Fiction refers to all writing that is based on the writer’s imagination. The story itself is central to the writing. It is the story that engages the reader. The characters and the style all play important roles in fiction. Nonfiction refers to all writing that is based on facts.
Creative or literary nonfiction differs from other nonfiction because it has many qualities in common with fiction. Writers of fiction and creative nonfiction use a narrative style and make use of literary techniques. The basic difference between fiction and literary nonfiction is that nonfiction must be true; a writer cannot make up characters or situations. The factual details are crucial to the writing; they must be interesting enough to engage the reader. Everything that a writer discusses or describes in a literary nonfiction essay or book must have actually happened and should be verifiable. The focus in literary nonfiction is usually on discussion and opinion; writers of creative nonfiction do not use their imagination in the same way as writers of fiction do to invent characters or dialogue.
The purpose of reading fiction and nonfiction also differs. People usually read fiction for relaxation or for pleasure, whereas people usually read nonfiction for information, knowledge, or to gain an understanding of certain situations or people.
To achieve his purpose, Jackson encouraged Congress to adopt the Removal Act of 1830. The Act established a process whereby the President could grant land west of the Mississippi River to Indian tribes that agreed to give up their homelands.
