Subvert a Genre Convention Without Losing Your Readers

You want to twist a familiar convention but you are worried readers will feel betrayed rather than surprised. This explains why the convention exists and what need it meets, shows subversions that worked using published examples, and draws the line between an earned twist and a cheat. Then it hands you techniques for your own story.

I'm writing a {GENRE} story and want to subvert the convention of {CONVENTION}, but I'm worried readers will feel cheated rather than surprised.

Explain:
- Why this convention exists and what reader need it satisfies
- What successful subversions of this convention look like (use published examples)
- The difference between a subversion that feels earned versus one that feels like a betrayal
- Specific techniques I can use to signal to readers that a subversion is intentional, so they feel rewarded, not misled
- One rewrite suggestion for how I might handle {CONVENTION} in my own manuscript

Assume I understand the basics of {GENRE} but want a deeper strategic view of reader psychology around conventions.