St.

Francis College
Allen Northern Samar

Learning Module in English

(Creative Nonfiction)

Module 5-8
Reading and Writing Creative Nonfiction
Types or Forms of Nonfictional Text

Week: 5th - 8th

GRADE LEVEL: 11

LEARNING COMPETENCY:

 Present a commentary/ critique on a chosen creative nonfictional text representing a particular

type or form (Biography/Autobiography, Literary Journalism/Reportage, Personal Narratives,
Travelogue, Reflection Essay, True Narratives, Blogs, Testimonies, Other Forms)

 Write a mini critique of a peer’s work based on coherence and organization of paragraphs,
development of literary elements use of factual information, and other qualities concerning
form and content
HUMSS_CNF11/12-IId-e-18

 Write a draft of creative nonfiction piece based on memorable real-life experience

HUMSS_CNF11/12-IId-j-20

 Revise the draft based on desirable qualities of well-written creative nonfiction

I. CONCEPT

Thus far, the 21st century has been characterized by a relatively wide range of literary outputs
from countries other than those in Europe and North America, the traditional centers of literary
production. In a sense, the literature of the 21st century is a continuation of contemporary/postmodern
period insofar as decentralizing the literary space is concerned. The decentralization has also been
facilitated by technology in its many forms, most especially the internet which, to use an oft-cited
expression, has gathered the countries of the world into one vast global village. The book culture is
now being replaced by the exploration of different media forms through which literary texts are
shared.

Even the very idea of literature has become flexible. Literature is no longer literature in the
romantic or modernist sense of the word with its stress on individual genius. The term has become
more complex with the rise of emergent genres coupled with the popularity of alternative modes
through which they can be shared. Facebook, Twittter, Instagram, and other social networking sites
have considerably changed the ways through which knowledge is articulated and spread. The
question, what is literature? is no longer to be answered with a single definition. With technology and
with greater tolerance for diversity and differences, literature, like many other things, has lost its
absolute essence and is now seen through different lenses.

Discussed in this unit are some of the emergent forms under creative nonfiction that also seem
to challenge our very idea of the literary. What is interesting is the relative difficulty with which
creative nonfiction may be classified or divided. In many instances, one may be hard to make
distinctions and set the boundaries between some of the subgenres, say, between the personal

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narrative ad the travelogue, or between the testimonio and the reflections essay. It seems that there are
more similarities than there are differences as far as the types of creative nonfiction are concerned.

II. EXAMPLES AND DISCUSSION

Types or Forms of Nonfictional Text

Biography - provided details regarding life of a person or a thing in an

entertaining but informative manner.
The Basics

• Select a person you are interested in and find out basic facts about him and her.
• Do additional research about the person.

Autobiography - It is a kind of biography that centers on the life of

the narrator himself/herself. The term
autobiography is said to have been derived from the
Greek words autos (which means “self”), bios (which means
“life”), and graphein (which means “to write”).
- tells the story of the writer’s own life.
(controversial individuals often write this to explain
or justify their actions)
The Basics
• Create a time line of your life events.
• Identify the people who made an impact in your life.’
• Select the best stories of your life.
• Write it in your own voice.

Memoir - focuses on an event or series of events that evoke

a change of view or feelings in an entertaining
way.
The Basics
• Choose a topic you care about, a “snapchat” of your life.
• Seek a deeper theme within the simple description of an event a reader can connect to.
• Use your own unique voice in writing.

 Writers Block
Try to recall episodes from your childhood and teenage life which you think are
worth sharing and which you may include in a possible autobiography. Indicate dates,
places, and other details. The incomplete table below serves as your example and
guide.

Date Place Event

June 1978 Quezon City birth

1984 Bayanan Elementary School first year in school, was

placed in second-to-the-last-
section

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Literary Journalism/
Reportage - uses the techniques of journalism (such as interviews and
reviews) in order to look outside of the straight forward,
objective world that journalism creates.
- It is a type of creative nonfiction that is closely related to
magazine and newspaper reading.
(It uses literary practices to capture the scene/setting of
the assignment or the persona of the person being
interviewed and can often be narrative or heavily
imagistic)
- It can largely be in the form of an essay in which case it is
called the literary journalistic essay. It shares some of the
elements of traditional fiction such as dialogue, setting,
characterization, and plot structure to make the narration
vivid.
The Basics
• Get the facts straight by researching.
• Conduct interview when necessary.
• Outline the story.
• Use literary devices in writing.
• Write dramatic scenes- dialogues, details, action.

 Writers Block

Look for a short news article from a newspaper. Rewrite the article into a literary
journalism piece. Be sure to express personal observations and feelings, and employ creative and
artistic descriptions to make your piece more vivid. (Short Bond paper)

Food Writing - focuses on communicating information about food. It lets

readers experience the relationship of food to man,
agriculture, nature, climate, nation-building, culture,
tradition, and even religion.
The Basics
• Use your five senses in describing.
• Research the background or history of the topic.
• Include recipes to follow.
• Use your own style of writing.

Profile - takes us behind the scenes of familiar places and gives a

glimpse of inner working of a person.

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 (The writer conveys an interpretation or perspectives and
introduces unusual professions, hobbies, and
personalities)
The Basics
• Know the subject, their personality, interests
• Research other information about the person
• Choose a theme that suit your subject
• Interview the person and the people surrounding him/her

Let’s Get Started

A. Close your eyes and recall one particular episode in your life that you consider memorable.
B. Which aspect or aspects of one’s life should not be shared? Why or why not?

Personal Narrative

Personal narrative shares some aspects of the traditional structure of fiction such as
characters and setting. Like the other types of creative nonfiction, however, the details of such
narrative should not just revolve around events; they should also incorporate the narrator’s personal
(hence, the term) thoughts and feelings. One should also employ literary devices used in traditional
fiction such as figurative language, say, I describing a place or a character in the story.

The personal narrative of course, as the term itself suggests, is told from the first-person
point of view. But like the autobiography which deals with a chain of events, the personal narrative
often concerns a particularly happy, sad, humorous, or outrageous episode in one’s life.

 Try to recall the different types of essays by filling in the blanks below. Choose the
answers from the box below.

1. The ______________ essays tell a story.

2. A type of essay that explains is called a/an _____________ essay.
3. The ______________ essay expresses the writer’s opinion on a given subject
matter.
4. The type of essay that describes a person, a place, or an idea is called a _____________.

persuasive narrative expository

descriptive reactive

 What do you think makes the reflective essay different from the other types?

Reflection Essay

The essay is considered as one of the canonical genres of literature along with poetry, fiction,
and drama. By now, you probably know that there are different types, among which are the narrative
essay (which tells a story), the descriptive essay (which paints with words), the expository essay
(which makes an explanation), and the argumentative essay (which expresses the author’s opinion on
a particular topic).
The reflection or reflective essay is one that expresses the writer’s insights on a given subject
matter. But unlike the argumentative essay whose main purpose is to convince the reader of the logic
and validity of the author’s argument, the reflection essay concerns itself, above all, with the author’s
introspection especially with respect to what he/she has learned from individual experiences. It should

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likewise be noted that in writing the reflection/reflective essay, one may integrate elements from the
other types. For instance, one may tell an anecdote (narrative) or describe a place or person
(descriptive).

 Do you remember Typhoon Yolanda? What images do you remember from the
disaster? How can you help other people, especially fellow Filipinos, who have been
through a natural calamity?

 Witer’s Block

Write a short letter addressed to the victims of COVID-19 articulating your thoughts
and feelings about the pandemic, including words of advice and encouragement
(Short bond paper)
The Testimonio

The testimonio or testimonial narrative is a relatively new literary genre, if one may call it
that. It is said to have originated in Latin America, although it shares some characteristics with the old
genre of autobiographical writing, particularly its being in the first person. But unlike the
autobiography which largely revolves around the personal development or accomplishments of its
author, the testimonio is an account of the author’s experiences of marginality and oppression. In a
sense the narrator is a witness to such cases of abuse, hence the term. The author’s subject position is,
therefore, an important element of the testimonio. Such a narrative should come from a traditionally
marginalized group in society, such as workers and peasants or victims of human rights violations.
The testimonio may also take different forms (letters, diary, entries, incident reports, poetry, among
others.) and use different media (print, radio, TV, among others.), thus challenging traditional literary
boundaries and eve our very notion of the literary.

Loosely structures, the testimonio does not measure up the standards of “academic”
communication and canonical literature. This is expected because testimonial writings are more
concernd with their purpose – that is, to call public attention to lived experiences of marginality – that
with modernist literatr aesthetics.

One popular example of the genre is I, Rigoberta Menchu. The book is about a native
Guatemalan woman, Rigoberta Menchu, and her experiences of abuse and victimization in the hands
of the military. Menchu narrates how members of her own family were harassed, raped, mutilated,
and/or killed by agents of Guatemala’s US-supported government. Because of the book and Menchu’s
efforts to stop human rights violations in Latin America, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace
and became one of the youngest persons to ever receive the award.

 Look for an article that reports cases of abuses against workers

The Travelogue

 How can the narration of one’s travels can made interesting? Which details of the
travel should be included in the account? Should the negative aspects of the travel be
mentioned as well?

As the term itself suggests, travelogue is a kind of creative nonfiction that deals with travels.
A travelogue has to be in the first person and describe the place or places where one (that is, the
narrator) has travelled. Among the popular examples are adventure literature, travel guide, and the
travel journal. The travelogues should not simple give description; however, it should integrate
elements of the narrative and reflective essays, among others. Literary devices, such as figurative
language, are also employed to make the writing more vivid. Comparisons and exaggerations, for
instance may be liberally tossed in, together with the author’s opinions and insights. Travelogues may
be used for promoting a place, say, as quality tourist destination. But a travelogue may also be written

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to call public attention the problems in a place (such as poverty, crime, or poor sanitation) and suggest
corresponding solutions; Che Guevara’s Motorcycle Diaries, a moving and eloquent account of the
author’s journey through the Latin-American continent and his exposure to different forms of social
inequality, serves this particular purpose.

 Witer’s Block

Aside from Baguio, there are other tourist spots in the Philippines that are worth
visiting more than once. Let us suppose you are writing a letter addressed to a foreigner friend who
wants to visit the country. Which tourist area would you recommend and why? (Short Bond paper)

Blogs

 How has technology, particularly the Internet, changed the ways in which people
communicate?

Blog, a truncated version of “web log”, is generally defined as a frequently (or regularly)
updated journal or diary on the internet. A blog is not a genre. It is more of a way through which
information is shared, opinions, are expressed, and stories are told. A blog entry post may be in
almost any form (fiction, nonfiction, poetry). At the risk of belaborating the point, one may even say
that other types of creative nonfiction may be presented by way of a blog.

It is said that writer Peter Merholz first introduces the term in 1999, and used the word “blog
“as a verb (as in “we blog”). Later, the word \”blogger” was coined to refer to the person owning or
maintaining the blog. “Blogosphere” is a newly minted term for the “community” of all blogs.

There are different kinds of blogs and the typology has continued to expand through the
years. Among them are art blogs, photo blogs, video blogs, music blogs, podcasts, edublogs (those for
educational purposes), personal blogs, corporate blogs, organizational blogs, and micro blogs (or
blogs that allow a limited number of words in every entry, such as Twitter). It is said that the blog also
traces its origin to “threads” or “internet fora” which are Internet sites through which net users can
engage in conversations through the posting of messages. In a sense, blogs challenge the dominance
of corporate, mainstream media because their content, for the most part, is generated by the net users
themselves.

There are several Internet sites through which one can start his/her own blog. Among the
popular ones are WordPress.com, blogger.com, and blog.com. A site chosen details the procedure in
creating one’s own blog.

III. EXERCISES

Directions: Answer the following tasks in your notebook.

Task 1
Search for an article or watch a video clip of a nonfictional text representing a particular type
or form; give your commentary/critique about the article you have read or you have watched.
Task 2

After working so closely with a piece of writing, writers often need to step back and ask for a
more objective reader. What writers most need is feedback from readers who can respond only to the
words on the page. When they are ready, writers show their drafts to someone they respect and who
can give an honest response about its strengths and weaknesses.

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 You can work with your classmate using social media such as messenger, email, instagram,
twitter, etc., although you may be uncomfortable sharing your writing at first, remember that each
writer is working toward the same goal: a final draft that fits the audience and the purpose.
Maintaining a positive attitude when providing feedback will put you and your classmate at ease.

After writing your draft from the previous task (number 2 page 23), choose one of your
classmates; edit each other’s draft by considering clarity of ideas, appropriate choice of literary
element, and the effective, combination of ideas and complete the framework for the peer review
session below.

Questions for Peer Review

Title of essay: ________________________________________

Date: ________________________________________

Writer’s name: ________________________________________

Peer reviewer’s name: ________________________________________

1. This essay is about _____________________________________________________.

2. Your main point in this essay is

_________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________.

3. What I most liked about this essay is

_________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________.

4. These three points struck me as your strongest:

a. Point: Why:____________________________________________________________________
b. Point: Why:____________________________________________________________________
c. Point: Why:____________________________________________________________________

5. These places in your essay are not clear to me:

a. Where: ____________________________________________________

Needs improvement because ____________________________________________________

b. Where: ____________________________________________________

Needs improvement because ____________________________________________________

c. Where: ____________________________________________________

Needs improvement because ____________________________________________________

6. The one additional change you could make that would improve this essay significantly is

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_________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________.

IV. EVALUATION

1-a. Directions: In your journal, write a personal experience by choosing from the following
topics:

A. Write about a trip you took that coincided with another important personal
milestone in your life. Recall the trip and how your milestone affected you mentally
or emotionally as you went about your physical journey.

B. Think about the best and most memorable day you had in grade school.

1.) Summarize what happened that day.

2.) Narrate in descriptive detail the most memorable part of that day.
3.) Explain how this day compares to your days now in senior high school.
4.) Reflect on who you are now vis-à-vis the person you were that day.

2-b. Go back to the Question Peer Review activity, check the comment of your chosen classmate
and revise your draft into well-written creative nonfiction

V. RESOURCES

Gallo, H. V., & Oliveros, A. N. (2017). "Grammar Essential" Creative Nonfiction Senior Hig School.
Quezon City: Sibs Publishing House Inc.,.

Moratilla, N. A., Teodoro , J. E., & Suarez,, E. L. (2016). Claiming Spaces: Undertanding, Reading,
and Writing Creative Nonfiction. Quezon City: The Phoenix Publishing House Inc.

Villanueva, M. V., & Perez, M. Q. (2016). Approaches to Creative Nonfiction with Exercises. Quezon
City: Sibs Publishing House Inc.,.