Difference Between Fact and Fiction

The fundamental difference between fact and fiction stems from the difference between truth and imagination. Facts are the pieces of information that can be or have been proven as true whereas fiction is based on imagination. This is the main difference between fact and fiction. Facts describe details about real people, real incidents and situations whereas fiction involves imaginary characters, situations, and incidents. However, sometimes fiction may contain some elements of true such as historical information and scientific details. Therefore, the difference between fact and fiction can sometimes be very subtle.

This article presents,

1. A quick summary of Fact versus Fiction, and a detail description of

2. What is Fact?

3. What is Fiction?

4. Key Differences Between Fact and Fiction

What is Fact

Facts refer to the information that is known as truth. Facts can be often be verified by evidence or proof. Some facts can be scientifically proven and other can be proven by more general evidence such as records, statistics, images, audio recordings, etc. Given below are some facts.

Carbon Monoxide is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas.

The earth is not flat.

Brazil won the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Pranab Mukherjee is the thirteenth president of India.

Although all these facts are accepted as true, the validity of some facts can be questioned over time. For example, centuries ago, the earth was considered to be a flat disk. This was considered as an accepted truth. But with new scientific discoveries, this fact began to be questioned.

Facts can be found in newspapers, biographies, textbooks, manuals, etc. However, facts can be sometimes be influenced by personal opinions and biases. This is especially true in the case of newspapers and biographies. For example, some news reports exaggerate the magnitude of an incident. But, writers of nonfiction should always take care to write the truth; they should report an incident as it is so that the readers will not be deceived.

What is Fiction

Fiction is based on a person’s imagination. Fiction is built around imaginary characters and situations. Since it mainly involves imaginary elements, it is not considered as true. Fiction is also a genre that involves stories based on the imagination. Novels, novellas, short stories, and plays are some examples of this genre. A fiction writer has to have a fertile imagination to create a successful fiction.

However, fiction can sometimes contain some elements of truth. For example, a fiction writer may include accurate descriptions of places, historical events, and real characters. But, this doesn’t mean that all characters and incidents are real.