fiction
any narrative, whether written in verse or in prose, about invented characters and events, as opposed to an account of actual happenings
nonfiction
a category of writing that includes includes subheadings such as history and biography
novel
an extended narrative of varying lengths but usually long enough to warrant separate publication
novel of incident
novel in which the main focus is on the course and outcome of events in the PLOT
novel of character
novel in which the primary interest is in the PROTAGONIST'S thoughts, feelings, and motives and in the ways that the characters develop
realistic novel
novel that depicts a fictional world that closely resembles the events, social interactions, settings, motivations, and feelings encountered in everyday life; the focus is on the development of complex characters as they encounter various relationships an
romance
novel that focuses on characters that are less three-dimensional and more likely to be depicted as either heroic or villainous
Bildungsroman
novel that depicts the intellectual and emotional development of the PROTAGONIST from childhood into adulthood
historical novel
novel that is set in a time and, often, a place removed from the period and location in which it is written; it describes the atmosphere and mores of the past setting in vivid detail and depicts the influence of those historical factors on the characters
epistolary novel
novel that is comprised of a series of letters between characters
antinovel
a work that derives its effects from eschewing such standard features of the genre as coherent plot, established setting, and sustained character development
metafiction
incorporates into the narrative the process by which the author creates the work and the ways that the reader responds to it
short story
genre of fiction that nearly always published in a collection of such pieces or in a magazine or journal; it has a smaller cast of characters, a simpler plot usually centered on a major conflict, a limited depiction of setting, and a more concentrated for
novella
a narrative whose length falls between those of the other two genres (novel and short story) and which may or may not be published in an individual volume
quixotic
exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical; from Don Quixote