part fiction/part biography? what is it?

[MommyHawk]

my novel is partly fiction, but partly true story: my story...is that a biography? a memoir? how can I classify it, for query purposes?

[midnightwriter]

Originally Posted by MommyHawk

my novel is partly fiction, but partly true story: my story...is that a biography? a memoir? how can I classify it, for query purposes?

Check this out.

[MommyHawk]

so it's a "SEMI-BIOGRAPHY" - a biography based on a true story, but fictionalized?

[Sagesgirl]

The term I am used to is "autobiographical fiction" or roman á clef. I'm rather fond of the French term in this instance, but it does connote you'll be dishing on something juicy.

[MommyHawk]

Originally Posted by Sagesgirl

The term I am used to is "autobiographical fiction" or roman á clef. I'm rather fond of the French term in this instance, but it does connote you'll be dishing on something juicy.

oooh, and my MC falls for a French Bistro chef too....oh la la maybe I'll use both somehow in my query letter...

[zinemama]

I think that if any part of it is fiction, you've got to call it fiction. (See: all those recent memoir scandals in which "biography" turned out to be made up.)

All books have elements of the author's life in them - how could they not? But if any of that is fiction, it's a novel.

[MommyHawk]

Roman à clef

I think I will use this - it describes exactly how I used fiction and reality to do the novel.

Thanks!!!