Creative Non Fictiom

• Fiction


  Writing about imaginary events and people
• Fictionist


  Writer of fiction, novelist, or a short story writer
• Salient features of fiction

  • Imagination created by a writer
  • People who don't exist in real life, but can be observed as real
  • Situations, conditions, and surroundings that are closely similar to what is real
  • Characters and plot should go in harmony and unity
• Categories of fiction based on number of words used

  • Drabble - short work of fiction of 100 words in length
  • Flash Fiction - fewer than 2,000 words
  • Short Story - at least 2,000 words but under 7,500 words
  • Novelette - 7,500 words but under 17,500
  • Novella - 17,500 words but under 50,00 words or 60 - 170 pages
  • Novel - 50,00 words or more or around 170 pages
• Elements of fiction


  • Characters
  • Setting
  • Plot
  • Conflict
  • Theme
  • Point of view
• Characters


  People in a narrative, figures to whom action happens - take part in or witness the events in a story
• Assumptions about character actions

  • Character has a personal history
  • Character acts purposefully
  • Character is consistent
• Types of characters


  • Round characters
  • Protagonist
  • Villain
  • Comrade
• Characterization


  The way a writer presents the characters
• Methods of characterization


  • Direct
  • Indirect
• Setting


  The world where a story takes place
• Important aspects of setting

  • Physical characteristics
  • Time
  • Cultural & social conditions
• Plot


  Lays out the structure of the story considering the flow of events and actions
• Elements of plot


  • Exposition
  • Rising action
  • Climax
  • Falling action
  • Resolution
• Primary types of conflict

  • Person VS Person
  • Person VS Self
  • Person VS Event
  • Person VS Nature
  • Person VS Society
• Theme


  The message you are trying to convey in your story
• Point of view


  • First person
  • Second person
  • Third person
• Creative nonfiction


  The emphasis of truthful writing using the character, setting, plot, conflict, and theme of the literary devices
• Important points to remember about creative nonfiction

  • It provides information that is entirely accurate, valid, and factual
  • Its goal is to make nonfiction stories read like fiction so that readers are enthralled by fact as they are by fantasy
• Qualities of creative nonfiction

  • Personal presence
  • Self-discovery / Self exploration
  • Flexibility of form
  • Veracity
  • Literary approaches to language
• Types of creative nonfiction

  • Essay
  • Autobiography
  • Biography
  • Memoir
  • Travelogue / Travel writing
• Memoir


  Real stories of the writer's relationship with a person, place, or even animal that also includes the writer's insights and feelings towards the relationship
• Tips in writing a memoir

  • Avoid writing your entire autobiography
  • Create a sensory experience
  • Don't start at the beginning
  • Use fiction-writing techniques
  • Collapse your characters and events
  • Try to develop a routing
• Recommendations for memoir writing

  • Cover one event only
  • Choose the most captivating and life-changing event
  • Don't forget to express your emotions
  • Mention why this event was crucial for your future life
• Autobiography


  The history of a person's life written by that person her/himself, told chronologically and generally includes all the important phases of life such as childhood, adolescence, and adulthood
• Memoir vs autobiography


  The main difference is the length of time they cover. Autobiographies are more formal than memoirs because they emphasize facts.
• Biography


  A true story about a person's life written by another person
• Examples of biographies


  • Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
  • Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
  • Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
• Exploring biographical writing


  Writing biographies is a way to look into another person's life, providing information and insights about one's experiences, encounters and even realizations. It demands creative skills similar to writing a novel and the accuracy necessary for historical writing.
• Tips in writing a biography

  • Write down all your sources and references in a safe place
  • Do your own picture research as you go along
  • Visit the places where your subject lived, worked, and traveled
  • Track down the descendants of your subject
• Who makes a good subject for biography?

  • A person who has always fascinated you
  • A person other people are likely to want to read about
  • A person whose story needs to be told
  • A person whose life is accessible to you
• Choosing your subject for biography

  The key to a successful biography is the writer's curiosity and desire to get as close as possible to the truth about the subject.
• Information sources for biography

  • Primary sources (face-to-face interview, letters, diaries, journals, personal accounts)
  • Secondary sources (books, historical accounts, etc.)
• Different types of biography

  • Historical biography
  • Literary and arts biography
  • Celebrity biography
  • Scientific biography
• Important aspects in writing biography and autobiography

  • Writers must be curious
  • Writers must be engaged
  • Writers must be creative
  • Writers must be ethical and responsible
• Essay


  A short nonfiction composition on a single subject, usually presenting the personal views of the writer. An essay may seek to persuade or may offer reflections on current events.
• Parts of an essay

  • Introduction
  • Body
  • Conclusion
• General types of essays

  • Formal essay
  • Informal essay
• Narrative essay


  An essay that includes a story about a personal experience told from the author's perspective, using storytelling elements to engage the reader.
• Parts of a narrative essay

  • Told from a first-person point of view
  • Includes sensory details
  • Has a point or theme
  • Typically told in chronological order
  • Includes plot elements to move the story along
  • Clearly organized to allow the reader to follow the storyline