Fiction vs Nonfiction: The Difference, With Clear Examples
Fiction tells invented stories, even when inspired by real events. Nonfiction presents itself as an account of real people, facts or ideas. Both can tell a story and express a point of view.
Which side would you find these on?
- A detective novel
- Fiction: the case and characters are invented
- A history of an actual city
- Nonfiction: an account of real events and places
- A memoir about childhood
- Nonfiction: the author's remembered experiences
- A novel set during a real war
- Fiction: real history does not make an invented story factual
- A graphic biography
- Nonfiction: illustrations are a format, not proof of invention
- A fantasy audiobook
- Fiction: listening does not change the story's category
The quick distinction
Fiction
An invented story
Nonfiction
Presented as fact-based
Check the label
Look at the description
Look at how the book is presented
Words such as novel, memoir, biography or history tell you more than whether the cover has a photograph or an illustration.
Do not use realism as the test
A novel can feel completely realistic and still be fiction. A nonfiction account can describe unusual events and still be presented as factual.
Check the tricky middle
Historical fiction invents within a real setting. A memoir tells the author's remembered experience. A novel based on a true story remains a novel.
Choose for your interest, not a hierarchy
Try fiction for an imagined story or nonfiction for a real subject. Neither category guarantees accuracy, difficulty or how much you will enjoy the writing.
A few quick answers
Can nonfiction have characters and dialogue?
Yes. Biography, memoir and narrative nonfiction can follow people and scenes. Look at the author's notes to understand how scenes or conversations were reconstructed.
Is a true-story novel nonfiction?
A book labeled a novel is fiction, even if real events inspired it. Check the author's explanation of what was changed.
Which should a beginner read?
Whichever interests you. Sample a story or a subject you already want to spend time with.
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Further reading: Read NZ: book categories and what to notice as a reader.
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