Nothing. Regarding novels:-
(1) Novels are, at least partially, intended as entertainment.
(2) The subject matter is presented as fictional even though parts of it may be factual.
(3) The subject matter is familiar, credible and plausible, that is, the places and characters are believable to the readers.
(4) The subject matter is individual beings (usually human), their actions and relations; the novel places the individual at the center of the story.
(5) There are a small number of central characters.
(6) A single plot, however fragmented and tangential, unites the events and characters.
(7) The main character(s) evolves and grows over the course of the novel; the characters are �round,� or more fleshed out, than the �flat,� one-dimensional characters of earlier literary genres.
(8) Novels are set during an identifiable historical time period.
There are, of course, exceptions to each of these traits and a text need not meet all of these criteria to be considered a novel. Novels are sometimes contrasted with romances, but the original concept is similar, hence the French word for "novel" is "roman". The first "Romantic fiction" was usually fantastic, set in a mythical ancient time, and had shallow characters. The term has now come to refer to popular fiction where a love story takes centre stage, often at the expense of characterisation an