Comedy
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Fiction full of fun, fancy, and humor, meant to entertain. |
Drama
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Stories composed in verse or prose, usually for theatrical performance, where conflicts and emotion are expressed through dialogue and action. |
Fable
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Narration demonstrating a useful truth, especially in which animals speak as humans; legendary, supernatural tale. |
Fairytale
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Story about fairies or other magical creatures, usually for children. |
Fantasy
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Fiction with strange or other worldly settings or characters; fiction which invites suspension of reality. |
Folklore
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The songs, stories, myths, and proverbs of a people or "folk" as handed down by word of mouth. |
Historical fiction
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Story with fictional characters and events in a historical setting. |
Horror
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Fiction in which events evoke a feeling of dread in both the characters and the reader.
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Legend
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Story, sometimes of a national or folk hero, which has a basis in fact but also includes imaginative material. |
Mystery
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Fiction dealing with the solution of a crime or the unraveling of secrets. |
Myth
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Legend or traditional narrative, often based in part on historical events, that reveals human behavior and natural phenomena by its symbolism; often pertaining to the actions of the gods. |
Poetry
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Verse and rhythmic writing with imagery that creates emotional responses. |
Sci-fi
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Story based on impact of actual, imagined, or potential science, usually set in the future or on other planets.
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Tall tale
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Humorous story with blatant exaggerations, swaggering heroes who do the impossible with nonchalance.
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Biography
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Narrative of a person's life, a true story about a real person.
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Auto-biography
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Narrative of a person's life, a true story told by the person who experienced it.
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Essay
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A short literary composition that reflects the author's outlook or point.
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Action/
Adventure
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Fiction full of adrenaline and excitement, meant to entertain. |
Suspense/
Thriller
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Fiction full of uncertainty and curiosity about what will happen next. |
Romance
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A story in which an idealized hero or heroine undertakes a quest and is successful. |
Journalism
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Reporting of facts and opinions regarding events and people. |
Allegory
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A story or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities. |
Satire
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A type of writing that ridicules the shortcomings of people or institutions in an attempt to bring about a change. |
Children’s
Literature
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Stories designed to appeal to a younger audience with limited scope. |
