# How to classify a certain type of writing

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-classify-a-certain-type-of-writing/679640>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 24, 2014, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-classify-a-certain-type-of-writing/679640 "2014-01-24T19:29:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-classify-a-certain-type-of-writing/679640/1 "2014-01-24T19:29:56Z")

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Lately I have considered writing some of my life down to work through some things. In addition I have always liked writing short fiction and was considering also putting in some fictional or semi-fictional content in it. Real names all redacted of course.

My question, how would you classify something that was partly autobiographical, partly embellished, without the intention of making people believe it really was the truth? Just general fiction?

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**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-classify-a-certain-type-of-writing/679640/2 "2014-01-24T19:33:38Z")

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Roman à clef?

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**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-classify-a-certain-type-of-writing/679640/3 "2014-01-25T12:34:03Z")

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> [@woodstockbirdybird](#):
>
> Roman à clef?

Exactly what I came in to say. [Here’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_a_clef) the Wikipedia link.

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**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-classify-a-certain-type-of-writing/679640/4 "2014-01-25T12:39:14Z")

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You’d call it nonfiction Capote-style. 😃  
Kidding aside, Roman a clef seems to be what you’re describing.

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-classify-a-certain-type-of-writing/679640/5 "2014-01-25T16:32:49Z")

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It’s pronounced ro-MAHN-nah-KLAY, for those of you who don’t speak IPA. In French, the a in Roman is nasalized, if your the type who says “_hors d’oeuvres_” with a French accent.