Non-fiction

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For other uses, see Non-fiction (disambiguation).

Non-fiction or nonfiction is content (sometimes, in the form of a story) whose creator, in

good faith, assumes responsibility for the truth or accuracy of the events, people, or
information presented.[1] In contrast, a story whose creator explicitly leaves open if and how
the work refers to reality is usually classified as fiction.[1][2] Nonfiction, which may be
presented either objectively or subjectively, is traditionally one of the two main divisions of
narratives (and, specifically, prose writing),[3] the other traditional division being fiction,
which contrasts with nonfiction by dealing in information, events, and characters expected to
be partly or largely imaginary.

Non-fiction's specific factual assertions and descriptions may or may not be accurate, and can
give either a true or a false account of the subject in question. However, authors of such
accounts genuinely believe or claim them to be truthful at the time of their composition or, at
least, pose them to a convinced audience as historically or empirically factual. Reporting the
beliefs of others in a nonfiction format is not necessarily an endorsement of the ultimate
veracity of those beliefs, it is simply saying it is true that people believe them (for such topics
as mythology). Nonfiction can also be written about fiction, typically known as literary
criticism, giving information and analysis on these other works. Nonfiction need not
necessarily be written text, since pictures and film can also purport to present a factual
account of a subject.

Contents
 1 Distinctions
 2 Major types
 3 Specific types
 4 See also
 5 References
 6 External links

Distinctions
The numerous literary and creative devices used within fiction are generally thought
inappropriate for use in nonfiction. They are still present particularly in older works but they
are often muted so as not to overshadow the information within the work. Simplicity, clarity
and directness are some of the most important considerations when producing nonfiction.
Audience is important in any artistic or descriptive endeavor, but it is perhaps most important
in nonfiction. In fiction, the writer believes that readers will make an effort to follow and
interpret an indirectly or abstractly presented progression of theme, whereas the production of
nonfiction has more to do with the direct provision of information. Understanding of the
potential readers' use for the work and their existing knowledge of a subject are both
fundamental for effective nonfiction. Despite the truth of nonfiction, it is often necessary to
persuade the reader to agree with the ideas and so a balanced, coherent and informed
argument is vital. However, the boundaries between fiction and nonfiction are continually
blurred and argued upon, especially in the field of biography;[4] as Virginia Woolf said: "if
we think of truth as something of granite-like solidity and of personality as something of
rainbow-like intangibility and reflect that the aim of biography is to weld these two into one
seamless whole, we shall admit that the problem is a stiff one and that we need not wonder if
biographers, for the most part failed to solve it."[5]

Semi-fiction is fiction implementing a great deal of nonfiction,[6] e.g. a fictional description

based on a true story.

Major types
Common literary examples of nonfiction include expository, argumentative, functional, and
opinion pieces; essays on art or literature; biographies; memoirs; journalism; and historical,
scientific, technical, or economic writings (including electronic ones).[7]

Journals, photographs, textbooks, travel books, blueprints, and diagrams are also often
considered non-fictional.[citation needed] Including information that the author knows to be untrue
within any of these works is usually regarded as dishonest. Other works can legitimately be
either fiction or nonfiction, such as journals of self-expression, letters, magazine articles, and
other expressions of imagination. Though they are mostly either one or the other, it is
possible for there to be a blend of both. Some fiction may include nonfictional elements.
Some nonfiction may include elements of unverified supposition, deduction, or imagination
for the purpose of smoothing out a narrative, but the inclusion of open falsehoods would
discredit it as a work of nonfiction. The publishing and bookselling business sometimes uses
the phrase "literary nonfiction" to distinguish works with a more literary or intellectual bent,
as opposed to the greater collection of nonfiction subjects.[8]

Specific types
 Academic paper
 Academic publishing
 Almanac
 Autobiography
 Biography
 Blueprint
 Book report
 Creative nonfiction
 Design document
 Diagram
 Diary
 Dictionary
 Factual television (e.g. television documentaries)
 Encyclopedia
 Essay
 Guides and manuals
 Handbook
 History
 Journal
 Journalism
 Letter
 Letter collection
 Literary criticism
 Memoir
 Natural history
 Nonfiction films (e.g. documentaries)
 Philosophy
 Photograph
 Popular science
 Self-help
 Science book
 Scientific paper
 Statute
 Technical writing
 Textbook
 Thesaurus
 Theology
 Travelogue