When many writers sit to put their thoughts on paper, they write whatever story comes to mind. Young writers, especially, don’t often think about the type of story they’re writing. But not all stories are the same, and understanding the different types, genre, and types of conflict will help young writers focus, generate ideas and plan better. Over the next few posts, we will be defining and discussing selected types of stories, genre, and conflict. Then we will discuss how knowing these will help young writers improve their writing.
Today, we are starting with definitions. It’s always a good place to start.
What are the types of stories?
When we say “types” of stories, we’re referring to the variety of plots that stories can have. This is different from genre and conflict as it relates to what the action of the story is about and not style or obstacle characters face. There are several types of stories, but the ones young writers should be familiar with are: Overcoming the Monster, Rags to Riches, The Quest, Voyage and Return, and Rebirth.
What is genre?
It’s easy to get technical with descriptions and definitions of genre, but we’ll keep it simple. Genre in literature refers to the category or style of writing. There are four basic genres, each with its own subcategory. The four genres are: drama, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Genre is complex and young writers don’t need to know a whole lot about it, but basic information will help them organize their thoughts.
What are the types of conflict?
Conflict refers specifically to whatever is blocking the main character from achieving his or her goal. Regardless of the type of story or the subgenre (fantasy, science fiction, etc.), characters must have challenges and obstacles to overcome in the pursuit of their desires. That’s what makes stories exciting. There are a few different types of conflict, but these six are the ones young writers should be familiar with: character vs self, character vs character, character vs society, character vs nature, character vs supernatural, and character vs technology.
