Genre Notes
Genre Terms
Fiction: prose writing that tells about imaginary people, places, and events; author’s purpose---to entertain
Novel: longer work of prose writing usually divided into chapters; has a plot, characters, setting, theme, etc.
Short Story: brief work of prose writing meant to be read in one sitting; has a plot, characters, setting, theme, etc.
Science Fiction (Sci-Fi): often tells about science and technology of the future; involves partially true/partially fiction laws or theories of science; settings often include---the future, outer space, a different world, a different universe or dimension
ex. The Martian Chronicles and “All Summer in a Day”
Historical Fiction: a made-up story that takes place during an actual time period in history; set in a historical period ex. The Dear America series
Realistic Fiction: a fiction story in which the story elements (characters, setting, and plot) are very realistic and it could happen in real life; shows life as it really is and the characters deal with everyday situations ex. “The Sound of Summer Running” and The Clique series
Fantasy: contains elements that are not realistic; contains fantastic and realistic details; often includes---talking animals, magical powers, mythical beings ex. The Harry Potter series
Mystery: based on a puzzling crime; often involves an object’s disappearance or a person’s untimely death; the main character is usually a “detective” who searches for clues and evidence that will answer the question “Whodunit?” ex. The Nancy Drew series and the Hardy Boys series
Adventure: often includes a “hero” who is on a quest to find something or someone; story elements include---fast-moving action and elements of danger ex. Hatchet
Horror: stories place an emphasis on pure fright, fear, and a sense of dark forces; may overlap with fantasy and science fiction ex. The Goosebumps series and Stephen King novels (many have been made into movies---The Mist, Misery, Maximum Overdrive, Pet Cemetery)
Folk Literature: literature that is culturally based and passed down by “word of mouth” (oral tradition)
Folk Tale: a story passed on by word of mouth for the purpose of teaching the ideas and values of a culture ex. “Brer Rabbit” stories
Tall Tale: a humorous story that recounts exaggerated events in a matter-of-fact way, using the everyday speech of the common people
Legend: a story passed down and may be based on fact Ex. The legend of Pocahontas
Myth: tales of gods, heroes, and animals that explain natural occurrences or customs and beliefs; a creation myth explains how something came to be Ex. The myths of Ancient Greece and Rome
Fable: elements of a fable---short, contains a moral (life lesson) usually stated at the end, and uses animals as characters (usually personified); Aesop is the most well known author of fables ex. “The Tortoise and the Hare”
Urban Legend: a modern day tale with a twist; has been told over and over and people swear it is true (but it’s not); many urban legends are spread by the Internet ex. “High Beams”
Fairy Tale: story involving unbelievable characters and events; usually written for children; told so often that many people know them by heart; different versions of fairy tales exist in different cultures; famous authors---the Grimm Brothers and Hans Christian Anderson ex. “Cinderella”
Poetry: writing in which the sound of the words adds to the meaning of the work; literature written in verse Ex. “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe
Prose: writing involving everyday language in sentence/paragraph form
Drama: a story designed to be performed for an audience literature written in script
Ex. Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare
Nonfiction: prose writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real people, places and events; author’s purpose---to inform, to explain, or to persuade
Biography: an account of someone’s life written by someone else
Autobiography: an account of someone’s life written by that person Ex. Knots in My Yo-Yo String by Jerry Spinelli
Memoir: a partial account of someone’s life written by that person Ex. Night by Elie Wiesel (he writes only about his experience during the Holocaust)
Diary: a day to day account of one’s own life; personal writing that is not intended to be read by anyone else ex. The Diary of Anne Frank (a young girl’s diary of her day to day life in hiding during WWII---was published by her family after her death)
Journal: a written record of a person’s experiences and thoughts
Letter: written communication from one person to another, sharing information, thoughts, and feelings; may be formal (business) or informal (friendly)---each type has a different format
Essay: a piece of prose writing that expresses an author’s ideas or opinions about a topic
ex. persuasive, informational, and narrative essays
Informational Texts: written documents that help you manage your life in today’s world