Creative Writing | Lesson 5 | Genres of Fiction | Ma'am Nich | w/ Audio

Nichelle Hennessy

3 Nov 202014:30

Summary

TLDRThis educational video script explores various fiction genres, including fantasy, historical fiction, science fiction, mystery, realistic fiction, and horror. It explains the elements that define each genre and their significance to readers and writers. Examples of literary works in each genre are provided, highlighting how they fulfill readers' expectations and inspire writers.

Takeaways

📚 A genre in literature is determined by factors such as manuscript length, character types, settings, themes, viewpoint choices, plots, and the tone and mood created by the writer.
🎭 Knowing the genre of a literary piece is important as it fulfills readers' expectations, guides writers in their storytelling, and satisfies our human requirement for classic narrating.
🧙‍♂️ Fantasy is a genre of imaginative fiction involving magic and adventure, often set in other worlds with magical characters like talking animals, sorcerers, witches, and wizards.
🏰 Historical fiction is set in historically accurate times and places, with characters and some events being fictional, aiming to bring the past to life.
🚀 Science fiction is typically set in the future or on other planets, based on the impact of science, and provides a mental picture of what may happen on realistic scientific principles.
🔍 Mystery fiction focuses on puzzling crimes or situations that need to be solved, often featuring topics that are fascinating and troubling to the human mind.
🌐 Realistic fiction is set in the present day and includes modern problems and events, making it relatable as it deals with situations that could happen in real life.
👻 Horror literature explores themes related to death, demons, evil spirits, and the afterlife, with modern horror expanding to include serial killers and supernatural creatures.
🌟 The script mentions several literary works that fall under different genres, such as 'The Lord of the Rings' for fantasy, 'War and Peace' for historical fiction, and 'Frankenstein' for both science fiction and horror.
📈 The importance of genres is highlighted in how they cater to different reader preferences, provide models for writers, and serve as a form of escapism and reflection on real-life issues.

Q & A

What is a genre in literature?
-A genre in literature is determined based on various factors such as manuscript length, character types, settings, themes, viewpoint choices, plots, and the tone and mood created by the writer.
Why is it important to know the genre of a literary piece?
-Knowing the genre of a literary piece is important because it fulfills readers' expectations, helps readers determine what genre is best for them to read, serves as a model for writers to base their stories, and satisfies our human requirement for classic narrating.
What are the four elements of fantasy genre as described in the script?
-The four elements of the fantasy genre include magic, adventure, struggle for mystery, and setting.
How does historical fiction differ from fantasy?
-Historical fiction differs from fantasy in that it takes place in historically accurate time and setting, with characters and some events being fictional, whereas fantasy is set in imaginative, often magical, worlds that could never really happen.
What are the five elements of historical fiction mentioned in the script?
-The five elements of historical fiction include character, dialogue, setting, plot, and conflict.
What is the significance of science fiction as a genre?
-Science fiction is significant as it often suggests what could really happen in the future, explores the consequences of technological and scientific advancements, and innovation.
What are the characteristics of mystery fiction?
-Mystery fiction focuses on a puzzling crime, situation, or circumstance that needs to be solved. It often features topics that are fascinating and troubling to the human mind, such as unsolved crimes and supernatural curiosities.
How does realistic fiction differ from other genres like fantasy or science fiction?
-Realistic fiction differs from genres like fantasy or science fiction in that it seems real or could happen in real life, is set in present day, includes modern day problems and events, and characters face issues that are solved in a realistic way.
What are some common themes explored in the horror genre?
-Common themes explored in the horror genre include death, demons, evil spirits, the afterlife, serial killers, slasher stories, and interpretations of fantastical creatures like ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and witches.
What are the examples of fantasy literature mentioned in the script?
-Examples of fantasy literature mentioned in the script include J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings', Susan Collins' 'The Hunger Games', 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', 'Harry Potter', 'Alice in Wonderland', and 'The Maze Runner' by James Dashner.
What are the examples of historical fiction literature provided in the script?
-Examples of historical fiction literature provided in the script are 'War and Peace' by Leo Tolstoy, 'Memoirs of a Geisha' by Arthur Golden, and 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Fiction Genres

This paragraph introduces the concept of literary genres in fiction, explaining that genres are determined by various factors such as manuscript length, character types, settings, themes, and tone. It emphasizes the importance of genres in fulfilling reader expectations, guiding writers, and satisfying the human need for storytelling. The paragraph also lists common fictional genres, including fantasy, historical fiction, science fiction, mystery fiction, realistic fiction, and horror.

05:00

🧙‍♂️ Fantasy Genre Exploration

This paragraph delves into the fantasy genre, describing it as imaginative stories that could never really happen, often set in other worlds with magical characters. It outlines the key elements of fantasy, such as magic, adventure, struggle for mystery, and unique settings. The paragraph provides examples of fantasy literature, including 'Harry Potter', 'Alice in Wonderland', and 'The Lord of the Rings', highlighting the genre's focus on magic and adventure.

10:02

🏰 Historical Fiction and Its Elements

The paragraph discusses historical fiction, a genre set in accurate historical times and places with fictional characters and events. It details the elements of historical fiction, including character behavior consistent with the era, dialogue that reflects the time, detailed settings that transport readers to the past, plots shaped by historical events, and realistic conflicts. Examples of historical fiction are given, such as 'War and Peace' and 'Memoirs of a Geisha', showcasing the genre's ability to bring history to life.

🚀 Science Fiction: Envisioning the Future

This paragraph focuses on science fiction, a genre set in the future or on other planets, based on the impact of science. It explains the importance of science fiction in suggesting possible futures, exploring consequences of scientific advancements, and differentiating it from fantasy by relying on scientific facts and theories. Popular science fiction works like 'Frankenstein' and 'The Matrix' are mentioned, illustrating the genre's capacity to imagine potential scientific developments.

🔍 Mystery Fiction: Unraveling Crimes and Curiosities

The paragraph explores mystery fiction, a genre centered around solving puzzling crimes or circumstances. It traces the genre's origins to Victorian-era gothic literature and discusses its appeal to both male and female readers. Notable works in the mystery genre, such as 'Sherlock Holmes' and 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo', are highlighted, emphasizing the genre's focus on intriguing and troubling topics that captivate the human mind.

🌟 Realistic Fiction: Mirroring Real Life

This paragraph defines realistic fiction as stories that could occur in real life, set in the present day with modern problems and events. It outlines the characteristics of realistic fiction, including contemporary settings, believable characters facing realistic issues, and events that resonate with everyday life. Examples like 'The Fault in Our Stars' and 'A Walk to Remember' are provided, showing how this genre allows readers to relate to the stories and confront real-life questions.

👻 Horror Genre: Exploring Fear and the Supernatural

The paragraph discusses the horror genre, which dates back to ancient times and has evolved to include contemporary themes like serial killers and supernatural creatures. It describes the genre's focus on themes related to death, evil spirits, and the afterlife. Classic horror stories such as 'Frankenstein' and 'Dracula' are mentioned, along with modern horror like 'The Conjuring', demonstrating the genre's ability to evoke fear and explore the unknown.

🏞️ Other Fictional Genres: Adventures and Folk Tales

In the final paragraph, the lecture briefly touches on additional genres such as adventure and folk tales. Adventure stories involve protagonists in dangerous situations, requiring wit and skills to overcome challenges, while folk tales encompass a variety of traditional stories like fables and myths. The paragraph concludes by summarizing the discussed genres and thanking the viewers for their attention, inviting them to engage with the lecture's activities.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Genre

A genre is a category of literature or other forms of art and entertainment, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter. In the video, genre is central to understanding the different types of fiction, as it helps to classify stories based on various elements like length, character types, settings, themes, and tone. Examples from the script include fantasy, historical fiction, and science fiction, each with its own distinct characteristics and reader expectations.

💡Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre that involves imaginative and magical elements, often set in otherworldly settings. It is characterized by the presence of magic, adventure, struggle for mystery, and unique settings. The video explains that fantasy stories can feature magical creatures and involve adventures that are exciting and sometimes dangerous. Examples given in the script include 'Harry Potter' and 'Alice in Wonderland'.

💡Historical Fiction

Historical fiction is a genre that portrays fictional characters and events against a backdrop of real historical events or periods. The script highlights that this genre involves characters that behave according to the era they inhabit, dialogue that reflects the language of the time, setting that brings the past to life, plots that make sense for the time period, and conflicts that are realistic for the chosen time and place. 'War and Peace' by Leo Tolstoy is mentioned as an example in the script.

💡Science Fiction

Science fiction, often abbreviated as sci-fi, is a genre that explores imaginative concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universes, and extraterrestrial life. The video emphasizes that science fiction is grounded in scientific facts, theories, and principles, and it differs from fantasy by its focus on the potential future impacts of science and technology. 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley is given as a classic example in the script.

💡Mystery Fiction

Mystery fiction is a genre where the narrative revolves around a suspenseful investigation of a crime, situation, or circumstance that needs to be solved. The video mentions that mysteries became popular during the Victorian era and often involve topics that are both fascinating and troubling, such as unsolved crimes and supernatural phenomena. 'Sherlock Holmes' and 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' are cited as examples in the script.

💡Realistic Fiction

Realistic fiction is a genre that depicts believable characters in situations that could occur in real life. It is set in the present day or recent past and deals with modern problems and events. The video explains that the characters in realistic fiction are relatable, with real issues that are solved in a realistic manner. 'The Fault in Our Stars' by John Green is provided as an example in the script.

💡Horror

Horror is a genre that aims to elicit fear, dread, or terror in its audience. It often involves themes of death, evil spirits, and supernatural phenomena. The video notes that horror has expanded to include contemporary themes and elements like serial killers and modern interpretations of classic horror creatures. 'Dracula' and 'The Shining' are mentioned as classic examples in the script.

💡Adventure

Adventure is a genre where the protagonist embarks on a journey, often involving danger and requiring the use of their skills and wits to overcome challenges. The video mentions that adventure stories place characters in perilous situations, requiring them to confront and defeat antagonists. While not deeply explored in the script, 'The Maze Runner' by James Dashner is listed as an example.

💡Folk Tales

Folk tales are stories that have been passed down through generations, often including elements of fantasy, moral lessons, or cultural history. They can include fables, fairy tales, legends, tall tales, and myths. The video briefly mentions folk tales as another genre of fiction, but does not provide specific examples from the script.

💡Character Development

Character development refers to the process by which a character evolves over the course of a story, often in response to experiences and conflicts. The video mentions that in fantasy fiction, character development can involve a struggle for understanding and using one's own power effectively or wisely. This process is crucial for driving the narrative and engaging readers.

💡Setting

Setting is the time and place in which a story occurs. It plays a significant role in shaping the atmosphere and tone of the narrative. The video explains that in genres like fantasy and historical fiction, the setting is a key element, often being otherworldly or requiring meticulous historical accuracy. The script uses 'Harry Potter' and 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' to illustrate the importance of setting in creating immersive worlds.

Highlights

A genre in fiction can be determined by manuscript length, character types, settings, themes, viewpoint choices, plots, and tone and mood.

Genres fulfill readers' expectations and help them choose books based on their preferences.

Genres serve as models for writers to base their stories on, influencing their choice of themes and narrative techniques.

Genres satisfy our human requirement for classic narrating, providing stories that are dependable and comforting.

Fantasy is an imaginative genre with elements like magic, adventure, struggle for mystery, and unique settings.

Historical fiction is set in accurate historical times and settings, with characters and events that are often fictional.

Science fiction is set in the future or on other planets and is based on the impact of science, differentiated from fantasy by its reliance on scientific facts.

Mystery fiction focuses on puzzling crimes or situations that need to be solved, often featuring topics that are fascinating yet troubling.

Realistic fiction is set in the present day and includes modern problems and events, making it relatable to many readers.

Horror fiction dates back to ancient times and includes themes related to death, evil spirits, and the afterlife, with modern themes like serial killers.

Adventure genre stories place characters in dangerous situations where they must use their wits and skills.

Folk tales encompass a variety of stories such as fables, fairy tales, legends, tall tales, and myths.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien is mentioned as a notable work in the fantasy genre.

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy is highlighted as a significant historical fiction piece.

Sherlock Holmes is recognized as a classic within the mystery fiction genre.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is an example of a realistic fiction novel that resonates with readers.

Dracula is listed as a classic horror story that has influenced the genre.