Creative Nonfiction Forms and Types PDF

**LESSON 1: CREATIVE NONFICTION FORMS AND TYPE** A. **Autobiography/Biography** **-An autobiography is a self-authored story of a person's life. It is an account of one's life written or recorded in some way by that person.** **-The best way to write an autobiography is to treat your life as an...

**LESSON 1: CREATIVE NONFICTION FORMS AND TYPE** A. **Autobiography/Biography** **-An autobiography is a self-authored story of a person's life. It is an account of one's life written or recorded in some way by that person.** **-The best way to write an autobiography is to treat your life as an interesting story. Starting from birth, enhance the story's appeal as you take the reader or listener through the different stages of your life.** **-Both biography and autobiography tell the story of an individual person's life. The difference is that an autobiography is written by the subject of the story while a biography is written by a third person. A biography is generally preferred over an autobiography to be published as a book or produced as a movie** **B. Literary Journalism/Reportage** **Literary journalism is the creative nonfiction form that comes closest to newspaper and magazine writing. It is fact-driven and requires research and, often, interviews** **Literary journalism is sometimes called "immersion journalism" because it requires a closer, more active relationship to the subject and to the people the literary journalist is exploring.** **Like journalistic writing, the literary journalism piece should be well-researched, focus on a brief period of time, and concentrate on what is happening outside of the writer's small circle of personal experience and feelings.** **Literary Journalism is also known as docufiction, immersion journalism, new journalism, narrative journalism or creative non-fiction. Literary Journalists immerse themselves in a subject's world and write information that take the form of reports but shape them in such a way that the report reads like fiction**   **C. Personal narratives** **-Writing a personal narrative essay is sometimes confused with writing some things in your diary. But it's not merely just that. Although narrative essays tell instances in your life, these instances are meant to deliver an impactful point or two to your audience. The instances that can be cited in this type of essays don't really have to be extremely rare and anything mundane can also be written on it.** **Types of Personal narratives** **A. Travelogue- A travelogue is a person's account of a journey to another country or place. It can either be a written report with many factual details or a narrative story about personal impressions and experiences supported by images** **B. Reflection essay- Reflective writing helps us to think more about ourselves, who we are, and how we have changed. A reflective essay is an essay in which the writer examines his or her experiences in life. The writer then writes about those experiences, exploring how he or she has changed, developed or grown from those experiences** **C. True narratives- In a narrative essay, the writer tells a story about a real-life experience. Everyone enjoys a good story---especially one that captures the imagination. However, the narrative essay goes further. In it, the writer places a personal experience within the context of a larger theme, such as a lesson learned. When writing a narrative essay, the writer wants not only to tell a good story, but also convey why the story has meaning** **D. Vlogs - A typical vlog combines text, images, videos and links to relevant pages and media on the Web. Blog readers can leave comments and communicate with the author. In fact dialogue and interaction are a popular part of a blog's success.** **E. Blogs- A blog (shortened from the phrase "weblog") is known as many things---a digital magazine, diary, newscast, collector's meeting place, a showcase for your art, information sharing, teaching hub, place to learn and\... Well, almost anything you want it to be. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to relevant pages and media on the Web** **Here are the most popular styles and types of blogs:** **1. Personal blogs- share thoughts, original art, poems, writing or photography. Some sell custom crafts, art or products. If you just want to make a statement, show your DIY (do it yourself) skills, have fun or blog for therapy, a personal blog is perfect for your needs.** **2. Business blogs- are created in the voice of the company, as a crucial component of marketing. They can function as a direct-sales tool and are outstanding for both messaging and two-way communication as part of a company's public relations efforts. Blogs are effective and cost-efficient vehicles for small organizations that need to publish information for their customers or members.** **3. Niche/topical blogs- Focus on a particular interest. They can be about health, gardening, education, sports, fashion or lifestyle. Name your special interest and you can blog about it. If you're a collector of antiques, a true-mystery fan, a travel addict or just love cooking, there may be a blog in your future. Niche blogs easily attract loyal followers, which contributes to the fun of blogging** **4. Media-type blogs- are defined by their content. If you enjoy video blogging, then you're a vlogger. If you curate content from other websites, you have a link log. If you post photos or art sketches on your blog, you're hosting a photoblog or art blog.** **5. Reverse blogs- are a unique but popular type of blog. Instead of the owner creating content, the content is supplied by the public. A reverse blog has a team who moderate posts, prevent unpleasant interactions and promote slow topics for greater interactivity.** **6. Testimonio- In the recent decades there has been a new immergence in Latin American literature, testimonial literature, or the testimonio. Testimonial literature is "an authentic narrative, told by a witness who is moved to narrate by the urgency of a situation (e.g., war, oppression, revolution, etc.). Emphasizing popular oral discourse, the witness portrays his or her own experience as a representative of a collective memory and identity.** **LESSON 2: Analyze, Interpret and Comment on a Creative Nonfiction Work** - **1. [Factual Information]. It refers to a data or statistics that are true or concerned with actual details.** - **2[. Coherence]. It is the quality of being logical and consistent of sentences and paragraphs of a creative nonfiction work.** - **3. [Development of Literary Elements]. It is the process where writers of fiction tell their stories by using character, plot, setting and scene, point-of-view, style, theme and literary devices and imagery.** - **4[. Organization]. It refers to the connections between the body and the thesis of a creative nonfiction work.** - **5. [Mini-Critique.] It involves conducting a systematic analysis of a scholarly article, book or any creative nonfiction work and then writing a fair and reasonable description of its strengths and weaknesses.** - **(1) provides the key to success in later schooling,** - **(2) prepares students to handle real-life reading,** - **(3) appeals to readers' preferences,** - **(4) addresses students' questions and interests,** - **(5) builds knowledge of the natural and social world, and** - **(6) boosts vocabulary and other kinds of literacy knowledge.** **Close Reading of Creative Nonfiction** - **Close reading as the name suggests, implies more than casual, superficial reading of a particular text.** - **It involves finding as much information as you can and asking as much questions as you can about a text.** - **Close reading is also akin to a deep analysis of a literary text. It is due this that close reading takes time, but also saves the reader from anxiety especially when one has to write a critique about it.** **How to Begin a Close Reading?** **[1. Read the text! ]** - **Make sure that you understand its plot, which the characters are, etc. For more difficult texts, it may take more than one read to do this. That is normal. The better your overall understanding of the text, the easier it will be to focus on its details and/or the details of your chosen passage.** **[2. When you are ready to begin your close reading, take your time!]** - **Read the text actively. Take notes. You may write on a separate sheet of paper, directly in your book, or you may even choose to make a photocopy of the text or passage and take notes on that. Choose the method which works best for you.** **[3. Do not be afraid to pause to think over what you read as you read!]** - **Do not hesitate to read and re-read sentences or sections several times before moving on. Take note not only of the details in the text, but also of the impressions which those details create in you as a reader. The purpose of a close reading is to squeeze the details from your chosen text and use those details to formulate an interpretation of a deeper meaning or impression present in the text.** **Some Details to Consider When Reading Closely** 1. **Titles Matter!** - **Always take a moment to consider the title of your chosen text and its relationship to the content. The author has chosen the title carefully to represent the text as a whole. Often, titles may point to important symbols or images which you might then focus on more closely in your reading.** 2. **Audience and Purpose.** - **Who is the intended audience of the text or passage? What is its purpose? Audience and purpose may help to contextualize some of the text's details.** 3. **Narrative Point of View.** - **The narrator is the voice through which the reader experiences the text. That means that all of the information a reader receives is colored by the narrator's perspective. Dissecting this perspective may help to inform your understanding of how the text relates its information and how that dynamic influences or constructs meaning within the text.** 4. **Imagery and Symbols** - **Often, a work of literature will emphasize a particular image. Images appeal to our senses, so a text may include visual images, auditory images, images which involve smell, images which involve taste, and images which involve touch.** 5. **Characterization** - **Does the narrator tell us about them explicitly through description? This is called direct characterization. Do we learn about the characters through their actions and dialogue? This is called indirect characterization. How does the characterization influence the meaning of the text or passage** 6. **Chronology.** - **How is time treated in the text? Is it linear, a-linear? What span of time does it cover? Does it focus on a period of minutes, hours, days, years? How do the choices about representing time influence or construct meaning in the text?** 7. **Form.** - **The literal form of a text can influence the reader's experience of it. Some details related to form might include line and paragraph breaks, the physical position of the text on the page, the font style, or even something as simple as spacing.** 8. **Sentence Level: Diction (connotations), Syntax, and Punctuation.** - **"Diction" refers to word choice. What types of words are used in the text or passage? Are the words formal or informal, simple or complex, monosyllabic (short) or polysyllabic (long)? What do the words physically sound like? Do the words carry any other connotations beyond their literal meanings which may be relevant to your reading of the text?** 9. **Patterns.** - **What patterns are present in the text? Consider the significance of the pattern itself.** - **Remember that the author has gone to a lot of trouble to establish this pattern in the text. If he or she is choosing to disrupt it, there is probably a very good reason.** 10. **Contradictions/Inconsistencies.** - **Like breaks in patterns, inconsistencies or contradictions in the text are also particularly worthy of attention. What inconsistencies or contradictions can you identify? What are the sources of these contradictions?** 11. **Allusions** - **References to knowledge or events outside of the text itself, often other literary works, but sometimes current events or politics. Are there any allusions present in the text or passage? To what do they refer? If the text establishes a connection to another text through an allusion, then how does a reading of the second text influence your understanding of the first text?** 12. **Research Anything Unfamiliar** - **A quick online search (or inquiry to your tutor or professor!) for anything unfamiliar in the text or passage can point you to allusions or other connections which you would not have made** - **A critique is a careful analysis of an argument to determine what is said, how well the points are made, what assumptions underlie the argument, what issues are overlooked, and what implications are drawn from such observations. It is a systematic, yet personal response and evaluation of what you have read.** **Guide in Writing a Critique** **1. What is a literary critical analysis?** - **A literary critical analysis explains a work of fiction, poetry or drama by means of interpretations. The goal of a literary analysis (as with any other analysis) is to broaden and deepen your understanding of a work of literature.** **2. What is an interpretation?** - **An interpretation is an individual response that addresses meaning** **3. How do you develop an interpretation?** - **Interpretations are developed by an in-depth examination of a text. An interpretation often will be the thesis of your paper.** **4. How do you conduct an \"in-depth\" examination of a text?** - **a) Before reading the work, make sure to examine the title carefully. Often the title is a clue to an important idea in the work.** - **b) Make sure you look up in the dictionary any words with which you are not familiar.** - **c) After reading the work the first time, ask yourself the following questions:** - **▪ What is the geographical, historical and social setting? How does this affect the story or poem?** - **▪ Who is (are) the main character(s)?** - **▪ Who are the secondary characters, and how are they linked to the main characters?** - **▪ Does the main character change? If so, how and why? If not, why not?** - **▪ What is the conflict? Can you trace the development and resolution of the conflict?** - **▪ Who is telling the story? How does this influence the story or poem?** - **▪ In poetry, can you find a pattern of rime and meter?** **5. How do you prove your interpretation?** - **You prove your interpretation by finding a pattern of examples in the literature that support your idea. You find this pattern in the literary elements, such as plot, point of view, character, setting, symbols, tone, and style. In poetry, the uses of language (rime, meter and metaphors) are also patterns that can support your interpretation.** **6. If interpretations are an individual response, are all interpretations valid?** - **Because an interpretation must be supported, the strength or weakness of your interpretation rests on the strength or weakness of your argument. In other words, you must organize a discussion that convinces the reader that your point of view is astute.** **7. Where do you find evidence to support your interpretation?** - **In a literary analysis evidence is found mainly from the work you are discussing. Secondary sources (published critical analyses) may support your point of view as well.** **8. How much of the story should you retell in a critical analysis?** - **You do need to locate your reader to the scene or section of the poem that you are discussing; therefore, some plot summary is necessary, but re telling the story or a poem is not considered an analysis. You can assume your reader has read the work.** **9. What should be documented in a critical analysis?** - **Any secondary sources must, of course, be documented. Also, direct quotes should be documented. Unlike secondary sources, a summary of a literary scene or event does not need documentation. Typically, MLA style documentation is used.** **LESSON 3: What is Critique?** - **Critique is a systematic way of analyzing written words. It came from the French word kritikē, which is the ability to decide the importance of something** - **It is a form of giving reaction and personal assessment as feedback on what you read**  **HOW DO YOU CRITIQUE ?** 1. **Content: Consider the topic and the way the topic is developed like the clarity, its scope, subcategories, amount and type of examples, anecdotes, evidence, etc.** 2. **Organization: Consider the text introduced and concluded, whether the thesis is located in the most helpful place (direct or implied), how it is structured, whether the order or extent of development is successful, as well as how individual paragraphs are organized (clear topic sentences, appropriate and concrete evidence, logical organization of evidence)** 3. **Style: Style can refer to the overall style: whether the tone is appropriate (humorous, serious, reflective, satirical, etc.), whether you use sufficient and appropriate variety (factual, analytical, evaluative, reflective), whether you use sufficient creativity.** 4. **Correctness: Correctness refers to grammar, punctuation, and form of creative nonfiction.** 1. **Annotate as you read.** 2. **Note the writer's main point or thesis statement.** 3. **Divide the text into sections of thought and write a summary of each thought in your own words.** **What are the parts of a mini critique?** **INTODUCTION** **Start your mini critique with sentences giving the following information:** **1. Writer's name.** **2. The title and the source if any.** **3. Thesis statement.** **SUMMARY** **Summarize the author's purpose and main points/evidence cited that are used for back up.** **EVALUATION** **1. Develop an understanding of the main argument or purpose being expressed in the work.** **2. Consider how the work relates to a broader issue or context.** **3. State whether the writer is successful in making his/her point.** **CONCLUSION** **You may wrap up your creative nonfiction mini critique by:** **1. Stating whether you agree with the writer or what part of the text made an impact and deep impression on you.** **2. Back up your decisions on agreeing and disagreeing or state your reasons.** **3. Give your general opinion of the work.** - **On Critiquing, when you critique, you evaluate.** **As a reader and a critique, you tought not to judge to point out failings, and condemn the writer. Instead of condemning, recommend how to make those failings a success. The aim of the critique is to make the writing better. Opposite of this is not a critique who only points out the weakness, but not the strength nor does he/she give any suggestions for improvement. Can you be a critique? The most important guideline for a critique is to give an honest, constructive, and polite assessment of the writing. All comments should be about the content being written, not about the person writing them. Here are the steps to follow when doing a thorough critique of nonfiction:** **1. Overall Impressions: Evaluate the total work. The critique must consider the whole write-up, rather than just its details or just portions of the work. Here are what need to be evaluated:** **a. Content: Does it open with something that captures your attention and that makes you want to keep on reading? Is the pace appropriate for the type of information being covered? Can you clearly identify the subject or main idea? Is the main idea supported by evidence, anecdotes, interviews, viewpoints, or some other method?** **b. Audience: Is it clear who the target audience is for the book, article, or essay? Is the tone, language, and reading level appropriate for that audience?** **c. Format: Is it following standard submission guidelines for that type of work, or is it tailored towards guidelines of a specific market? Is it organized logically, so the reader can follow the development of the topic or progression of the events?** **2. The Mechanics: Evaluate the work for structural strengths and weaknesses. Below are the mechanics to consider:** **a. Structure: Were paragraphs and sentences appropriate in length for the type of information presented? Would varying their length add interest or adjust the pace more effectively? Does the choice of words feel appropriate? Is the information presented in a way that the target audience will find easy to understand? Does the conclusion summarize the main points effectively, or bring the work to a satisfying end?** **b. Grammar: Are there obvious mistakes in grammar and spelling? Are there too many clichés in the narrative or dialog?** **c. Extras: If there are sidebars, charts, graphs, pictures, or other supporting documents, do they support the premise, theme, arguments, or hypothesis? Are they formatted properly and annotated in the body of the work?** **On TRAVELOGUE** **The travelogue \-- meaning a literary exposition of a travel experience \-- may conveniently be classified again as: (a) fantasy described or given as exposition of fact,** **(b) Literature of recorded fact, and** **(c) Literature of artistic presentation of recorded impressions and feeling during travel. (For further information, you can check boloji.com/articles/148) Travelogue becomes part of creative nonfiction in the sense that you are asked to write creatively using the true information that you have encountered in your travel. Travel essays could be primarily informative, offering worthwhile information to readers who wish to be travelers or tourists just as a hobby** **An interesting travelogue includes factual information about the history, culture, geography, cuisine, people, and language of the place you visited. However, these facts must relate to the theme of your travel article. This means to say that you must observe originality in presenting the facts in your travelogue Show the readers what you experienced in the travel by scene building. Describe the place using vivid words and sensory details. Describe sights, smells, tastes, sounds, and feelings \-- literally and figuratively. Dialogues, anecdotes, and storytelling can also help highlight the actions and build important scenes of your travel. Your attitude towards the place you visited will affect the tone of your travelogue. Use humor and irony to maintain light tone. Emphasize the joy of traveling the place by presenting valuable lessons and insights you gained from your travel. Even before you start to write the first paragraph of your story, there is a chance that you already have a mental image of what your creative nonfiction piece should be. However, that mental image (or your expectation) might still be too broad or general.** **KEY POINTS TO CONSIDER IN WRITING TRAVELOGUE** **1. A description of nothing but places you've visited and exotic food you've eaten will most likely be perceived as a boring** **2. Travelogue rather than an interesting read. A travelogue needs a central idea, which will be the backbone of your whole piece of writing. Life lessons you've learned during the voyage, your reflections about the differences between the places you've visited, or at least some historic theme could serve as such a backbone.** **3. Deviate from the common tourist routes and make explorations of your own. This way, you can add lots of interesting, distinctive places into your descriptions, which will definitely add value to your travelogue.** **4. Keeping a travelogue within the structure of an essay is a sound way to present your material. In the introduction, you can provide some background about the place you are writing about and also describe your traveling conditions. In the main body, introduce the information you want to convey to your readers based on the recording and notes you've made during the journey. Finally, summarize the experience from the trip. Share your thoughts about it, your findings, and what you will be contemplating after in regard to the trip.** **5. You don't necessarily need to write only about the attractiveness of the place you've visited. The journey most likely won't consist only of nice events, places, and people. Describe also the difficulties you faced, strange customs, sanitary conditions, etc. THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER IN EVALUATING IF YOUR STORY OR ARTICLE HAS ACHIEVED ITS GOALS** **a. Language use: Is it too formal, too informal, or, just right?** **b. Tone: Is the tone that you use in writing the story and choice of words appropriate?** **c. Evidence: Are there enough evidence to support your arguments?** **d. What kind of evidences are provided? (Anecdotes, quotes, articles or books). Are the evidences that you provided appropriate?** **e. Are there sections in your story that are confusing or unclear?** **f. Is the right genre used in writing your story?**