Nonfiction is a wide kind of compositions that incorporates all books 4. The fourth aspect of creative nonfiction is reading.
ading. Reading while
that are not established in an anecdotal account. Creative nonfiction can
be classified in history and biography; it might be instructional; it can
offer publication and humor; and it can mull over philosophical
requests. If a book is not delved in a made-up story, by then it is
certified.
◦Fact. The core of nonfiction is fact. Factual information shall be
included in the piece and not a made up information.
◦Extensive research. Conducting and gathering information through
research provide accurate and reliable information that you may use in
writing your nonfiction write-up.
◦Reportage/reporting. Documenting the gathered information like
interview and reports helps you keep records and files for future usages.
◦Personal experience and personal opinion. Since the main source of
contents are based from the personal experiences and personal insights
of the writer, it makes an easy way to write a piece.
◦Explanation/Exposition. Explaining the story to the reader is expected
to attain the objectives of the piece.
◦Essay format. The outputs in creative nonfiction are often in essay
format. Examples: Procedural Essay, Personal Essay, Literary essays,
descriptive essay.
The following is a list of the most common literary devices that writers
incorporate into their nonfiction writing:
◦Storytelling/narration. The goal, challenges and obstacles, a turning
point, and resolution of the story shall be delivered spontaneously to
help the readers understand the flow of the story.
◦Character/Characterization. In a nonfiction story, characters are also
important. The main character serves as the core or central idea of the
storyline. The story revolves to the experiences of the main character
with the help of the other characters.
◦Setting, atmosphere and scene. The writer creates scenes that are
action-oriented; include dialogue; and contain vivid descriptions.
◦Plot and plot structure. These are the main events that make up the
story. In a personal essay, there might be only one event. In a memoir,
there are often several significant events.
◦Figurative language. The use of figurative languages helps the writer
to provide aesthetics to the piece. It gives vibrant effect to the story.
◦Imagery. The use of different sensory images helps also to add color in
writing a nonfiction piece.
◦Angle/Point of view. Most of the time nonfiction adheres with the use
of First Person Point of View since the experiences are being told.
◦Dialogue. This can help to make the story run within the characters.
◦Theme. It is the central idea or universal truth presented in the work.
The 5’Rs of Creative Nonfiction
Lee Gutkind, who is a writer, professor, and expert on creative
nonfiction, wrote an essay called “The Five R’s of Creative Nonfiction.” Narrative structure: Telling the story chronologically, from beginning
In this essay, he identified five essential elements of creative nonfiction. to end.
These include:
1. Creative nonfiction uses a real life elements. The writer creates sometimes three, narratives or stories.
concepts of a story using the vital and real information about the subject
which can be associated on close attributes of the real experiences.
2. Creative nonfiction lets the writer to engage on his personal personification, image, vignette, anecdote, a short, short, true story, with
reflection about the subject. After gathering information, the writer an epiphany.
needs to scrutinize and analyze the gathered information. Assessing and
considering his ideologies and beliefs. Through this, it will help the  Frame: Telling a story by opening with a particular scene or
writer to be more factual based.
3. Creative nonfiction instructs the author to do a complete research.
The author needs to find out relevant and vital information about the
subject. The writer needs to finish investigating and weighing
information that will be included in the story. Finishing auxiliary
examination will lead to create a complete and substantial contents. For
an instance, looking into an individual diary, or meeting a companion or
relative, to guarantee that the data is honest and genuine.
conducting research is not enough. The writer must recall the
components through reading to improve and make some modifications.
5. The final element of creative nonfiction is writing. Writing
imaginative true to life is both a workmanship and specialty. The craft
of inventive true to life necessitates that the essayist utilizes his gifts,
senses, innovative capacities, and creative mind to compose paramount
imaginative true to life.
Types of Creative Nonfiction
Creative nonfiction always deals on reality. Reality can be about using
the topics like the use of individual encounter, occasion, or issue in the
open eye. There are different classes or categories to consider in creative
nonfiction such as the individual article, journal, and life account.
 Personal Essay. The writer uses information that is based on
personal experience or a single event, which leads in significant
personal meaning or a lesson learned that he encountered. The writer
uses the first person “I.”
 Memoir. The writer creates a real story within a time or period of
life, one that contributed a significant personal meaning and truth. The
writer uses the first person “I” in the story.
 Literary journalism essay. The writer creates an output on an issue
or topic using the understood literary devices, such as the elements of
fiction and figurative languages.
 Autobiography. The writer writes his/her own life story, from birth
to the present, using the first person “I.”
 Travel Writing. The writer creates article narration about travel
using literary devices and figurative languages.
 Food writing. The writer crafts stories about food and cuisine using
literary techniques that mat lead to a review and recommendation.
 Profiles. The writer constructs life stories of people using literary
devices.
In a blog of Hood (2012), he identified the toolbox of techniques that
writers are expected to use when writing creative nonfiction.
 Topic and Question. In prewriting, you need to choose a topic and
then try to link possible questions to be answered. In doing this, it helps
you to focus on the areas that you intend to highlight, For instance, in
choosing a topic on a travelogue, you need to formulate questions like
How to get there? What are the amenities or activities that can be done?
The transportation fares and routes.
 Narrative Structure or Shape of a Story. Narrative structure lets
you to discover within the way on delivering the story through narration,
meaning that you discover the details of the story and its structure as
you write. In creative nonfiction, there are five popular narrative
structures or shapes
 Braided Structure: Telling a story by weaving or combining two,
 Collage: Using a thematic and segmented approach that combines a
quotation or two, poem, scene, metaphor, simile, allusion,
reflecting and closing with a particular scene or reflection.
 Narrative with Flashback: Telling a story using scene, summary,
reflection, and flashbacks.
Distinctive Voice, Style, and Intimate Point of View. All good writers
have a distinctive voice, which is the persona of the writer expressed on
the age. Good writers also have a unique style. Additionally have a one
of a kind style. An author's style is his/her demeanor of persona on the
page. It incorporates decision of expression, sentence assortment, and
tone, perspective, utilization of illustration, and other abstract gadgets.
The tone of the keeping in touch with itself is in every case well
disposed, conversational. Stories are regularly told utilizing the main
individual perspective.
Detail and Description. Creative writing is often a form of discovery.
As you compose, you review the subtleties, the recollections, the
pictures, the felt feeling, the more profound importance. You'll review
from memory critical, specific subtleties and afterward thinks of them
down. You'll make distinctive depictions with solid, explicit, and
specific subtleties. You don't need to incorporate everything about,
those that are huge or significant. Frequently you'll utilize tactile
symbolism, language that conjures the feeling of sight, smell, taste,
contact, or hearing. The reason for including subtlety is to reproduce the
involvement with the psyche of the readers.
Scene and Summary. One of the most important techniques of creative
nonfiction is writing in scenes. A scene recreates the experience of the  Inverted sentence. E.g. The book of poetry he wrote…The film, the
writer for the reader. A scene evokes. To write a scene, you must show
the reader what is happening. A scene often includes:
Setting - time and place of the story . Action - something that
happens .Dialogue - something being said. Vivid description - concrete
and specific details .Imagery - language that invokes reader’s sense of
sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing .Point of View - first, second, third Lyrical Language. Sometimes, a writer will use a lyrical style to
persons .Figurative language - simile, metaphor, etc. .
Beginning, middle and ending - a scene has a beginning, middle and
end.
Summary involves telling the reader what happened. Telling means to
summarize and to compress, leaving out the details and descriptions.
Telling is explaining.
Techniques of Fiction. You’ll also rely on the techniques of fiction to
tell a true story, including:
 Setting-time and place and context, which provides the backdrop to
the true story
 Narrative Arc ( inciting incident, conflict and setback, climax,
epiphany, resolution)
 Point of View- first person “I”, Second Person “You”, third person
“He/She”
 Character development- Developing character through action,
dialogue, description
 Vivid Description-descriptions that are concrete and specific
 Use of imagery-literal imagery through description; figurative
imagery with simile or metaphor
 Theme-the meaning of the story
The narrative arc is used to write a personal narrative essay, sometimes
a memoir. The opinion essay, meditative essay, and collage essay don’t 5. Establish clear and vivid pictures with your words. Literary
require a narrative. These sorts of essays tend to be structured around a devices like imagery can help to create visual pictures or imageries in
theme.
Poetic Devices-Figurative Language. You’ll often use one or more of
the following poetic devices to write creative nonfiction:
 Simile  Metaphor  Symbolism  Personification  Imagery
 Assonance and alliteration  Allusion
Experienced Writers often use any of the above to write creative
nonfiction. Simile and metaphor are the tools of choice.
Personal Reflection. In most types of creative nonfiction, you’ll share
personal reflection with the reader. These can include:
 Personal thoughts and feelings  Opinions  Ruminations
 Personal perspective  stream of consciousness  Mediations
Personal refection is required to write a memoir. It is also used to write
a personal narrative, opinion, meditative, and lyrical essay. Personal
reflection can also be incorporated into literary journalism.
Word Choice/Diction. Check to see that you use language in a fresh
and original way, making note of connotation, the implied meaning of
the word. As well, selecting words with the best meaning. Meaning
refers to diction. Avoid using clichés and jargon.
Sentence Variety (Length and structure). Use short and long, and a
variety of syntax to create a personal essay, memoir, or literary
journalism. Sentence variety includes:
 Intentional Fragment. e.g. A pen. Pad of paper. Time, lots of time.
Experimentation. A creative mind. These are the requirements of
creative writing.
 Simple, compound, complex, compound-complex sentences
 Parallel structure in sentences, e.g. I require a pen, pad of paper,
spare time, experimentation, and a creative mind, to write creatively, to
write poetry, to write fiction, to write a personal essay, to write
anything.
 Declarative (statement of fact), Interrogative (ask a question),
exclamatory (emphatic) sentences
script, the special effects, the story, I enjoyed.
 Lose sentence and periodic sentences. When writing a periodic
sentence, the main idea and clause are at the end of the sentence. For a
lose sentence, the main idea and independent clause are at the beginning
of the sentence.
express emotion and evoke emotion in the reader. This is often the case
when writing a lyrical essay. The writing style is based on the
following:
 repetition of words, phrases, clauses;  parallel structure;
 rhyme, both rhyme and internal rhyme;  alliteration and assonance;
and  sensory imagery.
Here are the main reasons to use literary devices in your writing:
1. Include special effects in writing. Some portion of appearing, and
not telling, through your story includes the utilization of literary devices
and different strategies in your narration.
2. Establish connection with your audience. You can bring the reader
into your story, and urge them to connect with the content. Literary
devices can stimulate the reader’s mind, and giving them a deeper
reading experience.
3. Interests hooks the reader. Without literary devices, there is a huge
possibility that the story will be dull and boring. By incorporating
literary techniques in your writing, you add vivid color and interests to
your words, and avoid being a dull.
4. Use abstract information. More common in fiction stories, literary
devices can help the author convey abstract concepts or information to
the reader. They can help communicate the work’s overall meaning or
theme, without the writer having to directly state the purpose.
the reader’s imagination.
Some common reasons why authors use literary devices are to:
1. Illustrate the storyline;
2. Clarify certain points or concepts;
3. Convey abstract information;
4. Draw attention to important pieces of the story or topic;
5. Engage and captivate readers;
6. Encourage readers to interact with the story a little deeper; and
7. Enhance the reader’s experience.
Common literary devices
The most common literary devices used in literature, art and everyday
language are similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, and
symbolism.
Numerous individuals do not have the foggiest idea about genuine
names of abstract gadgets, so they do not understand these components
when they experience them in regular circumstances.
While these abstract components are most regularly utilized, there are Epistrophe The repetition of a I want the best, and
various different gadgets that are alive and utilized by essayists. word or phrase at the we need the best, and
Reasons to Use Literary Elements in Writing end of a sentence. we deserve the best.
The number one rule to writing is to “show, don’t tell”. Flashbacks It is an interjected In a story about a girl
You have to illustrate the story to your readers. Using literary elements scene that takes the who is afraid of
will clearly help the readers to establish the scenarios of the stories. narrative back in time heights, there is a
Utilizing these elements will help you to have vivid illustrations. from the current point flashback to a time
Readers do not want a story to be told but rather to see the storyline by in the story. when she fell off of
showing it to them. Readers want to know what the characters the top of a
perceptions, emotions, and what the characters see in the story and playground as a
how would they react on these. young child.
Foreshadowing A clue at what will It was a cold stormy
This is where the use of literary elements come into play. By utilizing
literary element techniques in your literary outputs, you will form an happen next, or at night that would
interesting and unforgettable experience to your readers. some point, in the introduce her to
Even if you are learning how to become a non-fiction author, you will story. eternal darkness,
want to use literary devices because they are an effective way to forever changing the
captivate readers on any topic. course of her life.
Hyperbole Extreme exaggeration I’m so hungry, I can
Literary Definition Ex of a real event or eat a whole cow.
Elements ample situation.
Allusion A literary device that “Don't act like a Imagery A literary device that As I unveiled the
refers to external Romeo in front of appeals to the reader’s beige curtain of my
people, events, or her.” – “Romeo” is a physical senses. cottage’s window, I
things. These are reference to witnessed a
people who are not Shakespeare's picturesque view of
part of the story itself. Romeo, a passionate Carmona. It was
lover of Juliet, in intensively heaven.
“Romeo and Juliet”. Juxtaposition When a writer places In the classic movie
Alliteration Alliteration is a device I saw thousands of two contrasting The Godfather, when
where an initial bats, screeching and concepts, people, or baptism scenes were
consonant sounds is screaming which events directly side- juxtaposed with
being repeated in the seemed like they saw by-side in a sentence murder scenes.
words of a phrase or a hunters and tried to or paragraph.
sentence. fly in different Motif when a recurrent The presence of older
directions. element (such as an female villains in
Anaphora Anaphora is a It was the best of image, sound, or Disney adaptations.
repetition of the same times, it was the concept) is found
word or phrase at the worst of times during throughout a story, to
beginning of the times of chal- help develop the
successive sentences. lenges like this theme, or central
pandemic message.
Diction The specific choice of Anes ganap? It’s the Metaphor An implicit Your brother is an
words used helps bong-gacious fiesta comparison be-tween angel for me.
determine the style in ditetshiwa in the two or more things.
which the person is Philippines. Filipino Simile An explicit My love for you is
speaking or writing. It People are united and comparison be-tween like this river flow. It
can be a formal, the whole nation is two or more things won’t stop.
informal, colloquial, into it. There are so using the words "like"
slang or poetic. many anech-anech or "as."
like the colorful Personification When a writer gives Leaves dance with
decorations and there inani-mate objects or the wind.
are variety of foods. inhuman beings (like
Anes pa? Let’s find animals) human
more-more ga-nap. characteristics or
Euphemism a mild or indirect No one wants to be attributes.
word or expression with him because his Onomatopoeia A word or phrase Kring… Kring…
substituted for one attitude is that con-veys the Kring…
considered to be too unattractive and sub- sound of some-thing. The telephone rings.
harsh or blunt when standard to women’s Oxymoron A combination of con- The experiences that
refer-ring to choice. trasting, or opposite, we had were really
something unpleasant words. bitter sweet
or embarrassing. memories to us.
Paradox A sentence or a phrase Keep your friends
that appears close, and your
contradictory, but enemies closer.
implies some kind
truth.
Assonance Repetition of vowel When we had our
sounds in every word vacation, the teachers
in a line or a sentence. reached the beach
concert of The Meech
Band.
Consonance Repetition of The female, more
consonant sounds than my thumb, are
within the words in a shimmering in their
line or a sentence. maroon dresses.