CREATIVE

NON-FICTION

Prepared by: Mrs. Chona M. Cataluna

 WHAT IS CREATIVE NON-
FICTION?
This is a quotation from Chip Scanlon
A REALLY SMART WRITING GUY
“Creative nonfiction is also known as:
 The Art of Fact
 The Art of Truth
 Gonzo Journalism
 Neo-gonzo Journalism
 The Fourth Genre (after poetry, fiction and drama)
 The Literature of Reality
 WHAT IS CREATIVE NON-
FICTION?
 New Journalism
 Literary Journalism
 Narrative Nonfiction
 Whatever you call it -- and as you can tell from the list I've
just enumerated, the genre goes by lots of names -- in the last
decade there's been an explosion of interest in the form. “
 Basically, it is a “hybrid” of non-
Fiction and literature

Non-Fiction Literary Elements

• Essay Format • Narrative
• Setting
• Researched Facts
• Characterization
• Focus on Ideas and • Author is Personally
Facts Involved
• Standard • Literary Voice
Organizational Patterns • Polished Language
 3 Main TYPES

1. Memoir
2. Personal Essay
3. Travel- Place Essay

 Food Writing
 Biography
 Literary Journalism
 MEMOIR

By Audrey Owen

The French word memoire simply means memory. In literature, the memoir is a
reflection on memory.

It is not an autobiography. An autobiography tells a life story from the point of

view of the writer. A memoir explores the writer’s memory of other people or
events. Although it is more than “important people who knew me,” that phrase
helps me to remember what a memoir is. It is my reflection on the things or
people that influenced me.
It is focused either in time or place. The autobiography spans a lifetime. The
memoir narrows the view.
 MEMOIR

A powerful memoir consists of highlights that point out an underlying

theme. The highlights are linked in a story form, similar to fiction, with
an emphasis on why something happened or on a resolution to a
problem. Meaning is paramount.
Henry David Thoreau said, “What lies behind us and what lies ahead of
us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us.” As you write
your memoir you take what lies behind you, filter it through what lives
within you, and inform what lies ahead for you and others.
“A memoir is how one remembers one’s own
life, while an autobiography is history, requiring research,
dates, facts double-checked.”
- Gore Vidal

“Unlike the autobiography, which moves in a dutiful line

from birth to fame, memoir narrows the lens, focusing on
a time in the writer’s life that was unusually vivid, such
as childhood or adolescence, or that was framed by war
or travel or public service or some other special
circumstance” – William Zinsser in
Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir
 THE PERSONAL ESSAY

Personal essay, as the very name suggests, is describing

yourself and opening up, that is getting up, close and
personal with the reader. This form of essay is very
commonly used while writing for college admission essays
as it allows the reader to get a personal view of you through
your writing and form an opinion of the unknown and
unseen you.
 THE PERSONAL ESSAY

This is a good opportunity where one can present oneself in

the best light if written thoughtfully, honestly and with care.
It can become a platform where you can voice your
opinions , air your views and share your innermost thoughts
without any reservations. What remains now, is to choose the
perfect personal essay topic, that will catch the imagination
of the reader and will attract him towards the written article.
 THE TRAVEL ESSAY

A travel/place essay takes travel or a place as its

point of origin. The essay is probably not simply
about a place or a journey, but rather is about what
one may discover about people or life on that
journey or in that place. People are often defined by
the places they grow up in or choose to call home.
There is something about landscape that is more
than just sky and earth.
 THE TRAVEL ESSAY

A travel essay needs to include some details of a journey, a vacation, a

trip. But what else do you want to say. Would an essay about a family
vacation to Disney World be interesting? If it is just like everyone else's
family vacation to Disney World, then probably no. What is it about your
topic that makes it not just a travel diary. A travel diary is simply a record
of what you did each day.

A essay about place begins with an author's recognition that some aspect
of a particular place is worth writing about. Most of us have special or
meaningful places in our lives. But again, a essay about place goes beyond
just describing the place.
(from Barbara Lounsberry, The Literature of Reality, G. Talese & B.
Lounsberry, eds. HarperCollins, 1996, p. 30)

1.Research thoroughly. If you can’t remember something specifically, do

not write about it until you have it right.

2. Cultivate relationships with your subjects over a period of time to

create trust, absorb information, note change, and know individuals so
you can describe their thoughts, feelings, and attitudes correctly. This is
very important if you are writing about someone else and not yourself.

3. Never invent or change facts or events. The truth is stranger than

fiction.
4. Avoid composites. In other words stick to one story, theme,
topic, etc. Don’t try to join more than one.

5. Aim for a clear style with rhythm, "texture," color, and a

dramatic pace.

6. Write for real people to enrich their lives. Deep, right?

7. Write about real events and people to make them come alive
and record them. MAKE THE READER FEEL LIKE HE OR
SHE IS THERE!

8. "Have faith in the value and importance of human being and

human events..."
 Goals of creative non-fiction

1.Deal with an issue/problem people are concerned about or find a

way to make them concerned or interested.
Consider your audience
Use non-fiction techniques to draw the reader in:
Give background to educate your readers
Give your readers new information to help them understand
themselves, the world better.

2.Provide accurate data.

Be truthful.  Be honest.
Research thoroughly and carefully (the more you look, the more you’ll find)
Use a variety of sources:
primary (interviews, trips to the place, personal experience, surveys)
secondary (library research . . . .)
Cite your sources so readers know how you gathered the information.
3. Report fairly.
Be objective.
Be logical.
Select information carefully.
Provide details.
Use facts, real people, real situations. Be frank. Don’t be too
personal.

4. Interpret your information.

Introduce
Give facts, examples, quotations, . . .
Analyze, interpret, explain, synthesize.

5. Draw conclusions.
6. Organize your information.

Put your information in a logical order (chronological, spatial,

dramatic, general to specific. . . .).
Put your information in an interesting order.
Use clear paragraphs (topic/purpose).
Deal with information in blocks.
Consider using headings.

7. Use interesting language.

vivid, useful details

quotations / vernacular
Metaphor
Imagery
Humor
rhythm, pacing
Ethics
In recent years, several well-publicized incidents within the
United States have called into question the truthfulness and
factual standards of creative nonfiction. Given its different
styles and characteristics, it is not held to the same
journalistic ethics and standards as direct reporting or news
publications. Its allowances of artistic license to authors are
not standardized, and some have accused writers of
glorification of interpretation, and even of fabrication. A
recent example of these incidents is the James Frey
controversy in regards to his memoir A Million Little Pieces,
published in 2003. In his memoir, Frey claimed to have had
certain experiences, which were revealed in 2006 to be
fabrications.
 Writing process

• Choosing a topic by • Your class is your

thinking about the audience; when
purpose or theme of brainstorming ideas for
what you are trying to your writing, think
accomplish with your about the things others
writing. PICK would want to read
SOMETHING YOU about.
WILL LIKE FOR
AWHILE!
 Writing process

 Then, THINK about  Relate your topic to

your topic. Don’t just people, relationships,
start putting your draft love, death, joy,
together. THINK sorrow, humor,
about it. Why are you anything that you can
writing about it? What think of that will get a
do you really want real response out of the
people to know about reader.
your topic?
 Writing process
 Your writing will need  With a partner, look
to get the attention of over the handout on
the reader from the leads that I have given
very beginning. This you. Choose a
is called writing a good situation and write a
“lead”. lead about it. Then
compare your lead to
your partners and
answer the questions
on the handout.
 Writing process
 No matter what type of essay
you write, you will be telling
some kind of story. While you
are not writing a five paragraph
essay, you should be writing in
paragraphs. Some may be long;
some may be short. You may
have characters in action
(something is happening).
Always keep your purpose in
mind.
 You won't be writing a
standard summary
conclusion. The purpose
of your conclusion or
ending is to make your
essay feel finished. But
even more than that, it
should create a lasting
impression on the reader.
 Writing process

 Voice is an important  What style and tone are

aspect of creative you using? Personal essays
nonfiction. The ethos of have an informal style. It
the writer is important. could be so informal as to
use slang here and there,
especially in dialog. Will
the narrative voice be
casual and easy-going,
humorous, or more
serious.
 Writing process

• Organize the details in • Use transitions, but not

a logical order to keep formal transitions that
your readers' attention sound stuffy, like
and to best tell the "therefore," "whereas,"
story. or "on the other hand."
• Use paragraphs!
 Writing process

• Dialogue should be • Use concrete details

natural and should and descriptions of
advance the story. people, places and
Don't use it if you don't things
need it.
• Use inventive
metaphors to get
readers to see ideas in
a new way.