Autofiction Book Genre

I’m told that the genre is increasingly popular. I can see its appeal to other writers, besides me, as many of us were taught in our first creative writing classes: “Write what you know.”

For readers that are unfamiliar with Autofiction, here’s a brief tutorial.

From AI Overview:

Autofiction is a literary genre that blurs the lines between memoir and fiction, using the author’s own life experiences as a basis for a narrative while incorporating fictionalized elements, characters, or events to explore deeper themes or provide creative freedom. The term, coined by Serge Doubrovsky, describes a novelistic approach to personal storytelling, which allows writers to maintain emotional truth while transforming painful memories into a compelling, fictionalized narrative.

I would add pleasurable memories to that, as pleasure can motivate memory recall and generate story interest equally, perhaps, as painful moments.

Other definitions:

A Blend of Genres — Autofiction combines elements of autobiography and fiction, where the story is rooted in the author’s reality but involves fictionalized aspects. 

Author as Protagonist — Often, the protagonist in an autofiction novel is a figure closely resembling the author, exploring themes of identity, memory, and the boundary between reality and fiction. 

Emotional Truth — While not strictly factual, the emotional or psychological experiences depicted are typically based on the author’s life. 

Narrative Freedom — It offers a protective barrier for writers, enabling them to address sensitive subjects or explore painful/pleasurable memories with the distance and creative freedom of fiction. 

How Autofiction is Distinguished from Memoir:

Autofiction is not strictly non-fiction, yet unlike memoir, autofiction doesn’t strive for factual accuracy but for emotional truth, using literary techniques to shape and transform real-life events into a cohesive story.