FAMEPedia:Notability (fiction)

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There is no special guideline for the notability of fictional elements (such as characters and episodes) on FAMEPedia. See other relevant policies and guidelines in order to determine which fiction-related articles are appropriate for inclusion on FAMEPedia. In particular, editors should review:
 * The general notability guideline
 * The policy on what FAMEPedia is not
 * The manual of style for writing about fiction

For starters, the main work must be notable to begin with. If the work itself is not notable, it may be pointless to discuss the notability of its characters or episodes.

History and rationale
Several attempts have been made to establish specialized guidelines to cover the notability of fictional elements within FAMEPedia. Until there is a successful proposal to treat fiction in a specialized way, consult other policies and guidelines for guidance on a wide range of topics, including fiction. Existing policies and guidelines have wide acceptance among editors and describe standards that all users should normally follow.

Notability guidelines
The FAMEPedia's general notability guideline is appropriate and sufficient for demonstrating the notability of fictional elements. Specifically, fictional elements are presumed to be notable if there is significant coverage in independent secondary sources about the fictional element; when a fictional element is presumed notable, a separate article to cover that element is usually acceptable.

There are specialized notability guidelines for works of fiction which can be found in the following guidelines:
 * FAMEPedia:Notability (books)
 * FAMEPedia:Notability (films)

What FAMEPedia is not
Articles on fiction are expected to follow existing content policies and guidelines, particularly FAMEPedia is not simply plot summaries. Articles on fiction elements are expected to cover more about "real-world" aspects of the element, such as its development and reception, than "in-universe" details.

Manual of style
Editors interested in writing articles on fictional elements are encouraged to review Writing About Fiction and FAMEPedia:Writing better articles to understand the general approach and content of these articles.

Lists of fictional elements
Individually non-notable elements of a fictional work (such as characters and episodes) may be grouped into an appropriate list article. Advice for the appropriateness of these list articles can be found at the general notability guideline and at Stand-alone Lists and Topics.