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Watch: Different genres in fiction

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There are lots of different types (or 鈥榞enres鈥) of fiction writing, such as science fiction, fairy stories, scary stories (often called horror stories) and mysteries.

Each has a different style and set of rules but all the stories are made up by the author.

Watch this short clip to learn about different genres in fiction writing.

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Learn about different types of fiction genres.

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Watch: What is a setting?

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A setting is where and when a story is set. When writing a story, the setting is really important. Thinking about these things will help your writing.

  • Think about what the setting is like, is it day-time or night-time?
  • How does the setting impact the characters?
  • Can you picture the setting clearly? This will help you describe it to the reader.
An illustration of a young boy thinking.

Get creative with your settings!

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Watch: Story settings

The setting of a story is where and when it takes place and usually tells the reader how it looks and feels, so they can imagine it in their minds

How the setting is described will depend on the genre of the story.

Trees in a wood.

For example: The setting is a forest.

In a fairy tale this might be an enchanted forest, with fairies flying around, unicorns galloping through the trees and large colourful flowers blooming.

However, if the setting were in a scary story, the forest might be dark and eerie, with no leaves on the trees and monsters hiding behind them!

Watch this video now to learn more about the different techniques writers use in order to choose and describe a setting for their story.

Trees in a wood.

Learn how to create a story setting.

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Techniques to use in writing

You can make your writing more descriptive by using the following techniques:

TechniqueExample
Adverbs (words that describe a verb)The wind blew fiercely.
Adjectives (words that describe a noun)The magnificent trees loomed overhead.
Metaphors (comparing one thing with another using 鈥榳as鈥 or 鈥榠s鈥)The sea was a boiling cauldron.
Similes (comparing one thing with another using the word 'like' or 鈥榓s鈥)Seagulls, like grey ghosts, drifted across the sky.
Sensory details (what you can see, hear, taste, feel or smell)Jo heard the fog-horn blast and tasted the salt on her tongue. She stumbled over the hard, pointy pebbles.
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Activity 1

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Activity 2

Read the following setting description.

Abandoned House on Dark Drive

There has been an abandoned house at the bottom of Dark Drive for as long as anyone could remember.Tall, twisted trees surrounded the building keeping it in a cloak of darkness, even on the brightest of days. The gnarled, long branches looked like witches fingers ready to grab any intruder who entered. The overgrown garden was littered with brambles and thorn bushes. The house itself was not in any better shape. Dark green ivy twisted up the house covering the bricks. The windows were filthy and cracked. It was lifeless. Silent. No one dared even go near it, so what lay inside was a mystery.

  1. What type of story do you think this is from?

  2. On a piece of paper write down a list of eight different words or phrases from the text that help to describe the setting. For example: gloomy, threatening angles.

  3. Now choose two sentences from the passage and rewrite them using new adjectives (describing words). Make sure the new words you add fit with the genre of the story.

For example:

Before: Tall, twisted trees surrounded the building keeping it in a cloak of darkness, even on the brightest of days.

After: Towering, gnarled trees surrounded the building keeping it in complete blackness, even on the sunniest of days.

You can check your answers with this

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Play our fun English game Crystal Explorers. game

Use grammar, punctuation and spelling skills to explore jungles, caves and tombs on your mission!

Play our fun English game Crystal Explorers
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