GENRES

WHAT IS A GENRE? A literary genre is a category of literary composition. Genres may be determined by literary technique, tone, content, or even (as in the case of fiction) length.

NOVEL The defining characteristics of the novel genre include a long, fictional story comprised of characters, events and actions that have a definite beginning and an eventual end. The novel genre has several sub-categories that include historical novels, mystery novels and romance novels. Novels are stand-alone books or books that are part of a series of novels. War and Peace

SHORT STORY Short stories tend to be less complex than novels. Usually a short story focuses on one incident; has a single plot, a single setting, and a small number of characters; and covers a short period of time. The Landlady

BIOGRAPHY Describe and discuss the life of a real person Information is based on fact Incidents, dialogue, and people are accurate and from a reliable source using first person accounts when available The person's life story is told with respect to other people and events of the time in which they lived Develops an understanding of the places, times, events, and other people when the person lived Tells the story in a style and tone that the reader/listener can relate to the person and believe in their humanness

AUTOBIOGRAPHY the story of one's life, written by that person. Mostly, autobiographies are written in first-person point of view. This means that the narrator, or person telling the story, is also in the story. You can tell if a story is written in first- person if the narrator uses the personal pronouns I, me, and my.

ESSAY An essay is a composition that defends a position or opinion, also called a thesis, that has been put forth by the author.

SPEECH A speech is a highly structured form of address in which a speaker addresses an audience gathered to hear a message.

POETRY There are few, if any, hard and fast rules for writing poetry. It is a subjective art form that affords its authors freedom to express themselves in ways both traditional and innovative. Poems do not have to rhyme, nor do they have to follow any particular structure or include any particular style. Still, most poems do feature a few key characteristics. These are stylistic choices that can vary from piece to piece, but must nonetheless be made by every poet. Figurative Language Descriptive Imagery Punctuation and format Sound and tone Choice of Meter

MEMOIR memoirs : a written account in which someone (such as a famous performer or politician) describes past experiences a written account of someone or something that is usually based on personal knowledge of the subject

AUTOBIOGRAPHY VS MEMOIR. But there's a key difference that publishers use to define each—the timeline covered in the writing. An autobiography focuses on the chronology of the writer's entire life while a memoir covers one specific aspect of the writer's life.

NON-FICTION TEXTS The people, events, places, and ideas presented in nonfiction are real, not invented. Nonfiction is narrated by an author who is a real person. It presents facts, describes true-life experiences, or discusses ideas. Nonfiction is written for a specific audience, or group of readers. In addition, it addresses a clear purpose, or reason for writing. The audience and purpose influence the type of information a writer includes. Tone, the author’s attitude toward the subject or reader, is displayed through the writer’s word choice and style.

FICTION TEXTS Fiction is a story that is created from your imagination Little Miss Muffett. This is an example of a story created by an author's imagination so it is fiction.

FICTION VS NON-FICTION