What is History and Fiction

History is a genre that reflects accurately, or as accurately as possible, on events that occurred in the past. Typically, these works offer the reader with a viewpoint that was formulated by the author's research. The most common form of research historians use is primary sources, as these sources contain accounts of what someone actually experienced firsthand at a certain event. Fiction differs from history in this way, as fiction is a broad genre that consists of some sort of made up plot. However, this genre can also contain plots that could very well be real (i.e., historical fiction). Fictional works are also typically created for entertainment purposes, while history can serve dual purposes as it can provide entertainment as well as information. Overall, the two genres are very different as history is written about a past event, person, or place worth remembering, while fiction is an imaginative work created for the purpose of entertainment. However the genres can also be blended in such a way that both elements of the genres can be seen. For example, some historical fiction works follow a real event but they might contain fictional characters or plot elements. The reverse can also be true, as historical fiction can similarly follow real characters, but the elements of the plot are often made up.