Genres and SubgenresA lesson in classifying stories!

GenreThe word GENRE refers to a particular type or kind of literature. GENRE = CategoryAll writing falls into a category or genre

5 Types of GenresFiction: Creative or imaginative writingNonfiction: writing that is true or factualFolklore: stories once pass down orallyPoetry: writing concerned with the beauty of languageDrama: plays or scripts

Fiction Subgenres

Fiction LengthNovel:

Usually 100 pages +Multiple characters, themes, conflicts and plots

Novella:Shorter than a novel, longer than a short story21-99 (roughly)

Short Story:Few Characters, one theme and plot line

Realistic FictionForm of fictionReflects life as it could be lived todayEverything could happen to people living in our natural physical worldCharacters have normal powersStory may be set in real places, but NOT based on history nor does it have elements of science fiction

Twenty Boy Summer(Realistic Fiction)

For 16 year olds Anna Reiley and Frankie Perino, their 20 day-long, minimally supervised California vacation will be the “Absolute Best Summer Ever.” And according to Frankie, if they meet one boy every day, there’s a pretty good chance that Anna will get her first real boyfriend.Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there’s something she hasn’t told Frankie—she’s already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie’s older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

Historical FictionBased on historical events and/or real settingsCharacters are portrayed in a real mannerSome characters may be actual people from history but the plot line is fictionalArtistic mix of fact and fiction

The Only Outcast(Historical Fiction)

In the summer of 1904, Fred Dickinson, a 16-year-old Canadian, sets out with his two younger brothers and sister for their annual vacation at their grandparents’ lakeside cottage. Still missing his mother, who died three years ago, Fred is relieved to escape his overbearing and critical father, who, Fred declares, “finds it too nerve-wracking to have me stumbling around all day.” Through carefully mapped scenes, Johnston traces Fred’s maturation as he rescues various siblings from danger, receives a first, painful lesson in love and discovers the truth behind the local legend involving a murderous ferryman.

Science FictionContains some sort of scientific element such as outer space, medicine or technologyEvents are within the realm of possibility but takes place in the futureBlends fact and fiction with futuristic technology

The Host(Science Fiction)

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed. Wanderer, the invading “soul” who has been given Melanie’s body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn’t expect; the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

FantasyContains one or more of the following:

Supernatural occurrencesCharacters and things with magical powersAnimals and things with human characteristicsReal people in fantastical placesFantastic creatures or characters in real situations

A Wrinkle In TimeFantasy

Everyone in town thinks Meg is volatile and dull-witted and that her younger brother Charles Wallace is dumb. People are also saying that their father has run off and left their brilliant scientist mother. Spurred on by these rumors, Meg and Charles Wallace, along with their new friend Calvin, embark on a perilous quest through space to find their father. In doing so they must travel behind the shadow of an evil power that is darkening the cosmos, one planet at a time.

Mystery/CrimeStories that have a real settingInclude a problem to be solved with clues & distractionsIncludes an answer to the problem

The Other Side of Dark(Mystery)

She wakes up in a room that’s not hers, in a body she doesn’t recognize, to discover she’s been in a coma for four years. Her mother is dead—murdered—and Stacy, recovering from a gunshot wound, is the only eyewitness to her mother’s murder. She can recall only a shadowy face, so far. But the killer is not about to let her reveal his identity…

AdventureFocuses on action, danger and excitement

True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

The story that takes place during an 1802 transatlantic journey that turns mutinous and even more dangerous than expected. Thirteen-year-old Charlotte must decide whom to side with and find her courage in order to survive.

Other SubgenresWestern NovelsRomanceHorror Thriller/Suspense

Nonfiction Subgenres

Informational WritingProvides facts or information

NewspapersTextbooksReference Material

Persuasive WritingWriting used to influence the reader

Opinion PiecesSpeechesLetters

BiographyStory of a real person’s lifeWritten by someone elseAuthor must research by interviewing subject or those who knew subject

AutobiographyStory of a real person’s lifeWritten by that personAuthor shares how he/she feels and what he/she thinks

Folklore Subgenres

FableShort story with talking animals and a moral (lesson of the story and it is clearly stated)

MythHas gods and goddessesMay account for the creation of something

Tall TaleFunny story set in the Wild WestMain character’s size or skill is exaggerated

Fairy TalesHas magic and talking animals

What is the difference between a fairy tale and a fantasy?

Fairy tales are part of the oral traditionFairy tales often start with “Once Upon a Time”

Genre Videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNjeFJzrkcs