CREATIVE NON-FICTION

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 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 Essay Format Researched Facts Focus on Ideas and Facts Standard Organizational Patterns Narrative Setting Characterization Author is Personally Involved Literary Voice Polished Language Non-Fiction Literary Elements

3 Main TYPES SOME OTHERS Memoir Personal Essay 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. 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.

MEMOIR “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. 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. 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.

Guidelines for Writing Creative Non-Fiction (from Barbara Lounsberry, The Literature of Reality, G. Talese & B. Lounsberry, eds. HarperCollins, 1996, p. 30) 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 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.

4. Interpret your 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.

THE WRITING PROCESS FOR CREATIVE NON-FICTION

Writing process 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.

Writing process 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.

Writing process 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.

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 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.

Writing process 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."

Writing process 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