Genre: a distinctive category of literary composition

1. Genre: a distinctive category of literary composition Literature Genre: marked by distinctive style, form and content. One is just right for YOU!

2. Are You for Real? • NON-FICTION: real, factual, deals with actual people, places, and events • FICTION: unreal, not true, not factual, a made up story

3. Biography • Story of a real person’s life • Form of nonfiction (true) • Bios means life • Graphe means to write • Author must do research by interviewing the subject or those who knew the subject

4. Realistic Fiction • Form of fiction (not true) • Accurately reflects life as it could be lived today • Everything in the story could happen to real people living in our natural physical world • The characters have normal human characteristics • Story may be set in real places, but the story is NOT based on history

5. Autobiography • Form of nonfiction (true) • Story of a real person’s life • Auto means self • Bios means life • Graphe means to write • Written by the person the story is about • Author does not need to do research • Author shares how he/she feels and what he/she thinks

6. Historical Fiction • Form of fiction (not true) • Based on historical events • Authentic settings • Characters portrayed in realistic manner • Some characters may be actual people from history, but the story is fictional • Artistic mix of fiction and historical fact

7. Science Fiction • Form of fiction (not true) • Contains some sort of scientific element, such as • Outer space • Medicine • Technology • Within the realm of possibility • Characters have some believable traits/qualities

8. Fantasy • Form of fiction (not true) • Contains one or more of the following: • supernatural occurrences • characters with magical powers • things with magical powers • animals with human characteristics • real people in fantastic places • fantastic creatures or characters in real situations

9. High Fantasy • Form of fiction (not real) • Good vs. evil (supernatural/evil forces) • Story written in a series of books/ volumes • Coming- of- age themes • Include fantastical elements, such as: • Elves and dwarves • Magic • Wizards • Invented languages • quests

10. Mystery • Form of fiction (not true) • Story revolves around a puzzle/problem • Characters deal with the solution to a puzzle/problem, such as • finding a missing item/person • unraveling a secret • rationalize an event that is not explained • Contains clues/hints that help the characters and readers solve the puzzle/problem

11. Folktales • Form of fiction (not true) • Story that teaches a lesson • Contain the beliefs and customs of a region or country • Original story is modified to make it more interesting or more humorous • Present larger-than-life characters and very unusual happenings

12. Fables • Form of fiction (not true) • Type of folktale • Ends in a moral or lesson • Characters are animals that talk and act like humans • A character usually represents a single human characteristic, such as a fox being symbolic of a trickster

13. Legend • Form of fiction (not true) • Stories written about a real life hero and his/her mighty deeds • Mix of fiction and historical facts that have been creatively altered to encourage moral conduct and right choices • Leaves questions/wonder in the reader’s minds (Did Mike Fink really wrestle a grizzly bear?)

14. Myths • Form of fiction (not true) • Pertains to the actions of the gods and/or goddesses • Characters are super-natural beings with human emotions and qualities • Plot may involve interplay between worlds (this world and previous/original world)

15. Classics • Form of fiction (not true) • Timelessness: enjoyed by readers from generation to generation • Deals with universal themes and experiences that relate to readers, such as: • love conquers all • good vs. evil • rags to riches • Communicates ideas across cultures • Unforgettable characters