Narrative forms have been subject to classification by literary theorists, in particular during the 1950s, a period which has been described metaphorically as the Linnaean period in the study of narrative.
Narrative forms include:
- Autobiography â a detailed description or account of the storyteller's own life.
- Biography â a detailed description or account of someone's life.
- Captivity narrative â a story in which the protagonist is captured and describes their experience with the culture of their captors.
- Epic â a very long narrative poem, often written about a hero or heroine and their exploits.
- Epic poem â a lengthy story of heroic exploits in the form of a poem.
- Epistolary - a story usually in a letter written form with a section of dialogue
- Essay - a short literary composition that reflects the author's outlook or point
- Fable â a didactic story, often using animal characters who behave like people.
- Fantasy â a story about characters that may not be realistic and about events that could not really happen.
- Flash fiction â a fictional work of extreme brevity that still offers character and plot development.
- Folk tale â an old story which has been passed down orally and which reveals the customs of a culture.
- Historical fiction â stories which take place in real historical settings and which often feature real historical figures and events, but which center on fictional characters or events.
- Legend â a story that is based on fact but often includes exaggerations about the hero.
- Memoir â similar to an autobiography, except that memoirs generally deal with specific events in the life of the author.
- Myth â an ancient story often meant to explain the mysteries of life or nature.
- News â information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.
- Nonlinear narrative â a story whose plot does not conform to conventional chronology, causality, and/or perspective.
- Novel â a long, written narrative, normally in prose, which describes fictional characters and events, usually in the form of a sequential story.
- Novella â a written, fictional, prose narrative normally longer than a short story but shorter than a novel.
- Parable â a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, which illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles.
- Play â a story that is told mostly through dialogue and is meant to be performed on stage.
- Poem - a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of languageâÂÂsuch as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metreâÂÂto evoke meaning
- Quest narrative â a story in which the characters must achieve a goal. This includes some illness narratives.
- Realistic fiction â stories which portray fictional characters, settings, and events that could exist in real life.
- Screenplay â a story that is told through dialogue and character action that is meant to be performed for a motion picture and exhibited on a screen.
- Short story â a brief story that usually focuses on one character and one event.
- Tall tale â a humorous story that tells about impossible happenings, exaggerating the hero's accomplishments.
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