Fourth Wall

The Fourth Wall is commonly the only thing separating you, the reader, from me, the text.

That's right. I know you're there!

Without the Fourth Wall, characters would notice you watching them, there might even be references to the medium they exist in, and there would be reader-character interaction.

Most of the time though, the Fourth Wall is maintained, until it is broken, which is referred to as Breaking the Fourth Wall.

Breaking the Fourth Wall is common is humorfic.