The Difference Between Genre and Form in Literature

by Chris Mills
In the world of literature one of the most confusing concepts 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.
Consider the construction of a building. There is equipment which aids in
putting up the structure, but never becomes part of the structure. This
includes such things as scaffolding, cement mixers, forklifts, cranes and
concrete forms. Then there are things that become part of the building
itself such as wood, steel, concrete, roofing materials, nails and glass.
Form and Genre
Lets use one item from each list; the concrete form and the concrete.
These will represent form and genre in the field of literature. The
distinction between these concepts has been, and probably always will be
fuzzy at some points.
Form
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 which are commonly considered to
be literary forms.

Essay.

Novel.

Novella.

Poetry.

Prose.

Short story.

There are more literary forms than the ones in the list, but they are the
most common. 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 to expect.
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 concepts in the list above should be seen as tools
which give general shape to writing, but are not the writing itself.
Genre
Genre on the other hand is a concept that says something about
the actual piece of writing.1 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 are lists of common, literary genres for the
general forms of fiction and non-fiction.
Fiction

Fairy Tales.

Fantasy.

Comedy.

Suspense.

Fable.

Adventure.

Mystery.

Historical.

Crime.

Science Fiction.

Non-fiction

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.
Is the term flash fiction genre or form? We must simply ask ourselves what
the term tells us about the writing. The term flash fiction tells us only
about the general length of the story and nothing else. Therefore, flash
fiction 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 flash fiction. One could
write a science fiction, romance or fantasy flash fiction story. If it is fantasy
flash fiction, we know something about both the length of the story and
about its content.
On a construction site, after a concrete wall is poured, the form is taken
away so that the wall stands on its own to fulfill its purpose. In literature,
after the piece is written, the form is also taken away so that the writing of
whatever genre can stand on its own to inform, entertain and enrich the
reader. It no longer matters at this point what the form is because we
have the real thing in front of us.
The Short Story / Genre conventions: - The short story is a type of fiction which
above all is characterised by its limited length (surprise!) This means that in the
short story every detail is designed to carry the utmost significance F in short,
every detail is important. The most typical genre conventions of the short story
are consequences of its limited length: !In medias res, beginning: The term Iin
medias resJ is latin and means: Iin the middle of thingsJ. Because of the brevity
of the short story, the author usually eliminates as much detailed background
information on time, place characters etc. as possible, and we, the readers, are
thrown right into a situation without any ideas of what has happened before. A
limited number of characters. Limited character description: Normally, the author
leaves it up to the reader to form his or her impression of the characters in a
short story. In opposition to the lengthier novel, for example, we seldom find
detailed character sketches in the short story. Likewise, the author assigns low
priority to the characterJs social background, for example. Limited description of
the setting: Although the setting ALWAYS is important in prose fiction, we should
not expect lengthy and detailed descriptions in the short story. Often only one

plot = and often a simple one: Very simply put, the term IplotJ refers to the
structure and development of a story through various stages towards the end.
The simple plot of the short story could, for example, look like this: English: The
Short story. 1.x/ fall 2002/lm 3/5 !in medias res+ - quickly rising action 6 climax falling action - end situation A guide to step-by-step analysis and interpretation
Rule of thumb:: Ask the usual =wh?-questions: Who says what to whom when ,
how and why? F Asking such questions involves asking: x What is the story
about? x Which point of view is the story told from? x Who are the characters? x
When does the story take place? x Where does the story take place? x How?
(involves analysis, see below) x Why? (involves interpretation F authorJs attitude,
see below) Analysis: Composition and development of the plot: x How is the text
organised and the action arranged? (remember this is the authorJs deliberate
choice). x Divide the story into sections and give each section a headline. This
will help you to see the development of the story more clearly. x Is there a
climax? x If so, how does the author build up to it x And where is it? x If not, is
there an anti-climax? (a build-up to a climax which is never realised) x Which
EFFECT does the presence or absence of the climax have? The setting: x Where
does the story take place? x How is the setting described F which words are used
and in how much detail? x Are there changes of place during the story? x
EFFECT? The time: x When does the story take place? English: The Short story.
1.x/ fall 2002/lm 4/5 x What is the time span of the story? (how long a period of
time does it cover) x What is the time sequence (chronological or with IjumpsJ in
time) x EFFECT? The characters: x Which characters are introduced? x How are
they described (e.g. age, gender, occupation, social background etc.) x Which
characters are main characters? x Which are side characters? x How are they
created: -How much are we actually told by the narrator? -How much do we learn
from what the character says and does? -How much do we learn from what the
character thinks ? -How much do we learn from what other characters say? -Are
there any other hints in the text? Point of View: (P.O.V) The way a story is told is
always affected by the temper of the person through whose eyes it is seen, i.e.
through its point of view: x Through whose eyes do we see what is going on in
the text? a. Through the narratorJs eyes? b. Through one or more charactersJ
eyes? c. Through many different points of view? EFFECT? NB: it is VERY
IMPORTANT that you try to spot every change in P.O.V when reading a story,
since it is crucial to the interpretation of a text. Interpretation: To interpret is to
use the results from the analysis in order to decide x The theme(s) of the story x
the authorJs attitude x the authorJs aim with the text: Does he have a certain
message? Is his aim to criticise? Or is he mainly creating an effect? If so, which?
Rule of thumb: Always remember that the author has written the text , making
some choices in order to : a. \achieve a certain effect, b. \and perhaps even get a
certain message through English: The Short story. 1.x/ fall 2002/lm 5/5 c. \and
thus affect the reader to make him or her wonder, discuss or learn.

Form and Genre

Every story has a natural shape based on its length and genre.
Some stories require a thousand pages, while others require only a one

page poem. Knowing your genre and carefully selecting a proper form
help your storys appeal.

Form-Fitting
A form describes the published format of a story. There are many
forms, but one is usually best for a given story.
Format

Strengths

Weaknesses

Poem

Emotions, language, and loved by children.

Epics are out of style. Poetry has

limited appeal.

Short
Story

Action-driven. Great for beginning and experienced writers.

Teaches word conservation. Varied markets.

Limited space for emotional

exploration.

Novel

Space for character development and action. Great for internal

conflicts and exposing thoughts.

Tough first-market. Trendy to

Play

Dialogue-driven. Good practice with dialogue and writing

emotional conflicts.

Actions and events are often uns

Feature
Film

Visuals and action. Good for concise dialogue.

Film is cooperative, with the wri

less important than others.

Most forms can be used for a story, but an epic science-fiction poem
might not be appropriate for todays market. A writer must consider
market trends, as well as his or her preference for a form. Childrens
books are often written in verse, so if you want to write for children,
practice your poetic skills.

What is my broad genre?

o
o
o

Prose
Poetry
Drama

What is my form?
o
o
o
o
o
o

Novel
Short Story
Rhyming Verse
Play
Screenplay
Et Cetera

Selecting a Genre

Once you have recongized the broad genre and form, the subgenre or categoryis the next choice. Most people use the
term genre to describe the category of a work. From this point on,
think of a genre as a section within the local bookstore, with our
apologies to purists.
Technically genre describes one of the three major forms: poetry, prose, or drama. However, writers,
editors, the book industry, and the film industry now use genre to refer to categories within the major
genres. We are misusing terms but using them as the industries use them.

Every genre can and does include elements of other genres. A

romance might be set in the West, but is it a Western or a Romance
story? We categorize stories by their major elements. If the plot is
Two aging gunslingers meet one last time the story is likely a
Western with a romantic sub-plot. Write as a movie with comic
elements, and it might be a comedy with a Western setting and
romantic sub-plot. You can see how categories mix and overlap.
The following represent popular genres; it is not an exhaustive list.
In terms of current popularity, romance and fantasy constitute the
greatest number of titles sold.

Romance
The easy way to define a romance is two people falling in love. In
some stories, the love conquers all, while in others the love results in a
sacrifice. Romance novels and short stories remain the most popular
forms of published fiction. You might wonder where the romance
books are sold. Grocery stores, drug stores, Wal-Mart, and other nontraditional outlets sell more books than dedicated bookstores. A
romance writers dream should be to have a book at the checkout
stand.
While series romances remain popular, larger novels by big name
writers have eclipsed the standard 128-page format.

Contemporary: Set in the current time, dealing with modern issues.

Fantasy: Who doesnt like knights in shining armor?
Historical: Nothing like a revolution or sinking ship for romance.

Regency: A specific form of historical romance. Set 18111820, George

III King of England and his son, George IV, ruled as Regent, hence the
term Regency.
Romantic Suspense: Is the man of her dreams a killer? Whats his
dark secret?
Time Travel: Men from the past knew how to court properly. (Its
fiction.)
Supernatural: Vampires, ghosts, and other strange phenomena mixed
with love.
Religious: Romance with morals.
Multicultural: Either people from different cultures or a romance
within a minority culture.

Mystery
Everyone loves a mystery, the saying claims. Since the appearance of
Edgar Allan Poes short story The Murders in the Rue Morgue in
1841, readers have tried to solve mysteries before police or kindly old
women do. Poe set the basic structure with his slueth C. Auguste
Dupin, a gifted amateur who used logic to solve mysteries. Poes
detective was quickly overshadowed by Sherlock Holmes, who
appeared in a short story during 1887.
During the Jazz Age, or Roaring 20s, an American style of mystery
appeared. In these stories, the detective was tough, if not the smartest
of men. (Nero Wolfe being an exception he was a genuis while his
sidekick Archie Goodwin who assumed the streetwise role.) Dashiell
Hammett and Raymond Chandler are among the best known authors
of American Noir, or hard-boiled mysteries. (Noir refers to a style
of movie in which the action was usually filmed in black and wihite,
with lots of shadows.)

Police Procedural: The work of the police, in their language.

Crime Lab / M.E.: Think Quincy or CSI.
American Noir: Mike Hammer stories fit this genre, in which the
private eye is offending cops and melting hearts. The style is first person,
with plenty of action.

Cozy: A simple setting, often a quiet English village, where crime is

rare. Agatha Christie was the queen of this form.

True Crime

For those wanting more realism in mysteries, true

crime novelizations are as real as it gets. Written in novel form, these
are true stories. Truman Capotes In Cold Blood introduced the
genre and it has been popular ever since. Unlike the objective style of
nonfiction history, the true crime novel exposes thoughts of characters
and makes use of literary devices. Some critics contend that such
recreations play with historical facts.
Mystery novels generally follow the exploits of an investigator, often
through the eyes of a third person. True crime has to follow the
experiences of real people you cannot invent a Dr. Watson or Archie
Goodwin to tell the tale.

Criminals Persective: Tells the story of the crime, from planning

through punishment, from the perspective of the perpetrator.

Detectives Perspective: Starts after the crime, working towards a

solution from the perspective of an actual investigator.

Media Accounts: Uses actual media sources to advance the plot.

Traditional Omniscient: Standard narrative conveys the story.

Fantasy
Fantasy stories are associated with the elements of medieval myths
and legends. There are dragons, knights, wizards, and usually a prince
or princess along the way. Good kingdoms are threatened by absolute
evil, with few shades of gray. From Lord of the
Rings through Harry Potter, fantasy stories are known for both the
magic within and their enormous page counts.

Classical: No, not old, but in a pure medieval setting.

Contemporary: A modern setting, but with magic and mythical
creatures.

Science Fiction
Combine some scientific realism with what if and you
have science fiction. Science fictions draw is that it ranges from
the almost believable to the wildly fantastic. Unfortunately, that can
also leave science fiction dated after several years. The risk is higher in
screenwriting, since a films visual style and interpretations of
technology are based on the present.

Sometimes science fiction is influenced by fantasy, while often it

seems to border on horror. Frankenstein is science fiction, written
at a time when people were first questioning the dangers of science
without ethics. The doctor was hoping for a good but created a
monster during his tests of reanimation. Science fiction often deals
with the consequences of inventions and technology.

Other Worlds: Science fiction based on the notion of life on other

planets. A great place for fantasy to enter the genre.

Mad Scientists: A well-meaning science experiment goes bad. Very

bad.

Morality Plays: The Twilight Zone often used science fiction to ask
moral questions.

Contemporary
A contemporary story is set roughly in the present, with an
emphasis on current issues in society. A lot of contemporary stories
deal with the evolution of families and the roles of women and
minorities in culture. There are sub-categories, but they change as
events and trends merit.

Comic
While associated with stage and screen, comic stories were once a
dominant genre. Comedy was seldom just for fun before film.
Instead, comedy in its various forms was used to critique social
establishments without angering authorities. (Then again, parody or
satire could result in arrest if you werent careful.)
Comedy is a great weapon, and normally thats its purpose.
However, there are times when the humor is simply meant to
entertain. Many screenplays fall into this category simple fun.
Unfortunately, a lot of film doesnt rise to the level of comedy.
(Sophomoric humor is still humor, but at some point things are
merely disgusting or shocking.)

Comedy of Manners: Pokes fun at the upper-class way of life, without

being ill-willed.

Comedy of Character: The characters are the stars. Known for catch
phrases and running gags.

Satire: Uses irony and sarcasm to critique human nature. Often a

critique of a particular group.

Parody: Mocking an existing work, historical event, or popular culture.

Farce: So ridiculous, its funny.

Dark Comedy: Laughing at pain and misery. Less hopeful than

satire.

Western
Its been said that Westerns are American and Australian. These
stories are about conquering a frontier, something the two nations
have in common. The setting of a rugged West or Outback takes on the
role of a character, contributing to the plot. The stories depict strong,
isolated individuals and communities as they face desolate wild land,
violent weather, and native Americans. Westerns include the novels of
Zane Grey, Louis L'Amour, and Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove,
1985).
Films often deal with the conflict between outlaws and the need for
law and order in the frontier. The first important motion picture, The
Great Train Robbery(1903), was a Western. Its hard to think of a
genre that had a greater influence on early screenwriting.

Stories of Honor: A hero is a hero; he always was and always will be a

man of honor. Think High Noon.

Redemption: The gunslinger decides to help someone else, or the

robber is more Robin Hood than hood.

The Elements: The heat, the isolation, the Desert Southwest versus
the people.

Bildungsroman: The main character leaves the big city for selfdiscovery.

Historical
Historical fiction ranges from the what if to detailed stories set
against famous events. James Michener was the master of massive
regional histories and historical collections. His works are enormous
volumes, featuring detailed research mixed loosely with the stories of
individuals.

Histories: Huge books about specific nations or regions.

Alternate History: What if Hitler had defeated the Allies?

Historical Thrillers: Espionage against the background of various

wars and revolutions.

Horror / Thriller
If you want to sleep with the lights on, horror stories
and thrillers are for you. Horror is based on violence or the threat of
violence, while thrillers tend to be beat the clock stories in which
failure means death for someone and seldom the main character.

Medical Thriller: Mad scientists meet the modern age. These stories
are plausible, making them truly scary.

Gothic Horror: Set 17001845, these stories feature death, the

supernatural, and creepy settings.

Techno-Thriller: The world as we know it is threatend by evil

governments or terrorists. Realism leaves you wondering

Bildungsroman
A Bildungsroman is a story about personal growth and selfdiscovery. The term is German, where the form was quite popular
during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Novels of selfdiscovery affirm the human spirit for many readers.

Picaresque
The picaresque novel originated in sixteenth century Spain. This
story is a social criticism, using a picaro (rogue) as the main
character satire or moral commentary. The earliest picaresque novel is
thought to have been Lazarillo de Tormes, published in 1554. An
American example is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,
which uses a troublesome young narrator to reveal complex social
issues.

Transgressive
Transgressive stories follow a handful of characters through the
worst of humanity. The characters seem to be hopeless, immoral, and
lost within society. Short novels in this genre were popular during the
late 1980s and early 1990s. Drug culture, pornography, sociopaths,
and random violence permeate these works.

Specialized Techniques
A story can make use of special techniques to complement form and
genre.

Epistolary
An epistolary technique uses letters (or email in todays world) to
tell the story. Some books include sections of letters in every chapter,
while other stories are nothing but letters sent among characters.

Roman Clef
A fictional work based loosely on real people, the roman
clef leaves clues to the identities of the characters.