I-Novel (私小説 Shishōsetsu, Watakushi shōsetsu) is a literary genre in Japanese literature used to describe a type of confessional literature where the events in the story correspond to events in the author's life. This genre was founded based on the Japanese reception of Naturalism during the Meiji period. Many authors believed form reflected greater individuality and a less constrained method of writing. From its beginnings, the "I-Novel" was a genre that also was meant to expose the dark side of society or the dark side of the author's life.