OTHER LITERARY

GENRES
Do you like listening to
or telling stories? Do you
enjoy watching TV or
online streaming
services? Are you a fan of
comics?

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All of these can be
considered literary
genres, and this lesson
will cover their basic
elements and
conventions.

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1. WHAT FEATURES DID YOU NOTICE FROM
YOUR CHOSEN WORK?

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2. HOW ARE THESE FEATURES UNIQUE TO
YOUR CHOSEN WORK?

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3. WHICH ELEMENTS OF THE LITERARY
GENRES ARE THOSE FEATURES SIMILAR TO?

4. Why can these other genres be considered

literary as well?
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 COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS

Elements of Comics and Graphic Novels

● Comics and graphic novels are forms of literature that

tell stories through illustrations.
● Comic strips are usually just a page long.
● Graphic novels can be as long as regular novels.

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 COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS

● A panel is a single
illustration inside a
border.

● A gutter is the space

between panels.

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 COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS

● A caption is a box
of text that provides
narration.

● The speech
bubble/balloon is
where the dialogue
can be found.
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 COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS

● A tier is simply a single row of

panels.

● A splash is a full-page illustration

used at the start to introduce the
story.

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 COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS

● A spread is an
illustration that takes up
more than one page.

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 COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS

● They also make use of many of the elements of fiction

and creative nonfiction, like setting, characters, and
imagery.

● The difference is that comics and graphic novels can

present these elements visually.

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 COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS

● In addition, the same plot elements of fiction or

nonfiction also apply.

● Longer comics and graphic novels can divide their plots

into three acts.
○ Act I is where the introductions are usually made.
○ Act II has character development and the climax.
○ Act III is the post-climax resolution.
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 COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS

Difference Between Comics and Graphic Novels

● Graphic novels contain complete narratives.

● Comics have parts of a serialized narrative.
● Graphic novels have more space to develop
characters and narratives.

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You don’t have to be both a writer and an artist
to start your own graphic novel or comic
series. Often, comic book and graphic novel
writing are done by at least a pair. As a writer,
you can help the artist by drawing rough
sketches or thumbnails of how you envision
your story taking place in a series of panels.

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 MOVIES AND TV SHOWS

Elements of Movies and TV

Shows
● Movies and TV shows
also have unique visual
elements.
● One element that movies
and TV shows have is the
presence of cameras.

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 MOVIES AND TV SHOWS

Elements of Movies and TV

Shows
● There are usually
different camera shots
and camera angles.

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 MOVIES AND TV SHOWS

Close-up Straight-up angle

A very close shot where The camera is at the same

the camera lens focuses height as the object.
on a particular detail or a
character’s face.

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 MOVIES AND TV SHOWS

Medium shot High angle

A shot where the camera The camera is filming from

lens shows part of a above the object.
background and/or a
character’s upper body.

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 MOVIES AND TV SHOWS

Full shot Low angle

A shot where the camera The camera is filming from

lens shows the full view of below the object.
a character.

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 MOVIES AND TV SHOWS

Long shot Oblique angle

A shot that shows an The camera is tilted

object or character at a sideways.
distance.

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How can you use the knowledge on camera
angles and shots in writing?

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Imagine that the short story or nonfiction
essay you are writing will be turned into a
show or movie. Describe the scenery or
characters from different shots and angles to
give your readers even more to imagine.

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 MOVIES AND TV SHOWS

● The next important element in shows and movies is

lighting.
● It can control the focus of the audience.
● Lighting can also set the mood or atmosphere of the
scene.
● High-key lighting means it is bright and illuminating,
while low-key lighting is darker and has more
shadows.
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 MOVIES AND TV SHOWS

● Editing also plays a big part in movies and TV shows.

● How the director decides to cut and put together
scenes dictates the pace and flow of the storytelling.
● With editing, movies and shows also have more
freedom to add special effects to their scenes.

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How is the use of lighting and colors in movies
similar to mood and imagery in prose works?

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 MOVIES AND TV SHOWS

Similar Elements with Prose

● Like fiction and creative nonfiction, movies and shows

often also tell a story.
● Therefore, they also use many of the same elements
as prose.
● The difference is that these elements, like in dramas,
can be employed visually.

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 ORAL LITERATURE

● Oral literature is often associated with folklore or

folk literature.
● A storyteller often tells these types of stories in front of
an audience.
● It is also sometimes referred to as oral tradition.
● These stories are passed down from the older
generation to the next generation.

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 ORAL LITERATURE

● Oral literature shares some of its elements with other

literary genres.
● Some tales are formulated similar to poetry, in which
they are divided into stanzas and lines.
● These works of oral literature are more like songs, and
they are performed with rhythm and repetition.

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 ORAL LITERATURE

● Since oral literature is usually a performance, it also

has elements in common with drama.
● Voice and movement are important in oral literature.
● These help set the mood and tone of the performance.

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 ORAL LITERATURE
● What is unique to oral literature is the use of the
refrain.
● This is when the storyteller sings something repetitive,
and the audience sings along to that part.
● In line with this, the audience plays a bigger part in oral
literature compared to any other literary genre.
● They sing along in refrains, react accordingly to
different parts of the story, and can sometimes even
play a role of their own.
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 ORAL LITERATURE

● Oral literature may shares a number of elements with

other literary genres like poetry and drama.
● It still has a number of its own unique elements and
traits that make it stand on its own.

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MODIFIED TRUE OR FALSE. WRITE TRUE IF THE
STATEMENT IS CORRECT. OTHERWISE, REWRITE THE
UNDERLINED WORDS TO MAKE THEM TRUE.
1. GRAPHIC NOVELS ARE SHORTER THAN
COMIC STRIPS.

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MODIFIED TRUE OR FALSE. WRITE TRUE IF THE
STATEMENT IS CORRECT. OTHERWISE, REWRITE THE
UNDERLINED WORDS TO MAKE THEM TRUE.

2. COMICS ARE SERIALIZED WORKS.

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MODIFIED TRUE OR FALSE. WRITE TRUE IF THE
STATEMENT IS CORRECT. OTHERWISE, REWRITE THE
UNDERLINED WORDS TO MAKE THEM TRUE.
3. CAMERA SHOTS DETERMINE HOW FAR THE
CAMERA IS FROM THE SUBJECT.

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MODIFIED TRUE OR FALSE. WRITE TRUE IF THE
STATEMENT IS CORRECT. OTHERWISE, REWRITE THE
UNDERLINED WORDS TO MAKE THEM TRUE.
4. CAMERA ANGLES DETERMINE HOW THE
CAMERA IS TILTED WHILE FILMING.

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MODIFIED TRUE OR FALSE. WRITE TRUE IF THE
STATEMENT IS CORRECT. OTHERWISE, REWRITE THE
UNDERLINED WORDS TO MAKE THEM TRUE.

5. WORKS IN ORAL LITERATURE ARE ALSO

WRITTEN WORKS.

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● The unique elements of comics and graphic
novels are panel, tier, gutter, splash, spread,
caption, and speech bubble/balloon.

● Graphic novels are complete works, while

comics are serialized works.

● Some of the movies and TV shows’ unique

elements are camera shots, camera angles,
and lighting.

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● Oral literature is a literary genre that is almost
exclusively performed.

● Some unique elements of oral literature are

repetition, refrain, and audience
participation.

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This activity will let you try preparing a
thumbnail sketch for a strip or scene. Choose a
prompt on the next slide to use as a basis for
your thumbnail sketch. Look at the study guide
for an example.
1. Prepare a thumbnail sketch for a scene that
shows the first appearance of your main
character.
2. Prepare a thumbnail sketch for a scene that
shows the protagonist and antagonist finally
meeting for the first time.
3. Prepare a thumbnail sketch for a scene that
shows your main character finally going
home after a long journey.