CREATIVE NON-FICTION

Principles, Elements, Techniques, and Devices

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of the chapter, the student will be able to:

1. Do a close reading of creative nonfiction texts;
2 Identify the fictional elements in the texts;
3. Analyze and interpret factual/non fiction aspects in the texts
4. Evaluate the relationship of creative and nonfiction elements of the
texts;
5. Write a draft of a short piece using multiple elements conventionally
identified with the literary genres;
6. Peer-edit each other's draft;
7. Revise the draft of a short piece using multiple elements
conventionally identified with the literary genres.
CHAPTER OUTLINE:
PRINCIPLES, ELEMENTS, TECHNIQUES, AND DEVICES

1. Elements of Creative Nonfiction

2. Literary Elements Used in Creative Nonfiction
3. Figurative Language Used in Creative Nonfiction
 ELEMENTS OF CREATIVE NONFICTION

The creative nonfiction writer often incorporates several elements of

nonfiction when writing a memoir, personal essay, travel writing, and
so on.
THE FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE MOST
COMMON ELEMENTS OF NONFICTION:

1.1 Fact
The writing must be based on fact rather than fiction cannot be made up.
1.2. Extensive research
The piece of writing is based on primary research such as an interview or personal
experience and often secondary research, such as gathering Information from
books magazines, and newspapers.
1.3. Reportage/reporting
The writer must be able to document events or personal experiences
1.4. Personal experience and personal opinion
Often the writer includes personal experience, feelings, thoughts, and
opinions, For instance, when writing a personal essay or memoir.
• 1.5. Explanation/Exposition
• The writer is required to explain the personal experience or topic to
the reader.
• 1.6. Essay format
• Creative nonfiction is often written in essay format. Example:
Personal Essay
• Literary Journalistic essay, brief essay.
 LITERARY ELEMENTS USED IN CREATIVE
NONFICTION

Creative nonfiction is the literature of fact. Yet, Authors of nonfiction

works often use the same basic elements as fiction authors to tell a
compelling story.
 THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF THE MOST COMMON LITERARY
DEVICES THAT WRITERS INCORPORATE INTO THEIR
NONFICTION WRITING:

1. Characters Narrative 8. Figurative Language 15. Style

2. Detail 9. Flashback 16. Symbol
3. Order 10. Flash Forward 17. Theme
4. Plot and Plot 11. Foreshadowing 18. Tone
Structure 12. Imagery
5. Dialogue 13. Motif
6. Diction 14. Setting, Scene and
7. Point of View Atmosphere
2.1. CHARACTER
Every story has characters but in non-fiction, these characters are real
people. In order to make the work relatable or empathetic, nonfiction
authors often follow the same conventions as fiction authors and
develop characters that catch the reader's attention. The author
describes physical descriptions, personality traits and detailed histories
to give the characters depth and relatability.
The nonfiction piece often requires a main character. If a writer is
creating his/her memoir, then the writer is the central character.
2.2. DIALOGUE
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or
spoken or conversational exchange between two or more ("dia" means
through or across) people.
It is the conversation between characters in a narrative. It is the lines or
passages in drama which are intended to be spoken.
In fiction and creative nonfiction, dialogue is typically enclosed within
quotation marks. In plays, characters' speech is preceded by their
names.
 FUNCTIONS OF DIALOGUE

1. It moves the action along in a work and it also helps to characterize

the personality of the speakers, which vary depending on their
nationalities, jobs, social classes and educations.
2. It also gives literature a more natural, conversational flow, which
makes it more readable and enjoyable.
3. By showcasing human interaction, dialogue prevents literature from
being nothing more than a list of descriptions and actions.
4. Dialogue varies in structure and tone depending on the people
participating in the conversation and the mood that the author is trying
to maintain in his or her writing
Basically, dialogue is always created for a purpose of story
development, therefore, it cannot function as a taped recording of
reality, and it must be stripped of nuances that may not be true to the
story or confuse the reader.
 2.4. DICTION

Diction is the writer's choice of words. The author chooses each word
carefully that both its meaning and sound contribute to the tone and
feeling of the literary work. The author must consider a word's
denotation-its definition according to the dictionary and its connotation
the emotions, thoughts and ideas associated with and evoked by the
word.
A work's diction forms one of its centrally important literary elements,
as writers use words to convey action, reveal character, imply attitudes,
Identify themes, and suggest values. We can speak of the diction
particular to a character, as in lago's and Desdemona's very different
ways of speaking in Othello. We can also refer to a poet's diction as
represented over the body of his or her work, as in Donne's or Hughes's
diction.
 2.5. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

Figurative language is a type of language that varies from the norms of

literal language, in which words mean exactly what they say for the
sake of comparison, emphasis, clarity, or freshness.
Also known as the “_ r n_ _ _n _ s of language." figurative language
does not mean exactly what it says, but instead forces the reader to
make an imaginative leap in order to comprehend an author's point. It
usually involves a comparison between two things that may not, at
first, seem to relate to one another and can facilitate understanding
because it relates something unfamiliar to something familiar.
Sometimes, writers resort to sound-effect devices to make their writing
sound good and not just communicate mere information
To comprehend figurative language, it will require you to use your
imagination to figure out the writer's point or meaning.
There is a detailed discussion on figurative language after this section.
 2.6. FLASHBACK
Flashback is a literary device in which an earlier or past event is
inserted into the present or the normal chronological order of a
narrative. Various methods may be used to present this literary device.
Among them are: recollections of characters, narration characters,
dream sequences, and reveries. Flashbacks are often used to recount
events that happened before the story's primary sequence of events or
to fill in crucial backstory. Here's an example of flashback as a
memory:
EXAMPLE:

A woman is about to get married, As she puts on her veil she

remembers her fiancé’ three years before swearing he would make her
his wife someday. A tear comes to her eye and she prepares to walk
down the aisle.
Here, the flashback is the memory of the woman's fiancé’ three years
before. The memory serves to show that her fiancé’ was sure of their
relationship early on, and that his prediction has come true. The
memory brings a tear of happiness to her eye.
2.7. FLASH FORWARD

Flash-forward or prolepsis is a literary device in which the plot goes

ahead of time is a scene that interrupts and takes the narrative forward in
time from the current time in a story.
Generally, a flash-forward represents expected or imagined events in the
future interjected in the main plot revealing the important parts of the
story that are yet to occur. It is an opposite of flashback or analepsis
(reveals past events).
 EXAMPLE/S:
• In a story about a middle school student who is not popular, the
student daydreams about making the football team and being the
most popular kid in high school.
• A young mother has just had her child, and there are flash forward
scenes of all of the things she cannot wait to do-first steps, first
words, first bike ride, first day of school, etc.
• A teacher talks with her students about what they might become, and
there are flash forward scenes of students as doctors, lawyers,
teachers, etc.
 EXAMPLES FROM MOVIES

• In Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Scrooge experiences a flash

forward, as the ghost of Christmas future takes him to see what his
life (and death) will be like if he does not change his selfish ways.
• In Terminator 2: Judgment Day, there is a flash forward scene of
nuclear destruction, that the characters in the present day are working
to prevent.
2.8. FORESHADOWING
• Foreshadowing is a literary device in which an author hints certain
plot developments that perhaps will come to be, later in the story. It is
the presentation of material in a work in such a way that later events
are prepared for. The purpose of foreshadowing is to prepare the
reader or viewer for action to come.
• To foreshadow an event in a story, the audience is given direct and/or
subtle clues about what will happen. Imagine this scene:
EXAMPLE/S:
• Example 1:
• A professionally dressed woman hurriedly leaves the house,
slamming the front door. She frantically searches for her keys in the
bottom of a giant purse while balancing a briefcase under her other
arm. She finds her keys, gets in the car and begins backing out of the
driveway, and then slams on the brakes. "I feel like I'm forgetting
something." she says. She shrugs and drives away.
• With only this information, we can predict the outcome of this story-
the woman has forgotten something important at home, and she
probably won't realize it until she needs it, perhaps at a meeting. Her
clothing, behavior, and dialogue are all clues that work together to
foreshadow what will happen in her future. Now, imagine the same
situation reenacted with slight differences:
• Example 2:
• A professionally dressed woman hurriedly leaves the house,
slamming the front door. She frantically searches for her keys in the
bottom of a giant purse while balancing a briefcase under her other
arm. She finds her keys gets in the car and backs out of the driveway,
As the car drives away, the camera moves back towards the front
door and into the house, where a USB stick is sitting on a shelf next
to the front door.
• In this scene, the situation is the same, but the details are different. It
shows us the USB stick forgotten by the woman, which foreshadows
a future conflict.
2.9 IMAGERY
Imagery refers to the pictures" which we perceive with our mind's
eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin, and through which we experience the
"duplicate world" created by poetic language.
Imagery evokes the meaning and truth of human experiences not in
abstract terms, as in philosophy, but in more perceptible and tangible
forms.
This is a device by which the poet makes his meaning strong, clear and
sure. The poet uses sound words and words of color and touch in
addition to figures of speech. As well, concrete details that appeal to
the reader's senses are used to build up images.
 EXAMPLE/S

• 1. I could hear the popping and crackling as mom dropped the bacon
into the frying pan, and soon the salty, greasy smell wafted toward
me.
• 2. Glittering white, the blanket of snow covered everything in sight.
• 3. The golden yellow sunlight filtered down through the pale new
leaves on the oak trees, coming to rest on Jessica's brown toes that
were splayed in the red Georgia mud.
• The poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth
uses imagery throughout:
A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing
their heads in sprightly dance.
2.10. MOTIF

Motif is any element, subject, idea or concept that is constantly present

through the entire body of literature. Using a motif refers to the
repetition of a specific theme dominating the literary work. Motifs are
very noticeable and play a significant role in defining the nature of the
story, the course of events and the very fabric of the literary piece.
 EXAMPLE/S

• For example, “death” could be a motif in a literary work. An author

would not necessarily have to use the word “death” to express the
motif. He might write “funeral,” “grave,” “dead,” and so on.
Furthermore, he could depict death-like images to add to the motif.
• All of the language and imagery would contribute to the motif. The
motif itself would contribute to the author’s theme.
 MOTIF VS. SYMBOL: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

MOTIF SYMBOL
is a recurring idea or concept throughout  is an object that represents something it
a text. is not. A common example is that a heart
is a symbol for love.

A writer may use a symbol to reinforce motif.

Let’s look at an example continuing with the “death” motif from above.
A writer may place a coffin in a scene of the text. The coffin itself is a symbol for
death. It is an object that represents death. The symbol of the coffin would add to
the “death” motif.
Symbols may contribute to a motif. The motif reinforces theme.
MOTIF VS. THEME: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

MOTIf
recurs throughout a text and is the
foundation for developing the
author’s theme.
THEME
is a message the author intends to
communicate with his text. A reader will
use clues throughout the text to gather this
message. A motif can be one of those clues.

Theme is a message that the audience must infer after reading. A motif uses
objects and ideas throughout the text to contribute to that message, the theme.
 EXAMPLE OF MOTIF IN LITERATURE:

• A motif in Romeo and Juliet is “light and dark.” Some examples include:
• Throughout the play, Romeo refers to Juliet as a powerful light source.
• The night (moon) is no match for Juliet’s beauty.
• Juliet, too, says Romeo lights her.
• The lovers are “stars” that light the dark sky.
• Their love is discussed as a flash of lightning.
• The ideas and concepts regarding light and dark repeated above contribute to the
motif throughout the play.
2.11. NARRATIVE

Nonfiction writing usually follows a time line for a narrative that is

either linear or nonlinear, depending on how the author tells the story.
Authors can choose to tell a history from start to finish or jump from
one time to another to create parallels to other characters or events. The
author carefully chooses a narrative to enhance any dramatization. In
most nonfiction, the story told focuses on a central conflict or theme
that defines the purpose of the work.
 LINEAR AND NONLINEAR

• Linear text refers to traditional text that needs to be read from

beginning to the end while nonlinear text refers to text that
does not need to be read from beginning to the end. As their names
imply, linear texts are linear and sequential while non-linear and
non-sequential.Jun 18, 2018
In writing nonfiction, rather than just reportage, you are going to
borrow from fictional techniques to tell the story in an interesting and
very human way. The best stories display a common structure
characterized by rising action that builds interest to a peak. Falling
again toward a satisfying resolution. This structure mirrors the shape of
the most rewarding experience in life, so it is not surprising that stories
follow this structure.
Use narrative structure whenever you want to tell a story or narratives
(real or imagined)
2.12. ORDER
Order is the arrangement of events in a work of literature. It is the structure of
something is the way that thing is put together, in nonfiction, it's the way things
are organized. The way you organize information impacts how your audience
receives it. The six informational structures below will help you organize your
information in a clear, easy to-follow manner.
Use order of importance to rank details from least to most, or from most to
least. Transitional words and phrases signal shifts in thought and are used to
guide your audience through blocks of information
Examples of order-of-importance transitions more important, most important
more effective, good, better, best.
CHRONOLOGICAL

Use chronological order (time order) to arrange details in a story or

process in the order in which they happened.
Examples of chronological-order transitions: first, next, then, before,
later, second, finally, last.
PROBLEM-SOLUTION SETTLE

Use problem-solution order to explain a problem, outline a solution, or

argue for or against a solution
Examples of problem-solution terms: at risk, a major problem, one
symptom, should be saved, must not happen, to fix this, the best
solution, please support.
CAUSE-EFFECT

Use cause-effect organization to show the relationship between events

or conditions. You may focus on one cause and their one effect, or
many causes and many effects.
Examples of cause-effect transitions: as a result, because,
consequently, since therefore, then, due to the fact that
COMPARISON-CONTRAST

Use comparison contrast organization to show similarities and

differences between two things
Examples of comparison-contrast terms: also, both, but, by contrast,
even though, like. likewise, however, similarly.
CLASSIFICATION

Use classification to break a subject into subgroups or categories. Then

discuss unique properties of each category
Examples of classification terms: another kind of the first subgroup, a
second category, third variety, a final type the most popular, a less
popular
However, nonfiction may use flashbacks to help fill in missing
information, explain characters actions and advance the story,
2.13. PLOT AND PLOT STRUCTURE

The writer needs to be able to tell his/her story, A good story includes
an inciting incident, a goal, challenges and obstacles, a turning point,
and resolution of the story Plot refers to the series or sequence of
events that give a story its meaning and effect.
In most stories, these events arise out of conflict experienced by the
main character. The conflict may come from something external or it
may stem from an internal issue. As the character makes choices and
tries to resolve the problem, the story's action is shaped and plot is
generated.
The plot is built around a series of events that take place within a
definite period. It is what happens to the characters. No rules exist for
the order in which the events are presented.
In some stories, the author structures the entire plot chronologically,
with the first event followed by the second third, and so on, like beads
on a rosary.
In traditional literary terms, a unified plot includes an exposition, a
rising action a climax, a falling action and a denouement or resolution
or conclusion.
However, many other stories are told with flashback techniques in
which plot events from earlier times interrupt the story's present
events. All stories are unique, and in one sense there are as many plots
as there are stories. In a personal essay, there might be only one event.
In a memoir, there are often several significant events.
2.14. POINT OF VIEW

(Point of view refers to the perspective from which a story is told.

When a character in the story _________ the story, it is view When the
story is to narrator outside of the story is called third-person point of
view)
Memoirs and autobiographies are told in first person point of view and
second person.
Manuals how to guides and self-help books are usually written in the
most biographies are told in the third person by someone who is
relating the information he has gathered about the story.
The narrator of a story can have an omniscient or limited view. Omniscient
means all knowing the narrator has an omniscient point of view, then he knows
what is going on in the minds of all of the characters at all times. The reader
gets to know what geny character is thinking and feeling.

If the narrator has a limited point of view, then he doesn't know everything
Point of view can be limited in two ways. First-person point of view (where a
character in the story is telling the story) is limited. That character only knows
what is happening where he/she is, and can only describe how he/she feels.
Third-person point of view can be limited if the narrator "shadows one of the
characters. So, the narrator is not in the story, but he/she only describes the
action surrounding a specific character.
Famous examples
• First-Person Point of View:
When the bus came, I got on, carrying my pink backpack. It was the
first day of school, and I was nervous. I smiled, though, when I saw my
best friend Kevin sitting in the back.
• Third-Person Limited Point of View:
When the bus came, Sharon got on, carrying her pink backpack. It was
the first day of school, and Sharon was nervous. She smiled, though,
when she saw her best friend Kevin sitting in the back.
Omniscient Point of View:
When the bus came, Sharon got on, carrying her pink backpack. It was
the first day of school, and Sharon was nervous, She smiled, though,
when she saw her best friend Kevin sitting in the back. Kevin was
nervous, too. So, he was thrilled to see Sharon. Maybe this day would
not be so bad after all.
 `

• http://softschools.com/examples/literary_terms/flash_forward_examples/256/