Weekly Blog Battle Genres will be chosen randomly using random.org

The following list of genres and descriptions is a slightly truncated list from Wikipedia:

“Subsets of genres, known as common genres, have developed from the archetypes of genres in written expression.”

1. Crime/detective – fiction about a crime, how the criminal gets caught, and the repercussions of the crime
   1. Mystery – this is fiction dealing with the solution of a crime or the unraveling of secrets
2. Fan fiction – fiction written by a fan of, and featuring characters from, a particular TV series, movie, or book
3. Fantasy – fiction with strange or otherworldly settings or characters; fiction which invites suspension of reality
   1. Fable – narration demonstrating a useful truth, especially in which animals speak as humans; legendary, supernatural tale
   2. Fairy tale – story about fairies or other magical creatures
   3. Folklore – the songs, stories, myths, and proverbs of a people or “folk” as handed down by word of mouth
   4. Legend – story, sometimes of a national or folk hero, that has a basis in fact but also includes imaginative material
   5. Magical realism  – story where magical or unreal elements play a natural part in an otherwise realistic environment
   6. Mythology – legend or traditional narrative, often based in part on historical events, that reveals human behavior and natural phenomena by its symbolism; often pertaining to the actions of the gods
   7. Mythopoeia – fiction in which characters from religious mythology, traditional myths, folklore and history are recast into a re-imagined realm created by the author
   8. Tall tale – humorous story with blatant exaggerations, swaggering heroes who do the impossible with nonchalance
4. Historical fiction – story with fictional characters and events in a historical setting
   1. Western  – set in the American Old West frontier and typically set in the late eighteenth to late nineteenth century
   2. More ideas:
      1. Regency
      2. Medieval
      3. Greco-Roman
      4. Incan/Aztec
      5. War (e.g. WWI, Cold War, 100 Years War, etc)
      6. You-pick Century (B.C. (B.C.E.) or A.D. (C.E.))
      7. You-pick Geographical (continent/country)
      8. Influential people in history
      9. One of your own ancestors
5. Humor – Usually a fiction full of fun, fancy, and excitement, meant to entertain and sometimes cause intended laughter; but can be contained in all genres
6. Realistic fiction – story that is true to life
7. Science fiction – story based on impact of actual, imagined, or potential science, usually set in the future or on other planets
8. Suspense/thriller – fiction about harm about to befall a person or group and the attempts made to evade the harm
   1. Horror – fiction in which events evoke a feeling of dread and sometimes fear in both the characters and the reader (no graphic content, please)

If you are disappointed Romance is not its own category here, I recommend that you infuse romance into the week’s genre, combining it with these other elements. While I’m all about a little romance, that category is too broad on it’s own, and many other genres often include an element of romance anyway.

As with all these categories, I encourage you to challenge yourself by stepping out of your comfort zone! 🙂