Transcript CREATIVE NON-FICTION

This is a quotation from ChIp Scanlon- A REALLY SMART WRITING GUY
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“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
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. “
Essay Format
 Researched Facts
 Focus on Ideas and
Facts
 Standard
Organizational
Patterns

Non-Fiction
Narrative
 Setting
 Characterization
 Author is Personally
Involved
 Literary Voice
 Polished Language

Literary Elements
 Memoir
 Personal
Essay
 Travel- Place Essay
 Food
Writing
 Biography
 Literary Journalism
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.
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
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. 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.
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.
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.
 Choosing
a topic
by thinking about
the purpose or
theme of what you
are trying to
accomplish with
your writing. PICK
SOMETHING YOU
WILL LIKE FOR
AWHILE!
 Your
class is your
audience; when
brainstorming
ideas for your
writing, think
about the things
others would want
to read about.
 Then,
THINK about
your topic. Don’t
just start putting
your draft
together. THINK
about it. Why are
you writing about
it? What do you
really want people
to know about
your topic?
 Relate
your topic
to people,
relationships,
love, death, joy,
sorrow, humor,
anything that you
can think of that
will get a real
response out of
the reader.
 Your
writing will
need to get the
attention of the
reader from the
very beginning.
This is called writing
a good “lead”.
 With
a partner, look
over the handout on
leads that I have
given you. Choose a
situation and write
a lead about it.
Then compare your
lead to your
partners and answer
the questions on the
handout.
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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.
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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.
 Voice
is an
important aspect of
creative nonfiction.
The ethos of the
writer is important.
 What
style and tone
are you using?
Personal essays have
an informal style. It
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.
 Organize
the
details in a logical
order to keep your
readers' attention
and to best tell
the story.
 Use paragraphs!
 Use
transitions,
but not formal
transitions that
sound stuffy, like
"therefore,"
"whereas," or "on
the other hand."
 Dialog
should be
natural and should
advance the story.
Don't use it if you
don't need it.
 Use inventive
metaphors to get
readers to see
ideas in a new
way.
 Use
concrete
details and
descriptions of
people, places and
things