Forms of Literature Standard 3A

Form of Text When you are reading, it is important to understand the form of the text you are reading. There are many different forms of writing that authors can choose based on their purpose, audience, and content.

Fiction A type of writing that does not have to be true. The plot, setting, and characters are created by the author's imagination. Examples of fictional works are mystery novels and fairy tales.

Nonfiction A type of writing that is based on fact. Nonfiction writing is not made up or imaginary. Examples of nonfiction are text books, biographies, and factual books on history.

Novel A fictional piece of writing that is usually long and has several chapters. It will typically have a plot that is unfolded by the actions, speech, and thoughts of the characters.

Mystery Novel A novel that creates suspense while the characters try to solve a mystery. Strange, unexplained events, vague threats or terrors, unknown forces, or villians all may appear in a mystery novel.

Poem A type of writing used to express experiences, ideas, or emotions in a vivid and imaginative way. They are usually short, and words are chosen for their sound and suggestive power and by the use of literary techniques such as meter, metaphor, and rhyme.

Biography An account of a person's life written, composed, or produced by another person. Many famous people have biographies written about them that tell their life story.

Autobiography The biography of a person written by that person. It uses the words "I," "me," and "my."

Epic A long poem that tells a story about a legendary hero that is often passed down through generations.

Fable A short story that teaches a lesson, or moral. It often has animals as its characters.

Drama A script for a play that shows the dialogue for different characters. It also usually gives stage directions for a director to use when developing a play.

Archetype Archetype is another way of saying model or pattern. Archetypes show common traits and traditions shared by most cultures. These are some common archetypal patterns; they tend to show up over and over again in most literature: Death / Rebirth Journey Search for the father Paradise

Character Archetypes Archetypes can also be applied to characters. If you pay close attention, you'll see that there are some characters that repeatedly show up in most stories. They come up so often in fact that you can label them.