Compare two stories

• 1). Compare the settings, since this is often described first. Notate key elements as you come across them. If a story is set at a particular place and time in the past, and contains verifiable facts but no elements of fantasy, it is historical fiction. If a story contains events that could take place anywhere and appears timeless, but contains no element of fantasy, it is realistic fiction. For example, a story about a young guitarist defecting from the Soviet Republic to New York in 1971 is historical fiction. A story about a young guitarist landing a gig in any nightclub in any big city is realistic fiction. A story about a young guitarist trying to win his soul back from the devil is neither historical nor realistic.
  
  
• 2). Compare the characters. Note a short description of each one as you meet them. If the story includes real people in fictional situations -- say, John Lennon learning a new chord progression from the young Soviet guitarist -- it is historical fiction. If it contains characters who could really exist but probably didn't -- like the young Soviet guitarist -- it's realistic fiction. If the young Soviet guitarist meets the devil in a bar, it's fantasy.
  
  
• 3). Compare plot points. Write down a bullet point for each key scene. If the story includes period-accurate information, such as John Lennon's telling his new Soviet friend in October 1971 that "Imagine" had reached #3 on the US pop charts, it is historical fiction. If it includes plausible but untrue events, such as the Soviet guitarist's audition for a newly forming band, it's realistic fiction. If it includes the impossible, like the guitarist's instrument catching fire during his showdown with the devil, it's neither realistic nor historical fiction, but fantasy.
  
  
• 4). Compare themes. If the main theme of the story seems tied to the setting -- such as the steady stream of artists defecting to the US from the Soviet Union during the Cold War -- then it's historical fiction. If the theme is something general, like "art flourishes in freedom," that's realistic fiction. If the theme is something impossible or metaphorical, like "don't sell your soul to the devil," it is neither historical nor realistic.
  
  
• 5). Consider the authors. If the author is writing in the 21st century and is known for her meticulous research and knack for breathing life into famous characters from the past (like John Lennon who was killed in 1980), it is probably historical fiction. If the author's fame comes from his talent for shining a light on universal aspects of human nature (like the need to express oneself freely), it is probably realistic fiction. If the author is known for her ability to make anything seem possible (like a face-to-face battle with the devil), she is most likely writing neither historical nor realistic fiction, but fantasy.