Fact vs Fiction: Difference and Comparison

There is a vast difference between our imaginary life and our real life. We love to roam in the fictional created world for ourselves, but when it comes to the point of our actual surroundings, all our imagination breaks into pieces in front of the harsh reality.

From this, we can easily assume that there is a difference between reality and imagination. Fact and fiction can be easily compared to reality and imagination. So there is a fundamental difference between fact and fiction.

Key Takeaways

1. A fact is a statement that can be proven or verified through evidence, while fiction is a work of literature created from the author’s imagination.
2. Facts are objective and based on reality, while fiction is subjective and can be influenced by the author’s beliefs, experiences, and emotions.
3. Facts are used in non-fiction writing, while fiction is used in creative writing, such as novels and short stories.

Fact vs Fiction

Fact refers to events, information, or descriptions that are accurate and verifiable. In contrast, fiction refers to stories, characters, and events that are imagined and not based on actual events or people. It’s important to distinguish between the two because while fiction can be entertaining and provide an escape, it should not be confused with real-life events or used to make crucial decisions.

Facts are proven truths. There are many facts, such as astronomical, scientific, etc. All these facts have been established or have shreds of evidence. So these can’t be considered imaginary thoughts created by the human brain.

Facts are scripted or found in textbooks, magazines, biographies, or autobiographies.

Fiction is the imaginary stories build up by people. These do not have any proven shreds of evidence or proof. These are found all over the world. Every country has its own fiction stories in different genres and languages.

Some fiction stories are also based on some facts but have been made more colourful with the author’s imagination.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Fact	Fiction
Definition	Proven Truths	Imaginary Creation
Proof	Have pieces of evidence	Do Not Have Any Evidence
Origin to develop	Discovered from particular incidents	It is a creation of a fertile mind.
Basis of development	Developed from excellent knowledge and dedication to a subject.	Build up with healthy imagination and high vocabulary to script
Examples	Newspapers, Magazines, Textbooks, etc.	Novels, Dramas, Stories, etc.

What is Fact?

Facts are proven truths. That is, these groups of words or these theories have pieces of evidence to show that they exist. These pieces of evidence may be eye evidence, audio or video recordings, or any scientific theories or formulas.

There are different types of facts, such as mathematical, scientific, historical, astronomical, etc.

Mathematical facts are also called theorems and can be proved using formulas, hypotheses, etc. Similarly, scientific facts can be established by doing experiments.

The name ‘fact’ originates from the Latin word factum, which means something that has happened. Facts can only be built up from an incident. An incident leads to evidence shreds, which are converted into points.

For example :

1. The world wastes about 1 billion metric tons of food each year.
2. The clouds are white, not any other colour, because they reflect the sunlight that falls above them.
3. On earth, one day consists of 24 hours. On Venus, one day is 192 hours, which equals eight days on earth.
4. The world is the only planet in the solar system with only one natural satellite, our moon.

 All these are some of the facts that have evidence; they are based on actual observations. So this means that facts are not the product of the mind but the evidence of reality, which involuntarily happens in our daily life.

What is Fiction?

 Fiction is the imagination of people scripted as stories or poems. These cannot have any proof or evidence. They do not exist in real life. Some fictional stories are also sometimes based on truth.

Some historical fiction stories contain actual and accurate timings, places, or characters. But the author adds other things that might not have happened in that scenario.

Generally, fiction includes novels, plays, stories, fairy tales, myths, etc. Many countries have their defined fairy tale, which contains different characters.

There are different kinds of fiction stories for other age groups, which win the reader’s heart. Kids prefer stories containing cartoon characters. Some kid’s fiction is fairy tales, rip van winkle stories, etc.

For example, in Japanese fairy tales, there exists a fictional character called the dragon, which is considered a devil, but in the Chinese fairy tale, the dragon is regarded as a symbol of goodness and good luck. So, the main motto of the fiction genre is entertainment.

Fiction is derived from the Latin word fictio, which means the art of shaping or creating. A fiction writer should have a fertile brain to add colour to their skill.

In the era of developing technologies, movies and films can also be considered a product of fiction. These are also based on the imagination and professional creation of art. Examples of fiction can be novels, films, dramas, etc.

Main Differences Between Facts and Fiction

1. Facts are the fundamental truths, but fictions are imaginary creations
2. Shreds of evidence can prove facts, but fiction cannot be established.
3. Facts grow from a particular incident, but fiction is just the fertile product of the mind.
4. The writer should have deep knowledge and dedication to the topic to write a fact. On the other hand, a fiction writer should have a fertile brain with a high capacity for imagination and a great vocabulary to script them.
5. Facts are found in newspapers, magazines, textbooks, etc., whereas fiction is found in novels, short stories, drama, etc.

References

1. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=i97_LdPXwrAC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=fact&ots=S7UJ2tpGkq&sig=C1eOr-c9VTs0EcthZ2ubOwTF9wk‘
2. https://academic.oup.com/aristotelian/article-abstract/118/1/25/4898115

Last Updated : 11 June, 2023