Writing
Literary Fiction: Definition, Characteristics, Literary Fiction Vs. Genre Fiction
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Aug 20, 2021 • 3 min read
Works of fiction are those that tell made up stories. As opposed to the many genres of nonfiction—biography, autobiography, commentary, data analysis, philosophy, history, and others—fiction is defined by its focus on narratives invented by the author. Most academics and literary critics further subdivide fiction into two categories: genre fiction and literary fiction.