Short Story Terms Continued

The term genre (pronounced jahn – ruh) refers to a category in which a work of literature is classified. The major genres in literature are fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama.

Prose writing that consists of imaginary elements. The basic elements of fiction are plot, character, setting and theme. The novel and short story are forms of fiction.

Writing that tells about real people, places, and events. Nonfiction includes a diverse range of writing – newspaper articles, letters, essays, biographies, advertising and more.

Fiction can be broken up into different categories based on the nature of the writing. The following slides will give you a background on the various types of fiction.

A type of fiction that is highly imaginative and portrays events, settings, or characters that are unrealistic. The setting might involve magic or supernatural characters.

Fiction in which a writer explores unexpected possibilities of the past or the future, using known scientific data and theories as well as his or her creative imagination.

Fiction where the settings and details of the plot include real places and events of historical importance.

Fiction that contains strange, mysterious, violent and often supernatural events that create suspense and terror in the reader.

Fiction that is a truthful imitation of ordinary life.

 The particular way in which a work of literature is written – not what is said but how it is said.

A major writer in the genres of science fiction and fantasy

The butterfly effect - The scientific theory that a single occurrence, no matter how small, can change the course of the universe forever The characters in the story realize how they impact nature by going back in time.

“A Sound of Thunder” describes a safari back to the time of dinosaurs. Eckels, a hunter intent upon shooting a Tyrannosaurus Rex, is warned not to disturb the jungle, because doing so could change the future.