How does a novel differ from fiction in general?

The distinction between a novel and fiction is one of category and scope. Fiction is a broad genre of literature encompassing any work created from the imagination rather than presented as fact, though such works may be based on real events or situations.12

A novel is a specific form within the larger umbrella of fiction. While fiction includes diverse formats such as short stories, novellas, plays, and film scripts, a novel is defined as an invented prose narrative of significant length and complexity. It typically explores human experience through a connected sequence of events involving characters within a specific setting. In essence, while all novels are works of fiction, fiction is a vast literary category that serves as the parent genre for the novel.123