Features of Creative Nonfiction:
- First Person Experiences
- Personal Realizations/Self Discovery
- Elements of Fiction Used Throughout the Piece
- Purposeful Tone Set
- Vulnerability Exposed/Openness
- Drawing From Every Day Experiences
Essential Features of Creative Nonfiction:
Although the four assigned readings were diverse in topics, they were all comprised of various elements that surfaced within them. The most obvious being that they were told through first person experience. Because these are personal tales there is a rawness and vulnerability that comes through each and every piece; no holding back. The authors share their most painful, scary, humorous, and uncomfortable thoughts and moments. They show the reader that life is rich and uncertain and full of surprises in our every day. Every day life experiences are the pool from which to draw and create and one must be truthful and ready to bare his/her soul, so to speak. Commitment is a must.
In addition, because it is "creative" writing, many elements of fiction can be seen throughout these pieces. Flashback, figurative language, scene setting, dialogue used either directly or indirectly, are all examples of some fictional writing techniques that are seen at play within these four essays. There is also a purposeful selection of word choice to create a tone throughout the piece, or to change the tone as the piece moves forward. For example Portrait had a tongue in cheek humor to it, whereas Some Things, obviously had a much more serious tone. In Beard's Out There, I couldn't help thinking of the movie Thelma and Louise as I read about her journey and wanting her to gain a sense of independence from her life and husband. That is until I became incredibly "creeped out" when she was pursued by the homicidal maniac. I bring up word choice and tone, because it is something that fictional writers must pay attention to and we see it as a focus for Creative Nonfiction writers as well.
Finally, all of the texts showed the author coming upon a self discovery or a personal realization throughout the piece and by the end. The structure and organization choices for the piece creates these realizations, and although the way each organizes his/her text varies, each has a discovery that comes through to the reader. For example, Marquart opens her piece with a description of the overwrought husbands in the clinic's waiting room and ends by describing her own husband sitting on the couch watching the NBA playoffs. Her discovery about her husband in that moment is undeniable to the readers.
The Sometimes There and Sometimes Not Features:
One of the big things I noticed while reading these pieces had to do with the topics. Beard and Marquart both captured an important specific moment in their life that affected them. Whereas, Ebert wrote his piece about a longer period of time. And finally you have Lopate's piece that steps away from "something that happened to him" and is more of a self reflection where he describes an aspect of himself; his body! Therefore, a creative nonfiction writing does not necessarily have to be about a specific moment.
The self discoveries need not always be "deep" or traumatic. Ebert had wonderful turn of events after a difficult and life changing experience, and in Portrait, Lopate's simple discovery about his fingers truly helped him define who he was and why being a writer was perfect. These pieces show us that we have many discoveries in our lives, and as we write our own personal pieces we can decide which are worthy of sharing.
Differences Between Long and Short Forms:
The main difference I noticed between the two forms was the organization. The short form was much more of a "snapshot." It was quick and to the point. For instance, some of the writing style Marquart chose created a fast-paced read. She used many short declarative sentences and fragments. When writing a longer form, much more detail of scenes and person can be introduced. Beard needed to set the scene of the road, of the gas station, and store to really build up to her climax. She also chose other purposeful writing techniques like repetition, when building on the idea of "embarrassment" and flashback to let us know what caused her to begin her road trip. Committing to the length of one's piece is an important decision. Does it need to be detailed and lengthy or can it be a snapshot of a moment?
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