Are there narrative elements that a work must contain to be considered hopepunk? Are there elements that a story must not contain if it aspires to be hopepunk?

I think hopepunk is the opposite of apathy. In so many stories these days, characters are (literally or metaphorically) lighting cigarettes and enjoying the end of the world. They may look cool doing it, but it’s profoundly anti-social and toxic. As soon as your characters don’t give a shit about anything, you’re leaving hopepunk behind.

Do you think of hopepunk as a reactive idea? Does it have to be in relation to grimdark/noblebright or is it something bigger than that?

I think it’s a reaction against the overwhelmingly nihilistic, dystopian slant to a lot of stories in the world right now. And it’s not just in fiction. I’ve been disgusted with the new hot takes we’re seeing about how climate change is inevitable and so therefore we should just go watch Netflix and move away from the coasts. There are two pathways out of huge problems like climate change or political instability. We can retreat into paralysis, and pretend that’s somehow pragmatic or realistic. Or we can say, fine, this is a horrible problem, let’s get together with other people and try to solve any small part of it that we can. Those are the two pathways we can take through a narrative, too. We can tell stories about people who try to fix things, rather than rejoicing in their splendid destruction. It’s a way of showing other people that just because things aren’t perfect, doesn’t mean they can’t be better.

Are there genres or parts of the entertainment industry where hopepunk is more likely to show up?