Fictional literary genres refer to different categories of stories that have specific characteristics that set them apart from other types of stories. Stories in the same genre may have similar styles of writing, themes, settings, character types, and an overall predictable plot pattern. Being able to recognize and understand the characteristics of different literary genres can help readers comprehend a variety of stories more easily.
Two major forms of fictional stories are novels and short stories. |
Novels are longer works that are typically published as books. They usually feature complex plots and characters.
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Short stories are works that can usually be read in one sitting. They typically focus on one or a small cast of characters and one incident or a short series of related incidents.
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Novels and short stories can fall into many different literary genres. A few of them are described below.