fictionan

Fictionan is a term used to describe a person who creates fiction. In broad usage, a fictionan writes fictional narratives across lengths and forms, including novels, short stories, and digital microfiction. The term is a neologism and is not tied to a single genre or profession.

Origin and usage: The word blends fiction with the agentive suffix -an, following a pattern seen in other coinages such as artisan or librarian. Its earliest attested uses are informal and scattered across online writing communities in the 2000s and 2010s, without a formal definition accepted by major publishing or linguistic authorities.

Contexts: In fan communities, fictionans may contribute to shared universes or fan fiction; in literary circles, the term may describe an author who writes original fiction across media. Some writers distinguish fictionans from novelists (who publish long-form works for traditional markets) and short-story writers. In digital publishing, the label may apply to writers of serialized fiction or web fiction.

Reception: The term is not widely standardized and is sometimes viewed as informal or playful, though some see value in emphasizing cross-format storytelling and creative practice.

See also: writer, novelist, short-story writer, fan fiction, worldbuilding.