<P> Fiction is the classification for any story or setting that is derived from imagination--in other words, not based strictly on history or fact . Fiction can be expressed in a variety of formats, including writings, live performances, films, television programs, animations, video games, and role - playing games, though the term originally and most commonly refers to the narrative forms of literature (see literary fiction), including novels, novellas, short stories, and plays . Fiction is occasionally used in its narrowest sense to mean simply any "literary narrative". </P> <P> A work of fiction is an act of creative imagination, so its total faithfulness to the real - world is not typically assumed by its audience . Therefore, fiction is not commonly expected to present only characters who are actual people or descriptions that are factually accurate . Instead, the context of fiction, not adhering precisely to the real world, is generally understood as being more open to interpretation . Characters and events within a fictional work may even be set in their own context entirely separate from the known universe: an independent fictional universe . Fiction is regarded as the traditional opposite of non-fiction, whose creators assume responsibility for presenting only the historical and factual truth; however, the distinction between fiction and non-fiction can be unclear, for example, in postmodern literature . </P>

What is the meaning of fiction and non fiction