Popular

Literature
Popular literature in English is writing
which has shown wide and continued
acceptance, measured by sales,
frequent imitation, adaptation to other
cultural forms and general commercial
success. The word "popular" is meant
as a synonym for "successful," not as
an antonym for "serious.
Popular literature includes those writings intended for the
masses and those that find favour with large audiences. It
can be distinguished from artistic literature in that it is
designed primarily to entertain. Popular literature, unlike
high literature, generally does not seek a high degree of
formal beauty or subtlety and is not intended to endure.
The growth of popular literature has paralleled the spread
of literacy through education and has been facilitated by 
technological developments in printing. With the
Industrial Revolution, works of literature, which were
previously produced for consumption by small, well-
educated elites, became accessible to large sections and
even majorities of the members of a population.
The boundary between artistic and popular
literature is murky, with much traffic between the
two categories according to current public
preference and later critical evaluation. While he
was alive William Shakespeare could be thought of
as a writer of popular literature, but he is now
regarded as a creator of artistic literature. Indeed,
the main, though not invariable, method of
defining a work as belonging to popular literature
is whether it is ephemeral, that is, losing its appeal
and significance with the passage of time.
The most important genre in popular literature is and
always has been the romance, extending as it does from
the Middle Ages to the present. The most common type
of romance describes the obstacles encountered by two
people (usually young) engaged in a forbidden love.
Another common genre is that of fantasy, or 
science fiction. Novels set in the western frontier of the
United States in the 19th century, and called westerns,
are also popular. Finally, the detective story or murder
mystery is a widely read form of popular literature.
Popular literature has also come to include such genres
 as comic books and cartoon strips.
Popular art, any dance, literature, music, theatre, or other
art form intended to be received and appreciated by ordinary
people in a literate, technologically advanced society
dominated by urban culture. Popular art in the 20th century
is usually dependent on such technologies of reproduction or
distribution as television, printing, photography, digital 
compact disc and tape recording, motion pictures, radio, and
videocassettes. By the late 20th century, television (q.v.) had
unquestionably become the dominant vehicle for popular art
and entertainment. Motion pictures are also an important
medium of popular art but, in contrast to television, can
more often attain the enduring significance and appeal of
works belonging to the fine or elite arts.
Popular Dance
Dancing performed in public or in private solely for
the enjoyment of the participants is known as popular
dance, or social dance. It was practiced as early as
3,000 years ago at both community and family levels.
Dancers arranged themselves in circles, or sometimes
lines, which gradually developed into chain dances.
From the Middle Ages in Europe there was a widening
gap between country dances, which subsequently
tended to survive in a folk tradition, and the genteel
court variety, which influenced social developments in
recreation from the Industrial Revolution onward.
Popular music, any commercially oriented
music principally intended to be received
and appreciated by a wide audience,
generally in literate, technologically
advanced societies dominated by 
urban culture. Unlike traditional 
folk music, popular music is written by
known individuals, usually professionals,
and does not evolve through the process of
oral transmission.
What Is Genre?
Genre is a style or category of art,
music, or literature. As an author,
genre controls what you write and
how you write it. It describes the 
style and focus of the novel you
write. Genres give you blueprints
for different types of stories.
There are general rules to follow, for example, 
manuscript length, character types, settings, 
themes, viewpoint choices, and plots. Certain
settings suit specific genres. These will vary in type,
details, intensity, and length of description. The 
tone employed by the author, and the mood created
for the reader, must also suit the genre.
There are often sub-genres within genres, for
example, a fantasy story with sinister, frightening
elements would belong to the dark fantasy sub-
genre.
Why Does Genre Matter?
Genres are great because they fulfil reader
expectations. We buy certain books because
we have enjoyed similar stories in the
past. Reading these novels gives us a sense
of belonging, of sitting down with an old
friend and knowing we’re on familiar
ground. There is also a camaraderie
between readers who follow the same
genres.
THE 17 MOST
POPULAR GENRES IN
FICTION
1. Romance. These stories are about a romantic
relationship between two people. They are
characterised by sensual tension, desire, and idealism.
The author keeps the two apart for most of the novel,
but they do eventually end up together.  There are
many sub-genres, including paranormal, historical,
contemporary, category, fantasy, and Gothic.
2. Action Adventure. Any story that
puts the protagonist in physical
danger, characterised by thrilling
near misses, and courageous and
daring feats, belongs to this genre. It
is fast paced, the tension mounting as
the clock ticks. There is always a
climax that offers the reader some
relief.
3. Science Fiction. This genre incorporates any story set in the future, the past, or
other dimensions. The story features scientific ideas and advanced technological
concepts. Writers must be prepared to spend time building new worlds and using 
genre-specific words. The setting should define the plot. There are many science
fiction sub-genres. There are also many tropes in the genre: 
101 Sci-Fi Tropes For Writers
4. Fantasy. These stories deal with kingdoms as opposed to sci-fi, which deals with
universes. Writers must spend plenty of time on world building. Myths,
otherworldly magic-based concepts, and ideas characterise these books. They
frequently take cues from historical settings like The Dark Ages. There are also
plenty of sub-genres here. There is also a specific terminology and many tropes in
the genre and: 101 Fantasy Tropes For Writers
5. Speculative Fiction. These stories are
created in worlds unlike our real world in
certain important ways. This genre usually
overlaps one or more of the following:
science fiction, fantasy fiction, horror
fiction, supernatural fiction, superhero
fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction,
apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction,
and alternate history.
6. Suspense/Thriller. A character in jeopardy
dominates these stories. This genre involves
pursuit and escape. It is filled with cliffhangers
 and there are one or more ‘dark’ characters
that the protagonist must escape from, fight
against, or best in the story. The threats to the
protagonist can be physical or psychological,
or both. The setting is integral to the plot. This
is often described as a gripping read. A Techno
Thriller is a sub-genre.
7. Young Adult. Young Adult (YA) books are
written, published, and marketed to adolescents
and young adults. The Young Adult Library
Services Association (YALSA) defines a young
adult as someone between the ages of 12 and 18, but
adults also read these books. These are generally
coming-of-age stories, and often cross into the
fantasy and science fiction genres. YA novels
feature diverse protagonists facing changes and
challenges. This genre has become more popular
with the success of novels like The Hunger Games, 
The Fault in Our Stars, and Twilight.
8. New Adult. New Adult (NA) books
feature college, rather than school-aged,
characters and plotlines. It is the next age-
category up from YA. It explores the
challenges and uncertainties of leaving
home and living independently for the first
time. Many NA books focus on sex,
blurring the boundary between romance
and erotica. 
9. Horror/Paranormal/Ghost. These
are high-pitched scary stories
 involving pursuit and escape. The
protagonist must
overcome supernatural or demonic
beings. Occult is a sub-genre that
always uses satanic-type antagonists.
10. Mystery/Crime. These are
also known as ‘whodunits’. The
central issue is a question that must be
answered, an identity revealed, a
crime solved. This novel is
characterised by clues leading to
rising tension as the answer to the
mystery is approached. There are
many sub-genres in this category.
11. Police Procedurals are mysteries
that involve a police officer or
detective solving the crime.
The emphasis rests heavily on
technological or forensic aspects of
police work, sorting and collecting
evidence, as well as the legal aspects
of criminology.
12. Historical. These fictional stories
take place against factual historical
backdrops. Important historical
figures are portrayed as fictional
characters. Historical Romance is a
sub-genre that involves a conflicted
love relationship in a factual 
historical setting. 
13. Westerns. These books are
specifically set in the old
American West. Plotlines include
survival, romance, and
adventures with characters of the
time, for example, cowboys,
frontiersmen, Indians,
mountain men, and miners. 
14. Family Saga. This genre is about on-
going stories of two or more generations
of a family. Plots revolve around things
like businesses, acquisition, properties,
adventures, and family curses. By their
nature, these are primarily historical,
often bringing the resolution in
contemporary settings. There is usually a 
timeline involved in these books.
15. Women’s Fiction. These plot lines are
characterised by female characters who
face challenges, difficulties, and crises that
have a direct relationship to gender. This
is inclusive of woman’s conflict with man,
though not limited to that. It can include
conflict with things such as the economy,
family, society, art, politics, and religion.
16. Magic Realism. Magical events are
part of ordinary life in this genre. The
characters do not see them as abnormal
or unusual. They are a natural part of
the story. One Hundred Years of Solitude  is
a classic in this genre.
 Literary Fiction. This genre
focuses on the human condition
and it is more concerned with the
inner lives of characters and
themes than plot. Literary fiction
 is difficult to sell and continues
to decline in popularity.
What are the characteristics of popular
literature?
Popular literature is fiction that does not
deal with abstract problems; it takes moral
principles as the given, accepting certain
generalized, common-sense ideas and
values as its base. (Common-sense values
and conventional values are not the same
thing; the first can be justified rationally,
the second cannot.
안녕
annyeong