Understanding Different Genres in Creative Writing

Are you a creative writer? If yes, you might be seeking the secret to creative writing that transports your readers to a world of dreams and imagination. The secret lies in understanding the magical realm of diverse types of creative writing or genres in creative writing.  

Creative writing is a vast field of stories that deal with various genres. Understanding different genres not only helps you find your niche but also provides clarity about what kind of subject you want to write on. In this article, we will explore different genres of creative writing. So, let us dive into the diverse genres of creative writing and elevate your writing into a piece of art.  

What Is a Genre in creative writing? 

A genre in creative writing is a category, classification, or a writing style characterized by the theme or subject of the writing. Each genre has its specific area to deal with, based on which the whole story or writing revolves around. Examples of genres could be fiction and non-fiction.  

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What Are the Different Genres in creative writing? 

Genres are mainly classified into fiction and non-fiction, which are further classified into various sub-genres. Here is a list of distinct genres to help you understand.  

Fiction 

A story or a depiction created from the author’s imagination and is not proven as a fact is called fiction. Sometimes fiction can be inspired from real-life stories with the addition of imagination out of creative freedom.  

Categories under fiction are: 

• Action: This genre is something that consists of adventurous sequences like protagonists fighting with mighty enemies, chases, and explosions. It is fast paced and high in energy.  

• Fantasy: It is a genre that is all about imaginary universes and magical experiences. Harry Potter is the best example for this genre.  

• Science-fiction: Also called sci-fi, it deals with futuristic concepts with advanced science and technology.  

• Mystery/Thriller: This genre is all about mysterious series events related to crime and anticipation.  

• Horror: Horror genre uses fear of ghosts and monsters to keep the audience hooked to the plot. It explores dark subjects like spirits and apocalyptic events. 

• Romance: Stories that are about love, romance, and emotions.  

• Comedy: Stories of this genre consist of laughter, humor, and sarcasm. Comedy genre is for the audience who love to read something that makes them laugh aloud. 

• Historical: This genre is about imaginary stories that take place in a historical setting based on real events that happened back in time.  

Non-fiction 

Writings that provide information or speak about real life themes, situations, and topics instead of imaginary are categorized as Non-fiction.  

Categories in non-fiction are:  

• Memoir/Autobiography: When an author shares experiences, memories, and lessons from their own life, it is called a memoir while autobiographies are simply the biographies written by the person themselves.  

• Biography: Biography is a story of a person’s life. Usually, biographies are written about famous and inspiring personalities. 

• Self-help: This genre is to write something that gives the readers guidance or instruction on a particular topic or problem.   

Understanding various genres in creative writing will help you decide what topic and context to write about. As a creative writer, it is significant and fundamental to stick to a genre. Explore the 98thPercentile website to learn more about such insights.  

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q1: What is a genre? 

Ans: Genre is a classification or category in writing to differentiate themes or topics of the subject. 

Q2: Why is writing in different genres important? 

Ans: Writing in different genres is important because it allows authors to touch various aspects of storytelling and gives clarity to readers to what to expect from a book or writing.  

Q3: Why is it important to know the difference between genres? 

Ans: It is important to know the difference between different genres, it helps the writers to stick to relevant theme or subject to narrate a story.  

Q4: How to select a genre to write? 

Ans: You can select your genre based on your preferences of selecting movies or books. Also, make sure you are confident about writing in the genre that you select.  

Q5: What are the examples of the fiction genre? 

Ans: Fiction is further classified into many sub-genres, but includes comedy, thriller, fantasy, romance, and action. 

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