Identifying Forms of Literature

What is Genre? Genre is a French word that means “kind” or “type.” When we talk about genres of writing, we are talking about different types of writing. In this lesson, you will learn about different types of writing.

What is Fiction? Fiction is any story that is imaginary or made-up. The events in fictional stories never happened in real life.

Example: Fiction Life on Mars “Perry, wait!” I turned around to see my mom running after me with a silver bag. “You almost forgot your lunch!” she said. “Thanks, Mom,” I grumbled and hurried away to the school’s ship. What she didn’t know was that I had forgotten it on purpose. It was probably a peanut butter sandwich—Earth food. Why couldn’t she give me Mars food like a normal mom? Green goo was my favorite food.

Novel vs. Short Story A novel is a type of fiction. It is a long story written in sentences and paragraphs. Its great length allows it to have many characters and many story lines. A novel is often broken up by chapters. It usually has over 40,000 words. A short story is another type of fiction. It is a short fiction story written in sentences and paragraphs. It usually has fewer than 10,000 words. Its short length allows it to be read in one sitting.

What is Non-Fiction? Nonfiction, or informational text, has facts and true information. It is NOT made-up. If it is a nonfiction story, then it is a true story that really happened. However, some nonfiction texts are not stories. These texts just give facts and information.

Example: Non-Fiction The Tallest Animal The giraffe is the tallest animal in the world. The tallest giraffe was found in Kenya, Africa. It was a 19.2 feet tall male. Males are taller than females. They usually grow to be between 16 to 18 feet tall.

Autobiography vs. Biography An autobiography is a type of nonfiction. It is a piece of writing about the writer's own life. It is a history of a person's life written or told by that person. Therefore, autobiographies are normally written in first-person point of view. This means that the author uses words like "I," "my," and "me" to describe the story. A biography is another type of nonfiction. It is an account of a person's life written by another person. Therefore, biographies are written in third-person point of view. This means that the author uses words like "he," "they," and "she" to describe the story.

What is Poetry? Poetry has lines and stanzas instead of sentences and paragraphs. Sometimes, poems are a story. Other times, they describe ideas or feelings. Poems are compact and imaginative. Many poems have rhyme and rhythm. This gives them a musical sound.

Example: Poetry The Dreamer A dreamer went to our wonderful school, She was always thoughtful and never cruel. Her friends made fun of her forgetfulness, An agenda for her was meaningless. She dressed in white with flowers in her hair, If she had a choice, her feet would be bare. Always fantasizing about her life, This girl never created any strife.

What is Drama? Dramas, or plays, are meant to be performed in front of an audience. They use dialogue (what characters say) to tell a story. Plays are easy to recognize because they are not written in paragraph form. Instead, the words that a character says are written beside the character’s name. There are also stage directions. These special instructions describe how the stage should look. They also describe how the characters should look, speak, or act.

Example: Drama Invited By Accident (Lights come up on a birthday party taking place in a family's living room. There are streamers and balloons all around the room. The kids all have party hats on, and there is a huge birthday cake in the middle of the table. Two girls, JUANITA and MARCELLA, are sitting off to the side and watching the party.) JUANITA: (whispers) Can you believe that Chen invited us to her birthday party? I thought she had forgotten all about us when she became one of the popular kids. MARCELLA: I know what you mean. I couldn't believe it when I got the invitation in the mail. (They watch as CHEN blows out the candles on the cake. CHEN'S mom, MRS. LANE, approaches the girls.) MRS. LANE: Well, hello girls! I am so glad you two were able to come to the party. When I saw that Chen had forgotten to add you to the guest list, I couldn't believe it! Sometimes she is so forgetful. But I made sure to send you each an invitation. Oops, I had better go and get some napkins from the kitchen. Bye! (exits) (The girls exchange worried looks as CHEN comes over to talk to them.)