Understanding Realistic Fiction and Memoir: Genres Explained with Examples, Study notes of Fiction Writing

Download Understanding Realistic Fiction and Memoir: Genres Explained with Examples and more Study notes Fiction Writing in PDF only on Docsity!

Realistic Fiction &!

Non-Fiction

Genre explanation for Book Club

Realis'c fic'on is a genre consis'ng of stories that :

• Depict our world and modern society and tend to take

place in the present or recent past ;

• Contain events that could have actually occurred in

believable or familiar se6ngs ;

• Resemble real life with fic=onal characters who seem

like real people with real issues solved in a realis=c way

(say goodbye to stories containing vampires, werewolves,

sorcerers, dragons, zombies, etc.).

• Have plots that highlight social or personal events or

issues from life , such as falling in love, school, family,

friends, etc. The events portrayed in realis=c fic=on raise

ques=ons that a reader could face in everyday life.

Realistic Fiction Examples Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor : A person's whole life, she's lucky to have one or two real friends. Friends who are like family… For Zoe, that someone is Olivia. So when Olivia is diagnosed with leukemia, Zoe is determined to put on a brave face and be posi=ve for her best friend. Even when she isn't sure what to say. Even when Olivia misses months of school. Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia's crush. Road Rash by Mark Parsons : ASer being dropped from one band, sixteen-­‐year-­‐old drummer Zach gets a chance to go on tour with a much be@er band. It feels like sweet redemp=on, but this is one rocky road trip—filled with jealousy, rivalries, and on-­‐stage meltdowns.

Realistic Fiction Examples Foul Trouble by John Feinstein : Terrell Jamerson is the #1 high school basketball player in the country. His team is poised to win State, top colleges are lining up to give him scholarships, and everyone says he could play in the NBA tomorrow. But it only takes one false step to lose everything. Somebody Please Tell Me Who I Am by Harry Mazer : Ben lives a charmed life—effortlessly landing the lead in the high school musical and da=ng the precest girl in school. When he decides to enlist in the army aSer 9/11, no one thinks he’ll be in real danger. But his decision has devasta=ng consequences: His convoy gets caught in an explosion, and Ben ends up in a coma for two months. When he wakes up, he doesn’t know where he is—or remember anything about his old life.

Memoir is a genre that contains stories that :

• Are wriIen about the author by the author ;
• Cover a specific period of 'me or experience within a person’s life, usually focusing on events that represent overcoming challenges;
• Are not autobiographies which usually cover an en=re lifespan.

Memoir Examples Smile for the Camera by Kelle James : The author relates her experiences aSer she leS an abusive home at sixteen and traveled to New York City to pursue a career as a model. Rock ‘N Roll Soldier by Dean Ellis Kohler : The author, an aspiring rock star, is draSed and sent to Vietnam where he forms a rock ‘n’ roll band at the request of his Captain.

Memoir Examples Laughing at My Nightmare by Shane Burcaw : The author describes the challenges he faces as a twenty-­‐one-­‐year-­‐old with spinal muscular atrophy. From awkward handshakes to having a girlfriend and everything in between, Shane handles his situa=on with humor and a ‘you-­‐only-­‐live-­‐once’ perspec=ve on life. While he does talk about everyday issues that are relatable to teens, he also offers an eye-­‐opening perspec=ve on what it is like to have a life-­‐threatening disease. Hidden Girl by Shyima Hall. The author was eight when her parents sold her into slavery. In Egypt’s capitol city of Cairo, she lived with a wealthy family and served them eighteen hours a day, seven days a week. When she was ten, her captors moved to Orange County, California, and smuggled Shyima with them. Two years later, an anonymous call from a neighbor brought about the end of Shyima’s servitude– but her journey to true freedom was far from over. Now a US ci=zen, she regularly speaks out about human trafficking and candidly reveals how she overcame her harrowing circumstances.

Memoir Examples No Summit Out of Sight by Jordan Romero : The story of Jordan Romero, who at the age of 13 became the youngest person ever to reach the summit of Mount Everest. At age 15, he reached the summits of the world’s 7 highest mountains. Ghosts of War by Ryan Smithson: Smithson joined the Army Reserve when he was seventeen. Two years later, he was deployed to Iraq as an Army engineer. In this extraordinary and harrowing memoir, readers march along one GI’s tour of duty. Smithson provides a fascina=ng, oSen humorous-­‐and occasionally devasta=ng-­‐account of the mo=va=ons and life of a contemporary soldier.

Narrative Non-Fiction Examples

Outcasts United by Warren St. John : This is the story of a

female soccer coach who worked with refugees, who reseIled

in her small Georgia town from war-­‐torn countries around the

globe, to create a winning soccer team. It’s a story about the

challenges posed by our quickly changing world and one that

reminds us of what is possible in our country when we put our

values in ac=on.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand: As a boy, Louis "Louie"

Zamperini is always in trouble, but with the help of his older

brother, he turns his life around and channels his energy into

running, later qualifying for the 1936 Olympics. When World

War II breaks out, Louie enlists in the military. ASer his plane

crashes in the Pacific, he survives an incredible 47 days adriS

in a raS, un=l his capture by the Japanese navy. Sent to a POW

camp, Louie becomes the favorite target of a par=cularly cruel

prison commander.