What is Genre; What is Form

In the world of literature one of the most confusing concepts is genre. What is genre? The word genre is
often applied to such literary concepts as fiction, fantasy, poetry, horror, short story, science fiction,
flash fiction and romance. But this list is actually made up of two literary concepts or tools. One is genre,
the other is form.

Genre and form are separate, but related tools which are utilized by writers. A firm understanding of
each will give the writer and the reader a better understanding of the writing process and of the end
product of writing.

An Analogy to Explain Genre and Form

Consider the construction of a building. There is equipment which aids in putting up the structure, but
never becomes part of the structure. These include such things as scaffolding, cement mixers, forklifts,
cranes and concrete forms. When a structure is completed, all of this equipment is taken away. Only the
finished structure remains.

There are things that become part of the building itself such as wood, steel concrete, roofing materials,
nails and glass. These make up the enduring structure, but the equipment that was used to build the
structure is taken away.

Literary Form

Let’s use two items from the descriptions mentioned above; the concrete form and the concrete. These
will represent two concepts in the field of literature. The first is form and the second is genre. The
distinction between these concepts has been, and probably always will be fuzzy at some points.

A concrete form holds the concrete in place until it can stand on its own. In literature, forms give a
particular, identifiable shape to a piece of writing. The following is a list of tools commonly considered to
be literary forms.

Essay. Novel Novella Poem Prose Short story Flash Fiction Myth Graphic Novel

There are more literary forms than those in the list, but they are examples of common forms. These
tools give shape to what is being written. When we see the word novel on the cover of a book, we have
a vague idea of what to expect. If it says essay, again, we know a little about what is coming.

If we observe a concrete form without the concrete in it, we can still know something about the wall
that will eventually stand in its place. We can see how tall the wall will be as well as how thick. Openings
in the form reveal where windows and doorways will be in the wall. The concrete form is a tool that will
make the construction of the wall possible, but it is not the wall itself.

The forms in the list above should be seen as tools which give general shape to writing, but are not the
writing itself. They are like the blank form or format of a contract without the content and details of the
contract.

What is Genre in Literature?

What is genre? Genre is a concept that says something about the actual piece of writing. As cement is
poured into a concrete form and allowed to harden and dry, so too are various kinds of writing poured
into the forms of novel, poetry, flash fiction and essay. The following is a list of common, literary genres
for the general forms of fiction and non-fiction.

Fiction Mystery Historical Fiction Realistic Fiction Science Fiction Drama Comedy

Romance Romantic Comedy Tragedy Satire Non-fiction Fairy Tales Fantasy Tall Tales Folk Tales

Fable Adventure Informational Biography Autobiography

Form tells us about the shape of the writing. Genre tells us much more about the content of the writing.
As a concrete wall is being poured, we can see that reinforcement bars have been placed within the
form so that the wall will have greater strength. We see water being added so that the concrete settles
properly. In the same way, the genre of a piece of writing is part of its substance. If a particular book is
said to be a novella, we only know something about its length. But if we know that the book is science
fiction, we know much more about the actual content.

Novel as an Example of a Literary Form

Is the term novel, for example, genre or form? We must simply ask ourselves what the term tells us
about the writing. The term novel tells us about the general length of the story and that it is fictitious.
Therefore, novel is a literary form and not a particular genre. In fact it is easy to see how various genres
can be written in the form of a novel. One could write a science fiction, romance or fantasy novel. If it is
fantasy novel, we know something about both the length of the story and about its content.

Form, Genre, and Meaning

First, let's define some terms. The form of a piece of writing is simply its structure, how it is
constructed and organized. Literary forms are like the roots of the literary family tree. Genres, in turn,
are like the branches of the family tree. A genre is a specific style or category of writing. Genres
make use of the various literary forms as foundations from which to stretch out in many directions of
expression. Forms and genres join with content to create the meaning of a piece of
writing. Meaning is basically the writer's message to the reader. Writers choose various forms and
genres to help them express their meaning. For instance, a poem about the tragedy of the Civil War
would send a very different message than a nonfiction history book.

1 ELEMENTS OF FICTION AND NONFICTION

2 TYPES OF READING/WRITING ✕ Poetry ✕ Drama ✕ Prose Fiction Nonfiction

3 FICTION GENRES ✕ Science fictionFolk tales ✕ SatireFairytales ✕ FantasyFables ✕

MysteryTall Tales ✕ Horror ✕ Legend ✕ Suspense Thriller

4 FICTION ELEMENTS ✕ Author’s purpose – to narrate or entertain (to tell a story) ✕ Character
– who the story is about; Flat, round, static, dynamic, antagonist, protagonist ✕ Setting - time,
place, mood ✕ Plot – the sequence of events in a story; rising action, climax, falling action ✕
Theme – what the story is about; the message from the author ✕ Point of View – 1 st person, 3
rd person limited, 3 rd person omniscient
5 CHARACTER ✕ Flat – a character that we know nothing about ✕ Round – a character that we
know about ✕ Static – a character that never changes ✕ Dynamic – a character that changes ✕
Antagonist – a character that opposes the protagonist ✕ Protagonist – a character that faces
conflict

6 SETTING ✕ Time – when ✕ Place – where ✕ Mood – how the story makes you feel; this is
created by the tone that the author uses; Tone is created by diction (choice of words)

7 PLOT ✕ Rising action – the conflicts that occur ✕ Internal conflicts – issues within yourself ✕
External conflicts – issues caused by external forces such as nature or other people ✕ Climax –
the high point of the story ✕ Falling action – how the conflicts are resolved

8 THEME ✕ This is the message that the author wants you to know; it is usually summarized in
one or two words Friendship Love Revenge Survival

9 POINT OF VIEW ✕ First person pov – the narrator is one of the characters telling the story
from his/her point of view; Uses “I” ✕ Third person limited pov – the unknown narrator tells a
story about the main character; the reader knows about the main character only; Uses “he, she,
it” ✕ Third person omniscient pov – the unknown narrator tells a story and gives detailed
information about several characters; Uses “he, she, it”

10 NONFICTION GENRES ✕ Autobiography ✕ Biography ✕ Speeches ✕ Essays ✕ Letters ✕

Newspaper articles ✕ Instructions ✕ Reference books

11 ELEMENTS OF NONFICTION ✕ Author’s purpose – to persuade or inform ✕ Author’s

perspective – is author biased? ✕ Main idea – what the text is about (like a thesis statement) ✕
Supporting details – ideas that support the main idea

12 Author’s PURPOSE ✕ To Entertain (fiction) – to tell a story +Structure – Chronological

Order/Sequence ✕ To Inform - teach, educate, give information, explain Structure - Logical
Order ✕ To Persuade – convince, argue +Structure – Logical, Spatial, etc…

13 Author’s PERSPECTIVE ✕ Tone - the attitude of the writer ✕ Fact – a true statement; can be
proved ✕ Opinion – point of view of an author ✕ Generalization - stereotyping ✕ Bias – being
opinionated ✕ Pathos - emotional proof ✕ Logos - logical proof (facts) ✕ Ethos - ethical proof
(testimony, quote) ✕ Fallacies - false truths

What is the Difference Between Fiction and Nonfiction?

In this post, I will compare fiction vs. nonfiction. I will use each of these words in at least one
example sentence, so you can see them in context.
I will also show you a unique memory tool that will help you decide whether a piece of
literature is fiction or nonfiction.
When to Use Fiction
Definition of nonfiction definition and definition of fiction definition What does fiction mean?
Fiction refers to made-up stories. These stories are not based on real-life events or characters.
Fictional stories can be mysteries, fantasy tales, historical dramas, romances, etc.
In popular language, fiction is also used to describe anything that is not true.
Here are a few examples of the word fiction in a sentence,
“I am penning a new work of fiction!” said the old-timey writer from a coffee shop in Paris.
“The President’s allegations are pure fiction!” screamed the reporters.
Many people did not know that The War of the Worlds was a work of fiction the first time they
heard it.
Some of the new technologies seem straight out of science fiction. –The Wall Street Journal
Novels are a classic example of fictional prose. If you enjoy reading novels, you are a fan of
reading fiction.
When to Use Nonfiction
Define nonfiction and define fiction What does nonfiction mean? Nonfiction works are based
on real people or events. Memoirs, biographies, documentaries, and works of history are all
examples of nonfiction.
Here are a few more examples,
“You will find the biography of Rutherford B. Hayes in the nonfiction section,” said the librarian.
I would write a memoir, but the details of my life are so fantastical that people would not
believe it is a work of nonfiction.
The new self-help book climbed its way to the top of the nonfiction best sellers list.
A biography of a book, rather than a person, is a relatively new wrinkle in nonfiction. –The
Washington Post
If you enjoy reading biographies, memoirs, historical works, or books on current events, you are
a fan of nonfiction works.
Nonfiction sometimes appears as a hyphenated word: non-fiction. Either spelling is accepted,
but, as you can see from the below graph, you can see that nonfiction is much more common.
fiction versus nonfiction
Trick to Remember the Difference
nonfiction or non fictionNow, let’s go over a trick to remember nonfiction vs. fiction.
A work that is nonfiction is a recounting of real events. A work of fiction is based on made-up people or
events.

Since fiction and false begin with the same letter, we can easily remember that fiction is false, even if it
is an excellent and well-crafted story.

You can extend this mnemonic to nonfiction as well. A nonfiction story is not fake.

Summary

Is it fiction or nonfiction? Fiction and nonfiction are two categories of writing.

Fiction deals with made-up people or events.

Nonfiction deals with real life.

Fiction is also a word that is commonly used to describe anything that is not true, like wild accusations
or patently false testimony. This article, though, is a work of nonfiction.

Since fiction and false each begin with the letter F, remembering that a work of fiction is not a true story
should not be difficult to remember.

It might be difficult to remember the difference between these words, but remember, you can always
reread this article for a quick refresher.

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