Literary Genres Definition: categories in which a work of literature is classified. The major genres in literature are fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama.

Our Genre List We will be learning about several different types of literary genres. It is important to remember that this list does not include all types of genres found in literary works.

Nonfiction Nonfiction: Nonfiction is writing that tells about real people, places, and events. Nonfiction is mainly written to convey factual information, It includes a wide range of writing; newspaper articles, letters, essays, biographies, movie reviews, speeches, true-life adventure stories, advertising, and more.

Biography : Biographies are a true account of a person’s life, written by another person. The writer of a biography usually researches his or her subject in order to present accurate information. Autobiographies: An autobiography is a writer’s account of his or her own life. An autobiography focuses on the most important events and people in the writer’s life over a period of time. Nonfiction

Speech: An oral presentation of a speaker’s ideas or beliefs. News Article: Factual writing that reports on recent events Reference Article: Informative writing that provides facts and background on a specific subject Consumer Document: Printed material that usually comes with a product or a service Nonfiction

Poetry: Poetry is a type of literature in which words are carefully chosen and arranged to create certain effects. Poets use a variety of sound devices, imagery, and figurative language to express emotions and ideas. Poetry

Drama: A drama, or play, is a form of literature meant to be preformed by actors in front of an audience. In a drama, the characters’ dialogue and actions tell the story. The written form of a drama is called a script. A script usually includes dialogue, a cast of characters, and stage directions that give instructions about performing the drama. The person who writes the drama is known as the playwright. Drama

Fiction Fiction: Fiction is prose writing that tells an imaginary story. The writer of a short story or novel might invent all the events and characters or might base parts of the story on real people and events. The basic elements of fiction are plot, character, setting, and theme. Different types of fiction include realistic fiction, historical fiction, science fiction, mystery, and fantasy.

Fiction Realistic Fiction: Realistic fiction is fiction that is set in the real, modern world. The characters behave like real people and use human abilities to cope with modern life’s problems and conflicts.

Fiction Historical Fiction: A short story or a novel can be called historical fiction when it is set in the past and includes real places and real events of historical importance.

Science Fiction: Science fiction is fiction in which a writer explores unexpected possibilities of the past or future, combining scientific information with his or her creative imagination. Fiction

Mystery: There are different types of mystery stories, but usually a crime has been committed and the reader wants to try to figure out “whodunit”. There is usually a great deal of suspense and intrigue abounds. Fiction

Adventure: An adventure story is a literary work in which action is the main element. An adventure novel usually focuses on a main character who is on a mission and faces many challenges and choices. Fiction

Fantasy: Fantasy is a type of fiction that is highly imaginative and portrays events, settings, or characters that are unrealistic. The setting might be a nonexistent world, the plot might involve magic or the supernatural, and the characters might have superhuman powers. Fiction

Traditional Fantasy: When we think of this type of fantasy story, we often consider stories such as Cinderella. This genre includes folk tales, tall tales, fables, and myths. These are stories that have been told over and over, sometimes for hundreds or even thousands of years! Fairy Tales: We often know we are reading or hearing a fairy tale with the words, “once upon a time...” Fairy tales often feature a fight between good and evil. Evil always loses to a triumphant hero or heroine. We also know it’s a fairy tale because most end with “and they lived happily ever after.”

Fables: These stories usually have a moral that is being taught. It often uses animals that speak and act like humans. Myths: a story or group of stories that form part of the traditional knowledge of a society. Myths often use imaginative plots and characters to explain how the world began and why nature and people behave the way they do.

Modern Fantasy: The events in modern fantasy are outside the realm of possibility. These stories cannot happen in real life, but even though we know the events can’t happen, they are very believable. These stories allow us to live in an imaginary world where anything is possible.