Any category of literature as well as various other forms of art or culture, e. G. , music, based on some loose set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time as new genres are invented and the use of of old ones are discontinued. Often, works fit into multiple genres by way of borrowing and recombining these conventions. While the scope of the word "genre" is commonly confined to art and culture, it also defines individuals' interactions with and within their environments. In order to be recognized as genre these interactions and environments must be recurring.