nonfiction

• Creative nonfiction


  A genre of writing that combines different literary styles and techniques in presenting factual information which differentiates it from the usual genres of nonfiction
• Creative nonfiction is regarded as a relatively young genre of writing
• Forms of creative nonfiction


  • Autobiography
  • Reportage/Literary Journalism
  • Personal Narrative
  • Travelogue
  • Reflection/Reflective Essay
  • True Narrative
  • Blog
  • Testimonio
• Autobiography


  A written account of the life of a person written by that person himself or herself
• Biography


  A description or account of a person's life story presented through the eyes of another person
• Basics in Writing Autobiography and Biography


  • Jot down all life events and arrange them in a timeline
  • Identify the people involved in each event
  • For autobiography, write in first person
  • For biography, write in third person
  • Reading the output helps in identifying strong and weak spots
• Reportage/Literary Journalism


  Reports an event, history or an actual case based on direct observation, investigation or thorough research and documentation
• Basics in Writing a Reportage / Literary Journalism


  • Get the facts straight by observing and researching
  • Conduct interviews
  • Outline story
  • Use literary elements and devices in writing
  • End with a point
• Personal Narrative


  A person's true story, narrating what happened to them in a particular event
• Basics in Writing a Personal Narrative


  • Think of an event in your life that you want to share
  • Focus on the details of that event
  • Organize your ideas according to your own style
  • Write the story and use language to express what you mean to say
• Travelogue


  An account of a person's experiences while touring a place for the pleasure of travel
• Basics in Writing a Travelogue


  • Write all the things that you notice while on travel
  • Get the facts straight about the place, people, events, culture
  • Start with a clear story line
  • Describe the things using different kinds of imagery
• Reflection/Reflective Essay


  Describes an event, then analyzes the meaning and what can be learned from that experience
• Basics in Writing a Reflective Essay


  • Think of what you want to consider as your topic
  • Assess your feelings towards the topic
  • Answer questions based on your experiences
  • Enhance the essay by adding significant elements and literary devices
  • Have a strong introduction and conclusion
• True Narrative


  A story based on real life experiences or events
• Basics in Writing a True Narrative


  • Think of an event in your life that you want to share
  • Focus on the details of that event
  • Organize your ideas according to your own style
  • Write the story and use language to express what you mean to say
• Blog


  A website containing short articles called posts that are changed regularly
• Basics in Writing a Blog Post


  • Plan your blog post by choosing a topic
  • Create an outline of the information
  • Craft a headline or title
  • Conduct thorough research
  • Write the post according to your style
  • Use images to enhance the post
  • Read to assess and rewrite
• Basics in Writing a Testimonio


  • Describe the problem
  • Tell the pros and cons
  • The closing of the testimonial
• The writing must be based on fact, rather than fiction
• The piece of writing is based on primary research, such as an interview or personal experience, and often secondary research
• The writer must be able to document events or personal experiences
• The writer often includes personal experience, feelings, thoughts, and opinions
• The writer is required to explain the personal experience or topic to the reader
• Creative nonfiction is often written in essay format
• Literary devices used in creative nonfiction


  • Storytelling/narration
  • Character
  • Setting and scene
  • Plot and plot structure
  • Figurative language
  • Imagery
  • Point of view
  • Dialogue
  • Theme
• Guidelines for writing creative nonfiction

  • Research the topic
  • Never invent or change facts
  • Provide accurate information
  • Provide concrete evidence
  • Use humour to make an important point
  • Show the reader what happened, don't tell them
  • Narrate the story
  • Write about the interesting and extraordinary
  • Organize the information
  • Use literary devices to tell the story
  • Introduce the essay with a hook
  • End with a final, important point
• Popular creative nonfiction books


  • In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
  • Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer
  • Paper Lion by George Plimpton
  • The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
  • The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolf
  • Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
  • The White Castle by Jeanette Walis
  • Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson
  • Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books, by Azar Nafisi
  • Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert
  • The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
• Essay is a nonfiction genre that presents the author's own argument or reflection.
• Memoir is a nonfiction genre that focuses on a specific period or theme in the author's life.
• Biography is a nonfiction genre that tells the life story of a real person.
• Expository essays aim to inform readers about a specific topic or issue.
• Autobiography is a nonfiction genre that tells the story of one's entire life.
• There are three main types of essays: narrative, descriptive, and expository.
• Biography is a nonfiction genre that tells the story of someone else's life.
• Autobiography is a nonfiction genre where the author writes their own life story.
• Expository essays are written to explain something to the audience.
• Personal narrative is a nonfiction genre that describes personal experiences.
• Narrative essay - Tells a story
• Cause and effect essays explore how one event leads to another.