Story genres and types of stories, with a generator for each
There are more story genres than any list agrees on, but the ones people write fall into a handful you already know: fantasy, horror, romance, sci-fi, mystery, and gentler forms like bedtime and fairy tale. You'll find each one here, plus what separates a genre from a form and the seven plots underneath most types of stories. Pick the one that fits what's in your head, and follow it to a generator that writes and illustrates the whole story, first page free.
The main story genres, one generator each
Each genre below has a live generator on the site. Skim what it runs on, then start the kind of story you came for.
FantasyDragons, magic and found family, in worlds only you've imagined.
HorrorSlow dread, and something in the dark that's looking back.
RomanceSlow burns, near-misses and the happily-ever-after you're quietly rooting for.
Sci-fiDistant futures, strange worlds and the big questions they raise.
MysteryClues, red herrings and a case only your characters can crack.
BedtimeGentle, illustrated stories made for reading aloud.
FanfictionShips, AUs and canon-be-damned — your fic, illustrated chapter by chapter.
Fairy taleWishes, curses and clever bargains — once upon a time, grown your way.
- Magic with rules and a cost, in a world people lived in long before you arrived. Start one with the fantasy story generator.
- Slow dread and the thing you never quite see, kept family-safe. Build one with the horror story generator.
- Two people, a reason they can't be together, and every near-miss in between. Try the romance story generator.
- Change one rule of the world, then follow it all the way to the end. Open the sci-fi story generator.
- A crime, a room full of suspects, and clues hiding in plain sight. Set a case with the mystery story generator.
- Gentle stakes and a slow read-aloud rhythm made for lights-out. Write one with the bedtime story generator.
- A favorite ship or an alternate universe, everyone kept in voice. Start with the fanfiction story generator.
- An old rule under a simple surface: every bargain has its price. Spin one with the fairy tale story generator.
The types of stories, sorted by genre and form
Genre and form answer different questions. A genre says what a story is about: fantasy runs on magic, romance on the pull between two people. A form says how it's built and how long it runs. A short story lands in one sitting. A fairy tale keeps its once-upon-a-time shape, whatever it's about. The main types of short stories cut across genre, so a fantasy short story and a horror one are both short stories. When people ask about the different types of stories, they mean this mix: the subject and the shape. If you want opening lines or a plot outline before you commit, that's what the story writing tools are for.
The 7 classic story types
Underneath the genres sit a small set of plots that keep coming back. The most cited count is seven, from Christopher Booker: overcoming the monster (a hero faces a great threat), rags to riches (a nobody rises), the quest (a journey toward one prize), voyage and return (into a strange world and back), comedy (confusion that resolves in joy), tragedy (a flaw that undoes someone), and rebirth (a fall, then a change of heart). A fantasy quest and a sci-fi quest share this skeleton even though the surface looks nothing alike. Some people ask about the 7 genres of literature and mean these same seven shapes.
The most popular story genres right now
Romance and fantasy top most bestseller lists. Romance readers want the slow burn. Fantasy readers want a world big enough to get lost in. Mystery holds steady all year. Horror climbs every autumn and peaks around Halloween, then quiets down. Bedtime and fairy tale stay steady with parents year-round. Popularity is a fine place to start, but the genre you'll finish is the one you can't stop thinking about, so trust that over any ranking.
Story types and genres, questions answered
What are the 7 main types of stories?
The 7 main types of stories, from Christopher Booker's count, are overcoming the monster, rags to riches, the quest, voyage and return, comedy, tragedy, and rebirth. These are plot shapes, not genres, so a single shape like the quest can turn up in fantasy, sci-fi, or mystery alike.
How many book genres are there?
There's no fixed number of book genres. Bookshops and libraries usually sort fiction into somewhere between 10 and 30, and each of those splits into subgenres without a hard limit. The handful most people write, and the ones hellowriter covers, are fantasy, horror, romance, sci-fi, mystery, bedtime, fanfiction, and fairy tale.
What are the 12 types of stories?
The 12 types of stories is a looser list than the classic 7, and versions disagree. A common one adds action, drama, fantasy, horror, mystery, romance, and thriller to plot shapes like the quest and rebirth. There's no official set of 12; it's one way writers group stories by both subject and plot.
How many types of stories are there?
There's no single answer, because stories get counted two ways. By plot shape, the common counts are 7 (Booker) or sometimes 3, 12, or 36. By genre, most lists land between 10 and 30. One count describes what a story is about, the other how its plot moves.
What is the most popular story genre?
Romance is one of the best-selling fiction genres, with fantasy close behind on most reader surveys. Mystery and thriller stay strong all year, while horror spikes each October around Halloween. Popular is a fine place to start, but the genre you'll finish is usually the one you can't stop thinking about.
Pick a genre above, or bring any idea to the ai story generator on the homepage and it finds the genre for you. First page free, no sign-up.
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