This term broadly refers to the customs that writers adhere to in storytelling and more specifically refers to the various different conventions that permeate individual genres and mediums of storytelling.

I’ll add more to this later, of course, but I will note a few things really quick.

First of all, storytelling convention is not inherently good nor bad. Whether you follow convention or try to break it doesn’t really matter either provided the resulting story is good. In general, following the conventions isn’t a bad idea though, since it may contain techniques that are highly effective. But blindly accepting them is bad, because story is a bit more complicated and if you don’t understand how or why certain conventions work, then you shouldn’t use them.

Second, my approach to conventions is to be skeptical until I look at them. Because a lot of the conventions I’ve heard or observed tend to result in a mediocre or bad product, I’ve taken to checking each convention I encounter once I notice it exists. I think this is the most reasonable approach, rather than accepting or rejecting them. Specifics on that will be added eventually.