Fiction is imaginative, while non-fiction describes real events, ideas, or people. The terms are often confused, but fiction is the basis of narrative comedy and drama, while non-fiction includes documentaries and news coverage. The intent of the creator is a key difference, and while the terms originated in written literature, they apply to most forms of popular media.
Fiction is the term for works of imagination and invention. Non-fiction describes any work in any medium that is not fictional, i.e. purports to describe real events, ideas, or people. Phrases are most often used to describe written literature or other media. This specialized usage means that the terms fiction and nonfiction are commonly confused by the general public. In popular media formats such as film and television, fiction is the basis of narrative comedy and drama, while non-fiction includes documentaries and news coverage.
The word fiction comes from the Latin word fingere, which means to shape or create. The same word provides the root of the English words finger and figment. This connection to the word fiction may help some people remember the difference between fiction and nonfiction. Associating fiction with the phrase fiction of the imagination, which fiction describes, can provide a useful mnemonic or memory aid. Non-fiction is therefore anything that is not created in the imagination.
Since prehistoric times, stories and fables have blended elements of fiction and non-fiction. Even in modern times, the differences between them aren’t always stark. Writers commonly borrow real-life events and ideas to color their fiction in realistic detail. Journalists and historians add speculation, educated guesses, and made-up dialogue to their non-fiction narratives or condense and eliminate facts for the sake of brevity and clarity. Media formats such as reality television and documentary dramas further confuse the issue.
A key difference between fiction and nonfiction is the intent of the creator. Fictional stories can use fictional characters and worlds to discuss real issues and problems. For example, the TV series The Twilight Zone and Star Trek have used science fiction concepts, such as alien races, to examine issues of racism and prejudice. Nonfiction writers, on the other hand, intend to portray real events. The term nonfiction applies even if the work is later revealed to be inaccurate or partially invented.
While the terms fiction and nonfiction originated in written literature, they apply to most forms of popular media. Documentary is a non-fiction film format, while United 93 and Silkwood are examples of films that tell fictionalized versions of real events. Broadcast journalism is supposed to be non-fiction, while dramas and comedies are pure fiction. Reality TV, employing trained spontaneity, often manages to be neither fiction nor non-fiction. Comic books, audio recordings, and plays all have formats that encompass both fiction and non-fiction.
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