writing? I'm not sure about you, but I would read that.

If all you care about is commercial success, you will probably have a better chance at success if you follow the already proven formula, but there is an growing audience that's tired of the same worldbuilding and same plotlines over and over, so if you are willing to risk it, you are still guaranteed to sell some copies, or even become a commercial success if your formula really stands up on its own. Of course, if this isn't your primary concern, you should just do as you think it will be best for your book.

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