[SarahW Posts: 412 Status: Offline The extraordinary in the ordinary. WWW]

https://grubstreet.org/findaclass/class/speculative-nonfiction/

I've also found a few other places that talk about Speculative Non-Fiction. I'm not sure how to feel, as what I tend to like is fiction where a considerable portion of the story is based on true events, though the MC may not necessarily be based on a real person but invented for the story.

A lot of my speculative non-fiction blends into speculative fiction in a weird way: the main character is based either on myself or someone I know, and it's a tech article about current bleeding edge technology. But every second chapter is about a fictional love interest whom had already had experience with said technology, and how they introduce me or someone I know to it. Or the fictional equivalent of myself.

Such as with a fiction and non-fiction hybrid.

With historical fiction, this already exists. But for non-fiction, or actual futures this seems missing.

[dewsanddamps Posts: 2,941 Status: Offline]

Well, that sort of makes sense though, right? (Unless I'm missing your point.) Because with NF you don't make anything up.

I think a lot of fiction is inspired by a news article or a real event, and plenty of characters are inspired by someone the author knows.

[Debbie Vilardi Posts: 6,540 Status: Offline Language is so cool! WWW]

Almost all fiction takes some inspiration from reality. I started my work in progress YA with a few TV characters from a specific show and a version of the self I wish I could be. It's changed enough that I don't think anyone would see the references, but that's because otherwise I'd have infringed on the copyright.

My non speculative middle grade is inspired by my husband whose mother died of cancer before I met him.

I have a picture book where the first character is my daughter and even has her name.   In another one, I totally based the main character on my daughter an her exact actions every night but I took off from there.

This is normal, but you aren't writing nonfiction. As soon as you add anything or change anything or introduce an element that couldn't be or have been there in real life, it's fiction.