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Creative Nonfiction: What It Is and How to Write It

Sean Glatch  |  March 31, 2024  |  7 Comments

What is creative nonfiction? Despite its slightly enigmatic name, no literary genre has grown quite as quickly as creative nonfiction in recent decades. Literary nonfiction is now well-established as a powerful means of storytelling, and bookstores now reserve large amounts of space for nonfiction, when it often used to occupy a single bookshelf.

Like any literary genre, creative nonfiction has a long history; also like other genres, defining contemporary CNF for the modern writer can be nuanced. If you’re interested in writing true-to-life stories but you’re not sure where to begin, let’s start by dissecting the creative nonfiction genre and what it means to write a modern literary essay.

What Creative Nonfiction Is

Creative nonfiction employs the creative writing techniques of literature, such as poetry and fiction, to retell a true story.

How do we define creative nonfiction? What makes it “creative,” as opposed to just “factual writing”? These are great questions to ask when entering the genre, and they require answers which could become literary essays themselves.

In short, creative nonfiction (CNF) is a form of storytelling that employs the creative writing techniques of literature, such as poetry and fiction, to retell a true story. Creative nonfiction writers don’t just share pithy anecdotes, they use craft and technique to situate the reader into their own personal lives. Fictional elements, such as character development and narrative arcs, are employed to create a cohesive story, but so are poetic elements like conceit and juxtaposition.

The CNF genre is wildly experimental, and contemporary nonfiction writers are pushing the bounds of literature by finding new ways to tell their stories. While a CNF writer might retell a personal narrative, they might also focus their gaze on history, politics, or they might use creative writing elements to write an expository essay. There are very few limits to what creative nonfiction can be, which is what makes defining the genre so difficult—but writing it so exciting.

Different Forms of Creative Nonfiction

From the autobiographies of Mark Twain and Benvenuto Cellini, to the more experimental styles of modern writers like Karl Ove Knausgård, creative nonfiction has a long history and takes a wide variety of forms. Common iterations of the creative nonfiction genre include the following:

Also known as biography or autobiography, the memoir form is probably the most recognizable form of creative nonfiction. Memoirs are collections of memories, either surrounding a single narrative thread or multiple interrelated ideas. The memoir is usually published as a book or extended piece of fiction, and many memoirs take years to write and perfect. Memoirs often take on a similar writing style as the personal essay does, though it must be personable and interesting enough to encourage the reader through the entire book.

Personal Essay

Personal essays are stories about personal experiences told using literary techniques.

When someone hears the word “essay,” they instinctively think about those five paragraph book essays everyone wrote in high school. In creative nonfiction, the personal essay is much more vibrant and dynamic. Personal essays are stories about personal experiences, and while some personal essays can be standalone stories about a single event, many essays braid true stories with extended metaphors and other narratives.

Personal essays are often intimate, emotionally charged spaces. Consider the opening two paragraphs from Beth Ann Fennelly’s personal essay “ I Survived the Blizzard of ’79. ”

We didn’t question. Or complain. It wouldn’t have occurred to us, and it wouldn’t have helped. I was eight. Julie was ten.

We didn’t know yet that this blizzard would earn itself a moniker that would be silk-screened on T-shirts. We would own such a shirt, which extended its tenure in our house as a rag for polishing silver.

The word “essay” comes from the French “essayer,” which means “to try” or “attempt.” The personal essay is more than just an autobiographical narrative—it’s an attempt to tell your own history with literary techniques.

Lyric Essay

The lyric essay contains similar subject matter as the personal essay, but is much more experimental in form.

The lyric essay contains similar subject matter as the personal essay, with one key distinction: lyric essays are much more experimental in form. Poetry and creative nonfiction merge in the lyric essay, challenging the conventional prose format of paragraphs and linear sentences.

The lyric essay stands out for its unique writing style and sentence structure. Consider these lines from “ Life Code ” by J. A. Knight:

The dream goes like this: blue room of water. God light from above. Child’s fist, foot, curve, face, the arc of an eye, the symmetry of circles… and then an opening of this body—which surprised her—a movement so clean and assured and then the push towards the light like a frog or a fish.

What we get is language driven by emotion, choosing an internal logic rather than a universally accepted one.

Lyric essays are amazing spaces to break barriers in language. For example, the lyricist might write a few paragraphs about their story, then examine a key emotion in the form of a villanelle or a ghazal . They might decide to write their entire essay in a string of couplets or a series of sonnets, then interrupt those stanzas with moments of insight or analysis. In the lyric essay, language dictates form. The successful lyricist lets the words arrange themselves in whatever format best tells the story, allowing for experimental new forms of storytelling.

Literary Journalism

Much more ambiguously defined is the idea of literary journalism. The idea is simple: report on real life events using literary conventions and styles. But how do you do this effectively, in a way that the audience pays attention and takes the story seriously?

You can best find examples of literary journalism in more “prestigious” news journals, such as The New Yorker , The Atlantic , Salon , and occasionally The New York Times . Think pieces about real world events, as well as expository journalism, might use braiding and extended metaphors to make readers feel more connected to the story. Other forms of nonfiction, such as the academic essay or more technical writing, might also fall under literary journalism, provided those pieces still use the elements of creative nonfiction.

Consider this recently published article from The Atlantic : The Uncanny Tale of Shimmel Zohar by Lawrence Weschler. It employs a style that’s breezy yet personable—including its opening line.

So I first heard about Shimmel Zohar from Gravity Goldberg—yeah, I know, but she insists it’s her real name (explaining that her father was a physicist)—who is the director of public programs and visitor experience at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, in San Francisco.

How to Write Creative Nonfiction: Common Elements and Techniques

What separates a general news update from a well-written piece of literary journalism? What’s the difference between essay writing in high school and the personal essay? When nonfiction writers put out creative work, they are most successful when they utilize the following elements.

Just like fiction, nonfiction relies on effective narration. Telling the story with an effective plot, writing from a certain point of view, and using the narrative to flesh out the story’s big idea are all key craft elements. How you structure your story can have a huge impact on how the reader perceives the work, as well as the insights you draw from the story itself.

Consider the first lines of the story “ To the Miami University Payroll Lady ” by Frenci Nguyen:

You might not remember me, but I’m the dark-haired, Texas-born, Asian-American graduate student who visited the Payroll Office the other day to complete direct deposit and tax forms.

Because the story is written in second person, with the reader experiencing the story as the payroll lady, the story’s narration feels much more personal and important, forcing the reader to evaluate their own personal biases and beliefs.

Observation

Telling the story involves more than just simple plot elements, it also involves situating the reader in the key details. Setting the scene requires attention to all five senses, and interpersonal dialogue is much more effective when the narrator observes changes in vocal pitch, certain facial expressions, and movements in body language. Essentially, let the reader experience the tiny details – we access each other best through minutiae.

The story “ In Transit ” by Erica Plouffe Lazure is a perfect example of storytelling through observation. Every detail of this flash piece is carefully noted to tell a story without direct action, using observations about group behavior to find hope in a crisis. We get observation when the narrator notes the following:

Here at the St. Thomas airport in mid-March, we feel the urgency of the transition, the awareness of how we position our bodies, where we place our luggage, how we consider for the first time the numbers of people whose belongings are placed on the same steel table, the same conveyor belt, the same glowing radioactive scan, whose IDs are touched by the same gloved hand[.]

What’s especially powerful about this story is that it is written in a single sentence, allowing the reader to be just as overwhelmed by observation and context as the narrator is.

We’ve used this word a lot, but what is braiding? Braiding is a technique most often used in creative nonfiction where the writer intertwines multiple narratives, or “threads.” Not all essays use braiding, but the longer a story is, the more it benefits the writer to intertwine their story with an extended metaphor or another idea to draw insight from.

“ The Crush ” by Zsofia McMullin demonstrates braiding wonderfully. Some paragraphs are written in first person, while others are written in second person.

The following example from “The Crush” demonstrates braiding:

Your hair is still wet when you slip into the booth across from me and throw your wallet and glasses and phone on the table, and I marvel at how everything about you is streamlined, compact, organized. I am always overflowing — flesh and wants and a purse stuffed with snacks and toy soldiers and tissues.

The author threads these narratives together by having both people interact in a diner, yet the reader still perceives a distance between the two threads because of the separation of “I” and “you” pronouns. When these threads meet, briefly, we know they will never meet again.

Speaking of insight, creative nonfiction writers must draw novel conclusions from the stories they write. When the narrator pauses in the story to delve into their emotions, explain complex ideas, or draw strength and meaning from tough situations, they’re finding insight in the essay.

Often, creative writers experience insight as they write it, drawing conclusions they hadn’t yet considered as they tell their story, which makes creative nonfiction much more genuine and raw.

The story “ Me Llamo Theresa ” by Theresa Okokun does a fantastic job of finding insight. The story is about the history of our own names and the generations that stand before them, and as the writer explores her disconnect with her own name, she recognizes a similar disconnect in her mother, as well as the need to connect with her name because of her father.

The narrator offers insight when she remarks:

I began to experience a particular type of identity crisis that so many immigrants and children of immigrants go through — where we are called one name at school or at work, but another name at home, and in our hearts.

How to Write Creative Nonfiction: the 5 R’s

CNF pioneer Lee Gutkind developed a very system called the “5 R’s” of creative nonfiction writing. Together, the 5 R’s form a general framework for any creative writing project. They are:

• Write about r eal life: Creative nonfiction tackles real people, events, and places—things that actually happened or are happening.
• Conduct extensive r esearch: Learn as much as you can about your subject matter, to deepen and enrich your ability to relay the subject matter. (Are you writing about your tenth birthday? What were the newspaper headlines that day?)
• (W) r ite a narrative: Use storytelling elements originally from fiction, such as Freytag’s Pyramid , to structure your CNF piece’s narrative as a story with literary impact rather than just a recounting.
• Include personal r eflection: Share your unique voice and perspective on the narrative you are retelling.
• Learn by r eading: The best way to learn to write creative nonfiction well is to read it being written well. Read as much CNF as you can, and observe closely how the author’s choices impact you as a reader.

You can read more about the 5 R’s in this helpful summary article .

How to Write Creative Nonfiction: Give it a Try!

Whatever form you choose, whatever story you tell, and whatever techniques you write with, the more important aspect of creative nonfiction is this: be honest. That may seem redundant, but often, writers mistakenly create narratives that aren’t true, or they use details and symbols that didn’t exist in the story. Trust us – real life is best read when it’s honest, and readers can tell when details in the story feel fabricated or inflated. Write with honesty, and the right words will follow!

Ready to start writing your creative nonfiction piece? If you need extra guidance or want to write alongside our community, take a look at the upcoming nonfiction classes at Writers.com. Now, go and write the next bestselling memoir!

Sean Glatch

Thank you so much for including these samples from Hippocampus Magazine essays/contributors; it was so wonderful to see these pieces reflected on from the craft perspective! – Donna from Hippocampus

Absolutely, Donna! I’m a longtime fan of Hippocampus and am always astounded by the writing you publish. We’re always happy to showcase stunning work 🙂

I like how it is written about him”…When he’s not writing, which is often, he thinks he should be writing.”

[…] Source: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/a-complete-guide-to-writing-creative-nonfiction#5-creative-nonfiction-writing-promptshttps://writers.com/what-is-creative-nonfiction […]

So impressive

Thank you. I’ve been researching a number of figures from the 1800’s and have come across a large number of ‘biographies’ of figures. These include quoted conversations which I knew to be figments of the author and yet some works are lauded as ‘histories’.

excellent guidelines inspiring me to write CNF thank you

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A Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction

by Melissa Donovan | Mar 4, 2021 | Creative Writing | 12 comments

Try your hand at writing creative nonfiction.

Here at Writing Forward, we’re primarily interested in three types of creative writing: poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

With poetry and fiction, there are techniques and best practices that we can use to inform and shape our writing, but there aren’t many rules beyond the standards of style, grammar, and good writing . We can let our imaginations run wild; everything from nonsense to outrageous fantasy is fair game for bringing our ideas to life when we’re writing fiction and poetry.

However, when writing creative nonfiction, there are some guidelines that we need to follow. These guidelines aren’t set in stone; however, if you violate them, you might find yourself in trouble with your readers as well as the critics.

What is Creative Nonfiction?

Telling True Stories (aff link).

What sets creative nonfiction apart from fiction or poetry?

For starters, creative nonfiction is factual. A memoir is not just any story; it’s a true story. A biography is the real account of someone’s life. There is no room in creative nonfiction for fabrication or manipulation of the facts.

So what makes creative nonfiction writing different from something like textbook writing or technical writing? What makes it creative?

Nonfiction writing that isn’t considered creative usually has business or academic applications. Such writing isn’t designed for entertainment or enjoyment. Its sole purpose is to convey information, usually in a dry, straightforward manner.

Creative nonfiction, on the other hand, pays credence to the craft of writing, often through literary devices and storytelling techniques, which make the prose aesthetically pleasing and bring layers of meaning to the context. It’s pleasurable to read.

According to Wikipedia:

Creative nonfiction (also known as literary or narrative nonfiction) is a genre of writing truth which uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives. Creative nonfiction contrasts with other nonfiction, such as technical writing or journalism, which is also rooted in accurate fact, but is not primarily written in service to its craft.

Like other forms of nonfiction, creative nonfiction relies on research, facts, and credibility. While opinions may be interjected, and often the work depends on the author’s own memories (as is the case with memoirs and autobiographies), the material must be verifiable and accurately reported.

Creative Nonfiction Genres and Forms

There are many forms and genres within creative nonfiction:

• Autobiography and biography
• Personal essays
• Literary journalism
• Any topical material, such as food or travel writing, self-development, art, or history, can be creatively written with a literary angle

Let’s look more closely at a few of these nonfiction forms and genres:

Memoirs: A memoir is a long-form (book-length) written work. It is a firsthand, personal account that focuses on a specific experience or situation. One might write a memoir about serving in the military or struggling with loss. Memoirs are not life stories, but they do examine life through a particular lens. For example, a memoir about being a writer might begin in childhood, when the author first learned to write. However, the focus of the book would be on writing, so other aspects of the author’s life would be left out, for the most part.

Biographies and autobiographies: A biography is the true story of someone’s life. If an author composes their own biography, then it’s called an autobiography. These works tend to cover the entirety of a person’s life, albeit selectively.

Literary journalism: Journalism sticks with the facts while exploring the who, what, where, when, why, and how of a particular person, topic, or event. Biographies, for example, are a genre of literary journalism, which is a form of nonfiction writing. Traditional journalism is a method of information collection and organization. Literary journalism also conveys facts and information, but it honors the craft of writing by incorporating storytelling techniques and literary devices. Opinions are supposed to be absent in traditional journalism, but they are often found in literary journalism, which can be written in long or short formats.

Personal essays are a short form of creative nonfiction that can cover a wide range of styles, from writing about one’s experiences to expressing one’s personal opinions. They can address any topic imaginable. Personal essays can be found in many places, from magazines and literary journals to blogs and newspapers. They are often a short form of memoir writing.

Speeches  can cover a range of genres, from political to motivational to educational. A tributary speech honors someone whereas a roast ridicules them (in good humor). Unlike most other forms of writing, speeches are written to be performed rather than read.

Journaling: A common, accessible, and often personal form of creative nonfiction writing is journaling. A journal can also contain fiction and poetry, but most journals would be considered nonfiction. Some common types of written journals are diaries, gratitude journals, and career journals (or logs), but this is just a small sampling of journaling options.

Writing Creative Nonfiction (aff link).

Any topic or subject matter is fair game in the realm of creative nonfiction. Some nonfiction genres and topics that offer opportunities for creative nonfiction writing include food and travel writing, self-development, art and history, and health and fitness. It’s not so much the topic or subject matter that renders a written work as creative; it’s how it’s written — with due diligence to the craft of writing through application of language and literary devices.

Guidelines for Writing Creative Nonfiction

Here are six simple guidelines to follow when writing creative nonfiction:

• Get your facts straight. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing your own story or someone else’s. If readers, publishers, and the media find out you’ve taken liberties with the truth of what happened, you and your work will be scrutinized. Negative publicity might boost sales, but it will tarnish your reputation; you’ll lose credibility. If you can’t refrain from fabrication, then think about writing fiction instead of creative nonfiction.
• Issue a disclaimer. A lot of nonfiction is written from memory, and we all know that human memory is deeply flawed. It’s almost impossible to recall a conversation word for word. You might forget minor details, like the color of a dress or the make and model of a car. If you aren’t sure about the details but are determined to include them, be upfront and include a disclaimer that clarifies the creative liberties you’ve taken.
• Consider the repercussions. If you’re writing about other people (even if they are secondary figures), you might want to check with them before you publish your nonfiction. Some people are extremely private and don’t want any details of their lives published. Others might request that you leave certain things out, which they want to keep private. Otherwise, make sure you’ve weighed the repercussions of revealing other people’s lives to the world. Relationships have been both strengthened and destroyed as a result of authors publishing the details of other people’s lives.
• Be objective. You don’t need to be overly objective if you’re telling your own, personal story. However, nobody wants to read a highly biased biography. Book reviews for biographies are packed with harsh criticism for authors who didn’t fact-check or provide references and for those who leave out important information or pick and choose which details to include to make the subject look good or bad.
• Pay attention to language. You’re not writing a textbook, so make full use of language, literary devices, and storytelling techniques.
• Know your audience. Creative nonfiction sells, but you must have an interested audience. A memoir about an ordinary person’s first year of college isn’t especially interesting. Who’s going to read it? However, a memoir about someone with a learning disability navigating the first year of college is quite compelling, and there’s an identifiable audience for it. When writing creative nonfiction, a clearly defined audience is essential.

Are you looking for inspiration? Check out these creative nonfiction writing ideas.

Ten creative nonfiction writing prompts and projects.

The prompts below are excerpted from my book, 1200 Creative Writing Prompts , which contains fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction writing prompts. Use these prompts to spark a creative nonfiction writing session.

1200 Creative Writing Prompts (aff link).

• What is your favorite season? What do you like about it? Write a descriptive essay about it.
• What do you think the world of technology will look like in ten years? Twenty? What kind of computers, phones, and other devices will we use? Will technology improve travel? Health care? What do you expect will happen and what would you like to happen?
• Have you ever fixed something that was broken? Ever solved a computer problem on your own? Write an article about how to fix something or solve some problem.
• Have you ever had a run-in with the police? What happened?
• Have you ever traveled alone? Tell your story. Where did you go? Why? What happened?
• Let’s say you write a weekly advice column. Choose the topic you’d offer advice on, and then write one week’s column.
• Think of a major worldwide problem: for example, hunger, climate change, or political corruption. Write an article outlining a solution (or steps toward a solution).
• Choose a cause that you feel is worthy and write an article persuading others to join that cause.
• Someone you barely know asks you to recommend a book. What do you recommend and why?
• Hard skills are abilities you have acquired, such as using software, analyzing numbers, and cooking. Choose a hard skill you’ve mastered and write an article about how this skill is beneficial using your own life experiences as examples.

Do You Write Creative Nonfiction?

Have you ever written creative nonfiction? How often do you read it? Can you think of any nonfiction forms and genres that aren’t included here? Do you have any guidelines to add to this list? Are there any situations in which it would be acceptable to ignore these guidelines? Got any tips to add? Do you feel that nonfiction should focus on content and not on craft? Leave a comment to share your thoughts, and keep writing.

12 Comments

Shouldn’t ALL non-fiction be creative to some extent? I am a former business journalist, and won awards for the imaginative approach I took to writing about even the driest of business topics: pensions, venture capital, tax, employment law and other potentially dusty subjects. The drier and more complicated the topic, the more creative the approach must be, otherwise no-one with anything else to do will bother to wade through it. [to be honest, taking the fictional approach to these ghastly tortuous topics was the only way I could face writing about them.] I used all the techniques that fiction writers have to play with, and used some poetic techniques, too, to make the prose more readable. What won the first award was a little serial about two businesses run and owned by a large family at war with itself. Every episode centred on one or two common and crucial business issues, wrapped up in a comedy-drama, and it won a lot of fans (happily for me) because it was so much easier to read and understand than the dry technical writing they were used to. Life’s too short for dusty writing!

I believe most journalism is creative and would therefore fall under creative nonfiction. However, there is a lot of legal, technical, medical, science, and textbook writing in which there is no room for creativity (or creativity has not made its way into these genres yet). With some forms, it makes sense. I don’t think it would be appropriate for legal briefings to use story or literary devices just to add a little flair. On the other hand, it would be a good thing if textbooks were a little more readable.

I think Abbs is right – even in academic papers, an example or story helps the reader visualize the problem or explanation more easily. I scan business books to see if there are stories or examples, if not, then I don’t pick up the book. That’s where the creativity comes in – how to create examples, what to conflate, what to emphasis as we create our fictional people to illustrate important, real points.

Thanks for the post. Very helpful. I’d never thought about writing creative nonfiction before.

You’re welcome 🙂

Hi Melissa!

Love your website. You always give a fun and frank assessment of all things pertaining to writing. It is a pleasure to read. I have even bought several of the reference and writing books you recommended. Keep up the great work.

Top 10 Reasons Why Creative Nonfiction Is A Questionable Category

10. When you look up “Creative Nonfiction” in the dictionary it reads: See Fiction

9. The first creative nonfiction example was a Schwinn Bicycle Assembly Guide that had printed in its instructions: Can easily be assembled by one person with a Phillips head screw driver, Allen keys, adjustable wrench and cable cutters in less than an hour.

8. Creative Nonfiction; Based on actual events; Suggested by a true event; Based on a true story. It’s a slippery slope.

7. The Creative Nonfiction Quarterly is only read by eleven people. Five have the same last name.

6. Creative Nonfiction settings may only include: hospitals, concentration camps, prisons and cemeteries. Exceptions may be made for asylums, rehab centers and Capitol Hill.

5. The writers who create Sterile Nonfiction or Unimaginative Nonfiction now want their category recognized.

4. Creative; Poetic License; Embellishment; Puffery. See where this is leading?

3. Creative Nonfiction is to Nonfiction as Reality TV is to Documentaries.

2. My attorney has advised that I exercise my 5th Amendment Rights or that I be allowed to give written testimony in a creative nonfiction way.

1. People believe it is a film with Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson and Queen Latifa.

Hi Steve. I’m not sure if your comment is meant to be taken tongue-in-cheek, but I found it humorous.

My publisher is releasing my Creative Nonfiction book based on my grandmother’s life this May 2019 in Waikiki. I’ll give you an update soon about sales. I was fortunate enough to get some of the original and current Hawaii 5-0 members to show up for the book signing.

Hi, when writing creative nonfiction- is it appropriate to write from someone else’s point of view when you don’t know them? I was thinking of writing about Greta Thungbrurg for creative nonfiction competition – but I can directly ask her questions so I’m unsure as to whether it’s accurate enough to be classified as creative non-fiction. Thank you!

Hi Madeleine. I’m not aware of creative nonfiction being written in first person from someone else’s point of view. The fact of the matter is that it wouldn’t be creative nonfiction because a person cannot truly show events from another person’s perspective. So I wouldn’t consider something like that nonfiction. It would usually be a biography written in third person, and that is common. You can certainly use quotes and other indicators to represent someone else’s views and experiences. I could probably be more specific if I knew what kind of work it is (memoir, biography, self-development, etc.).

Dear Melissa: I am trying to market a book in the metaphysical genre about an experience I had, receiving the voice of a Civil War spirit who tells his story (not channeling). Part is my reaction and discussion with a close friend so it is not just memoir. I referred to it as ‘literary non-fiction’ but an agent put this down by saying it is NOT literary non-fiction. Looking at your post, could I say that my book is ‘creative non-fiction’? (agents can sometimes be so nit-picky)

Hi Liz. You opened your comment by classifying the book as metaphysical but later referred to it as literary nonfiction. The premise definitely sounds like a better fit in the metaphysical category. Creative nonfiction is not a genre; it’s a broader category or description. Basically, all literature is either fiction or nonfiction (poetry would be separate from these). Describing nonfiction as creative only indicates that it’s not something like a user guide. I think you were heading in the right direction with the metaphysical classification.

The goal of marketing and labeling books with genres is to find a readership that will be interested in the work. This is an agent’s area of expertise, so assuming you’re speaking with a competent agent, I’d suggest taking their advice in this matter. It indicates that the audience perusing the literary nonfiction aisles is simply not a match for this book.

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Creative Nonfiction in Writing Courses

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Introduction

Creative nonfiction is a broad term and encompasses many different forms of writing. This resource focuses on the three basic forms of creative nonfiction: the personal essay, the memoir essay, and the literary journalism essay. A short section on the lyric essay is also discussed.

The Personal Essay

The personal essay is commonly taught in first-year composition courses because students find it relatively easy to pick a topic that interests them, and to follow their associative train of thoughts, with the freedom to digress and circle back.

The point to having students write personal essays is to help them become better writers, since part of becoming a better writer is the ability to express personal experiences, thoughts and opinions. Since academic writing may not allow for personal experiences and opinions, writing the personal essay is a good way to allow students further practice in writing.

The goal of the personal essay is to convey personal experiences in a convincing way to the reader, and in this way is related to rhetoric and composition, which is also persuasive. A good way to explain a personal essay assignment to a more goal-oriented student is simply to ask them to try to persuade the reader about the significance of a particular event.

Most high-school and first-year college students have plenty of experiences to draw from, and they are convinced about the importance of certain events over others in their lives. Often, students find their strongest conviction in the process of writing, and the personal essay is a good way to get students to start exploring these possibilities in writing.

A personal essay assignment can work well as a prelude to a research paper, because personal essays will help students understand their own convictions better, and will help prepare them to choose research topics that interest them.

An Example and Discussion of a Personal Essay

The following excerpt from Wole Soyinka's (Nigerian Nobel Laureate) Why Do I Fast? is an example of a personal essay. What follows is a short discussion of Soyinka's essay.

Soyinka begins with a question that fascinates him. He doesn’t feel required to immediately answer the question in the second paragraph. Rather, he takes time to consider his own inclination to believe that there is a connection between fasting and sensuality.

Soyinka follows the flowing associative arc of his thoughts, and he goes on to write about sunsets, and quotes from a poem that he wrote in his cell. The essay ends, not on a restatement of his thesis, but on yet another question that arises:

This question remains unanswered. Soyinka is not interested in even attempting to answer it. The personal essay doesn’t necessarily seek to make sense out of life experiences; rather, personal essays tend to let go of that sense-making impulse to do something else, like nose around a bit in the wondering, uncertain space that lies between experience and the need to organize it in a logical manner.

However informal the personal essay may seem, it’s important to keep in mind that, as Dinty W. Moore says in The Truth of the Matter: Art and Craft in Creative Nonfiction , “the essay should always be motivated by the author’s genuine interest in wrestling with complex questions.”

Generating Ideas for Personal Essays

In The Truth of the Matter: Art and Craft in Creative Nonfiction , Moore goes on to explain an effective way to help students generate ideas for personal essays:

“Think about ten things you care about deeply: the environment, children in poverty, Alzheimer’s research (because your grandfather is a victim), hip-hop music, Saturday afternoon football games. Make your own list of ten important subjects, and then narrow the larger subject down to specific subjects you might write about. The environment? How about that bird sanctuary out on Township Line Road that might be torn down to make room for a megastore?..."

"...What is it like to be the food service worker who puts mustard on two thousand hot dogs every Saturday afternoon? Don’t just wonder about it - talk to the mustard spreader, spend an afternoon hanging out behind the counter, spread some mustard yourself. Transform your list of ten things into a longer list of possible story ideas. Don’t worry for now about whether these ideas would take a great amount of research, or might require special permission or access. Just write down a master list of possible stories related to your ideas and passions. Keep the list. You may use it later.”

It is this flexibility of form in the personal essay that makes it easy for students who are majoring in engineering, nutrition, graphic design, finance, management, etc. to adapt, learn and practice. The essay can be a more worldly form of writing than poetry or fiction, so students from various backgrounds, majors, jobs and cultures can express interesting and powerful thoughts and feelings in them.

The essay is more worldly than poetry and fiction in another sense: it allows for more of the world and its languages, its arts and food, its sport and business, its travel and politics, its sciences and entertainment, to be present, valid and important.

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Last updated on Feb 20, 2023

Creative Nonfiction: How to Spin Facts into Narrative Gold

About the author.

Reedsy's editorial team is a diverse group of industry experts devoted to helping authors write and publish beautiful books.

About Savannah Cordova

Savannah is a senior editor with Reedsy and a published writer whose work has appeared on Slate, Kirkus, and BookTrib. Her short fiction has appeared in the Owl Canyon Press anthology, "No Bars and a Dead Battery". 

About Rebecca van Laer

Rebecca van Laer is a writer, editor, and the author of two books, including the novella How to Adjust to the Dark. Her work has been featured in literary magazines such as AGNI, Breadcrumbs, and TriQuarterly.

Creative nonfiction is a genre of creative writing that approaches factual information in a literary way. This type of writing applies techniques drawn from literary fiction and poetry to material that might be at home in a magazine or textbook, combining the craftsmanship of a novel with the rigor of journalism. 

Here are some popular examples of creative nonfiction:

• The Collected Schizophrenias by Esmé Weijun Wang
• Intimations by Zadie Smith
• Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
• Translating Myself and Others by Jhumpa Lahiri
• The Madwoman in the Attic by Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar
• I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino

Creative nonfiction is not limited to novel-length writing, of course. Popular radio shows and podcasts like WBEZ’s This American Life or Sarah Koenig’s Serial also explore audio essays and documentary with a narrative approach, while personal essays like Nora Ephron’s A Few Words About Breasts and Mariama Lockington’s What A Black Woman Wishes Her Adoptive White Parents Knew also present fact with fiction-esque flair.

Writing short personal essays can be a great entry point to writing creative nonfiction. Think about a topic you would like to explore, perhaps borrowing from your own life, or a universal experience. Journal freely for five to ten minutes about the subject, and see what direction your creativity takes you in. These kinds of exercises will help you begin to approach reality in a more free flowing, literary way — a muscle you can use to build up to longer pieces of creative nonfiction.

If you think you’d like to bring your writerly prowess to nonfiction, here are our top tips for creating compelling creative nonfiction that’s as readable as a novel, but as illuminating as a scholarly article.

Write a memoir focused on a singular experience

Humans love reading about other people’s lives — like first-person memoirs, which allow you to get inside another person’s mind and learn from their wisdom. Unlike autobiographies, memoirs can focus on a single experience or theme instead of chronicling the writers’ life from birth onward.

For that reason, memoirs tend to focus on one core theme and—at least the best ones—present a clear narrative arc, like you would expect from a novel. This can be achieved by selecting a singular story from your life; a formative experience, or period of time, which is self-contained and can be marked by a beginning, a middle, and an end. 

When writing a memoir, you may also choose to share your experience in parallel with further research on this theme. By performing secondary research, you’re able to bring added weight to your anecdotal evidence, and demonstrate the ways your own experience is reflective (or perhaps unique from) the wider whole.

Example: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking , for example, interweaves the author’s experience of widowhood with sociological research on grief. Chronicling the year after her husband’s unexpected death, and the simultaneous health struggles of their daughter, The Year of Magical Thinking is a poignant personal story, layered with universal insight into what it means to lose someone you love. The result is the definitive exploration of bereavement — and a stellar example of creative nonfiction done well.

📚 Looking for more reading recommendations? Check out our list of the best memoirs of the last century .

Tip: What you cut out is just as important as what you keep

When writing a memoir that is focused around a singular theme, it’s important to be selective in what to include, and what to leave out. While broader details of your life may be helpful to provide context, remember to resist the impulse to include too much non-pertinent backstory. By only including what is most relevant, you are able to provide a more focused reader experience, and won’t leave readers guessing what the significance of certain non-essential anecdotes will be.

💡 For more memoir-planning tips, head over to our post on outlining memoirs .

Of course, writing a memoir isn’t the only form of creative nonfiction that lets you tap into your personal life — especially if there’s something more explicit you want to say about the world at large… which brings us onto our next section.

Pen a personal essay that has something bigger to say

Personal essays condense the first-person focus and intimacy of a memoir into a tighter package — tunneling down into a specific aspect of a theme or narrative strand within the author’s personal experience.

Often involving some element of journalistic research, personal essays can provide examples or relevant information that comes from outside the writer’s own experience. This can take the form of other people’s voices quoted in the essay, or facts and stats. By combining lived experiences with external material, personal essay writers can reach toward a bigger message, telling readers something about human behavior or society instead of just letting them know the writer better.

Example: The Empathy Exams by Leslie Jamison

Leslie Jamison's widely acclaimed collection The Empathy Exams  tackles big questions (Why is pain so often performed? Can empathy be “bad”?) by grounding them in the personal. While Jamison draws from her own experiences, both as a medical actor who was paid to imitate pain, and as a sufferer of her own ailments, she also reaches broader points about the world we live in within each of her essays.

Whether she’s talking about the justice system or reality TV, Jamison writes with both vulnerability and poise, using her lived experience as a jumping-off point for exploring the nature of empathy itself.

Tip: Try to show change in how you feel about something

Including external perspectives, as we’ve just discussed above, will help shape your essay, making it meaningful to other people and giving your narrative an arc. 

Ultimately, you may be writing about yourself, but readers can read what they want into it. In a personal narrative, they’re looking for interesting insights or realizations they can apply to their own understanding of their lives or the world — so don’t lose sight of that. As the subject of the essay, you are not so much the topic as the vehicle for furthering a conversation.

Often, there are three clear stages in an essay:

• Initial state 
• Encounter with something external
• New, changed state, and conclusions

By bringing readers through this journey with you, you can guide them to new outlooks and demonstrate how your story is still relevant to them.

Had enough of writing about your own life? Let’s look at a form of creative nonfiction that allows you to get outside of yourself.

Tell a factual story as though it were a novel

The form of creative nonfiction that is perhaps closest to conventional nonfiction is literary journalism. Here, the stories are all fact, but they are presented with a creative flourish. While the stories being told might comfortably inhabit a newspaper or history book, they are presented with a sense of literary significance, and writers can make use of literary techniques and character-driven storytelling.

Unlike news reporters, literary journalists can make room for their own perspectives: immersing themselves in the very action they recount. Think of them as both characters and narrators — but every word they write is true. 

If you think literary journalism is up your street, think about the kinds of stories that capture your imagination the most, and what those stories have in common. Are they, at their core, character studies? Parables? An invitation to a new subculture you have never before experienced? Whatever piques your interest, immerse yourself.

Example: The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan

If you’re looking for an example of literary journalism that tells a great story, look no further than Michael Pollan’s The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World , which sits at the intersection of food writing and popular science. Though it purports to offer a “plant’s-eye view of the world,” it’s as much about human desires as it is about the natural world.

Through the history of four different plants and human’s efforts to cultivate them, Pollan uses first-hand research as well as archival facts to explore how we attempt to domesticate nature for our own pleasure, and how these efforts can even have devastating consequences. Pollan is himself a character in the story, and makes what could be a remarkably dry topic accessible and engaging in the process.

Tip: Don’t pretend that you’re perfectly objective

You may have more room for your own perspective within literary journalism, but with this power comes great responsibility. Your responsibilities toward the reader remain the same as that of a journalist: you must, whenever possible, acknowledge your own biases or conflicts of interest, as well as any limitations on your research. 

Thankfully, the fact that literary journalism often involves a certain amount of immersion in the narrative — that is, the writer acknowledges their involvement in the process — you can touch on any potential biases explicitly, and make it clear that the story you’re telling, while true to what you experienced, is grounded in your own personal perspective.

Approach a famous name with a unique approach 

Biographies are the chronicle of a human life, from birth to the present or, sometimes, their demise. Often, fact is stranger than fiction, and there is no shortage of fascinating figures from history to discover. As such, a biographical approach to creative nonfiction will leave you spoilt for choice in terms of subject matter.

Because they’re not written by the subjects themselves (as memoirs are), biographical nonfiction requires careful research. If you plan to write one, do everything in your power to verify historical facts, and interview the subject’s family, friends, and acquaintances when possible. Despite the necessity for candor, you’re still welcome to approach biography in a literary way — a great creative biography is both truthful and beautifully written.

Example: American Prometheus  by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

Alongside the need for you to present the truth is a duty to interpret that evidence with imagination, and present it in the form of a story. Demonstrating a novelist’s skill for plot and characterization, Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s American Prometheus is a great example of creative nonfiction that develops a character right in front of the readers’ eyes .

American Prometheus follows J. Robert Oppenheimer from his bashful childhood to his role as the father of the atomic bomb, all the way to his later attempts to reckon with his violent legacy.

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The biography tells a story that would fit comfortably in the pages of a tragic novel, but is grounded in historical research. Clocking in at a hefty 721 pages, American Prometheus distills an enormous volume of archival material, including letters, FBI files, and interviews into a remarkably readable volume. 

📚 For more examples of world-widening, eye-opening biographies, check out our list of the 30 best biographies of all time.

Tip: The good stuff lies in the mundane details

Biographers are expected to undertake academic-grade research before they put pen to paper. You will, of course, read any existing biographies on the person you’re writing about, and visit any archives containing relevant material. If you’re lucky, there’ll be people you can interview who knew your subject personally — but even if there aren’t, what’s going to make your biography stand out is paying attention to details, even if they seem mundane at first.

Of course, no one cares which brand of slippers a former US President wore — gossip is not what we’re talking about. But if you discover that they took a long, silent walk every single morning, that’s a granular detail you could include to give your readers a sense of the weight they carried every day. These smaller details add up to a realistic portrait of a living, breathing human being.

But creative nonfiction isn’t just writing about yourself or other people. Writing about art is also an art, as we’ll see below.

Put your favorite writers through the wringer with literary criticism

Literary criticism is often associated with dull, jargon-laden college dissertations — but it can be a wonderfully rewarding form that blurs the lines between academia and literature itself. When tackled by a deft writer, a literary critique can be just as engrossing as the books it analyzes.

Many of the sharpest literary critics are also poets, poetry editors , novelists, or short story writers, with first-hand awareness of literary techniques and the ability to express their insights with elegance and flair. Though literary criticism sounds highly theoretical, it can be profoundly intimate: you’re invited to share in someone’s experience as a reader or writer — just about the most private experience there is.

Example: The Madwoman in the Attic by Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar

Take The Madwoman in the Attic by Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar, a seminal work approaching Victorian literature from a feminist perspective. Written as a conversation between two friends and academics, this brilliant book reads like an intellectual brainstorming session in a casual dining venue. Highly original, accessible, and not suffering from the morose gravitas academia is often associated with, this text is a fantastic example of creative nonfiction.

Tip: Remember to make your critiques creative

Literary criticism may be a serious undertaking, but unless you’re trying to pitch an academic journal, you’ll need to be mindful of academic jargon and convoluted sentence structure. Don’t forget that the point of popular literary criticism is to make ideas accessible to readers who aren’t necessarily academics, introducing them to new ways of looking at anything they read. 

If you’re not feeling confident, a professional nonfiction editor could help you confirm you’ve hit the right stylistic balance .

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The New Outliers: How Creative Nonfiction Became a Legitimate, Serious Genre

Lee gutkind on the birth and surprising history of a different type of narrative form.

Many of my students, and even some younger colleagues, think—assume—that creative nonfiction is just part of the literary ecosystem; it’s always been around, like fiction or poetry. In many ways, of course, they are right: the kind of writing that is now considered to be under the creative nonfiction umbrella has a long and rich history. Many, of course, look to Michel de Montaigne as the father of the modern essay, but, to my mind, the more authentic roots of creative nonfiction are in the eighteenth century: Daniel Defoe’s historical narratives, Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography, Thomas Paine’s pamphlets, and Samuel Johnson’s essays built a foundation for later writers such as Charles Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau.

That is to say, even if the line between fact and fiction was perhaps a little fuzzy in the early days, it’s not hard to find rich nonfiction narratives that predate the use of the word “nonfiction” (1867, according to the Oxford English Dictionary ) and were around long before the first recorded use of the phrase “creative nonfiction” (1943, according to research William Bradley did for Creative Nonfiction some years ago).

But in a lot of important ways, creative nonfiction is still very new, at least as a form of literature with its own identity. Unfortunately, it took a long time—longer than it should have, if you ask me—for the genre to be acknowledged in that ecosystem. And, of course, you’ll still encounter people who are unfamiliar with the term or want to make that dumb joke, “Creative nonfiction: isn’t that an oxymoron?”

Be that as it may, there’s no real doubt at this point that creative nonfiction is a serious genre, a real thing. You probably won’t find a “creative nonfiction” bookshelf at your local bookstore, and maybe it’s not on the menu at Amazon the way “fiction” is, but nonfiction narratives are everywhere. Newspapers, formerly the realm of straight journalism, with its inverted-pyramid, who-what-where-when-why requirements, have welcomed personal essays not only on their op-ed pages but in many different sections. Memoir, labeled a “craze” in the 1990s, is a mainstay of the publishing industry. Twenty or so years ago, almost no one was publishing essay collections, and even the word “essay” was the kiss of death if you wanted a trade publisher to consider your work, but now essay collections are routinely on best-seller lists. And, increasingly, even non-narrative creative nonfiction like lyric essays and hybrid forms have gained legitimacy and commercial viability.

So, you might ask, what happened? How did we get to this era of acceptance and legitimacy? The genre’s success, I believe, a gradual process over almost a half-century, emerged in many important ways from an unlikely and dominant source. I am not at all sure I would be writing this today, or that you would be reading this in an almost thirty-year-old magazine devoted exclusively to creative nonfiction, if not for the academy, and specifically departments of English.

Now, if you’ve been following my writing over the past thirty or so years, you may be surprised to hear me say this. After all, I’ve written a great deal about the power struggles that went on in the early 1970s, when I was teaching at the University of Pittsburgh and to a lesser degree at other universities and trying to expand the curriculum to include what was then called, mostly because of Tom Wolfe, “new journalism.”

I find that many of my students today aren’t very familiar with the New Journalists—Wolfe, Gay Talese, Gail Sheehy, Jimmy Breslin, Barbara Goldsmith, and Jane Kramer, among others—and it’s probably also true that some of the work from that time hasn’t aged terribly well. Sure, sometimes some of these writers went a little overboard, like Tom Wolfe, for example, interrupting his sentences with varoom-varooms and other stylistic flourishes. He was being playful and maybe a bit silly and arrogant, or it might seem so today, but he was also trying to loosen things up, to not be as predictable and sometimes downright boring as journalists then could be, and in that regard, he was quite successful.

You have to realize that the New Journalists were doing some very exciting stuff, seemingly groundbreaking. They were writing in scenes, recreating dialogue, manipulating timelines, and including themselves—their voices and ideas—in the stories they were writing. Stuff we pretty much take for granted now, but back then, with journalists especially hampered and handcuffed by rules and guidelines, so liberating.

Remember this was all happening in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when rule breaking, change, and defying the establishment were in the air everywhere, and the idea of the “new” in journalism captured the tone and spirit of the times. But I am not just talking here about journalism. Other writers, recognized for their literary achievements, were also taking chances, pushing boundaries. Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood , his “nonfiction novel,” stunned and obsessed the literary world when it was published first in the New Yorker in 1965 and then, the following year, as a book. In 1969, another novelist, Norman Mailer, was awarded both the Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction and the National Book Award for Arts and Letters for The Armies of the Night , about the Washington, DC, peace demonstrations . Mailer was awarded a second Pulitzer in 1980 for his intense, thousand-plus-page deep-dive into murder, obsession, and punishment, The Executioner’s Song , which became a centerpiece of a national conversation about the death penalty. Mailer’s award for his self-described “true-life novel” was for fiction, but all three books, if published today, would be considered creative nonfiction.

I couldn’t see why this kind of work—which was as exciting to students as it was to me—didn’t belong in the classroom. In an English department. Not just as a one-off work, to be taught once in a while, but as part of the curriculum. Why wasn’t there a category for writing that wasn’t poetry or fiction or essay or journalism but that could bring the various literary and journalistic techniques used in all of those forms together into one unique work of art and craft? Why didn’t this amalgam of literary and journalistic richness belong . . . somewhere?

Thinking back, I didn’t really belong either. I had pushed my way into the English department first as a part-time lecturer and then as tenure-track faculty by campaigning for this new or different way of writing nonfiction. And to be honest, I think I began to succeed, to make inroads, because, for one thing, most faculty at the time did not want to teach this stuff—nonfiction—especially if it was called or related to journalism. It’s also true I was a bit of an interloper—I was a published author in what might be described as a more commercial vein (books about motorcycles, baseball, backwoods America, targeted to general audiences), a rarity in English departments. And worse, I was a lowly BA. No advanced degrees.

But in many ways, I was also fortunate; during this time, with student protests confronting the old guard on campuses, I got by as a token of change, tolerated but not yet completely accepted. I felt like a misbehaving adolescent, rough around the edges and not yet ready to grow up, learn the rules, and pay my dues. I didn’t even know how to pay my dues. There were few options. Creative-writing programs, ubiquitous today, were rare and in many ways faced resistance in English departments.

Of course, part of the resistance to creative-writing courses, generally, was just the kind of turf defending that goes on in any academic department, where resources can be unfortunately scarce. Giving a tenure slot to a novelist or a poet, after all, can mean losing a tenure slot and resources for research and travel for a literature PhD.

But I think the resistance to creative nonfiction as being part of creative writing went even deeper and had something to do with how we define literature. I remember one particularly contentious debate back in the early 1970s, after one of my students had made a presentation arguing for an entire course devoted to new journalism. (I’d been incorporating pieces into my classes, but there was no entire course devoted to the stuff.) One of the English professors slammed a pile of books—classics—down on the table; his argument, I think, was that my student should have to prove he’d read those works before he was remotely qualified to weigh in on the curriculum. Anyway, perhaps predictably, it turned into a heated debate about which particular works were classics, a debate the department chair ended by observing, “After all, gentlemen, we are interested in literature here—not writing .”

(Were there women in the room? Of course there were.)

Now, what was going on here? Why didn’t these professors think of this writing as literary? And I mean not just contemporary works like In Cold Blood but the work that came before it, too—the nonfiction written by H. L. Mencken and Mark Twain, James Baldwin and Jack London, not to forget the father of English journalism, Daniel Defoe. And what about pioneering narrative journalists like Nellie Bly and Ida Tarbell? I guess I have a few theories.

First, the lack of a unifying name—what to call it—was definitely a complicating factor. “New journalism” wasn’t great because (the argument went, in English departments, at least) journalism was a trade, not a literary pursuit. There were other names floated—“the literature of fact,” “literary nonfiction,” “belles lettres” (which is what the National Endowment for the Arts was using at that time). But using the word “literary” to describe contemporary writing, meaning that a person would have to say “I write literary nonfiction” … well, that felt sort of presumptuous, didn’t it? “Creative” sort of had the same problem; who was to say what that meant, and it also sort of implied that other kinds of writing weren’t creative, and that didn’t feel good, especially to the scholars. And to the journalists, “creative” sounded like it meant you were making stuff up. As for “belles lettres,” well . . . it just sounded pretentious.

Even more than that, I think there was something about the writing itself—and the writers—that felt threatening. Not just because of the rule breaking. So much of this new nonfiction was about real people and events and was often quite revelatory. We were really a no-holds-barred crew. Wherever there was a story we were there, boots on the ground, bringing it to life—and often revealing the darkest side of things, of war, of poverty, of inherent societal racism. And revealing our own foibles and flaws along the way. And it wasn’t just Mailer and Capote and Baldwin who were writing this stuff, but real people capturing their own lives and struggles in dramatic detail. The “new” whatever you wanted to call it was truly an awakening.

Students, undergrads mostly, at first, especially recognized and were energized by the appeal. Suddenly the doors were open to other options far more interesting than the inverted pyramid or the five-paragraph essay, and considering these new possibilities for what to write about and, more important, how to write their stories was liberating, challenging, and downright enjoyable. Student interest and subsequent demand invariably led to more courses, and more courses led to more writers and scholars who would agree to teaching what had once seemed so controversial.

I should also point out that as the dialogue and debate about nonfiction began to grow, in the 1980s and early 1990s, I was traveling widely. I got invitations from not just universities, but also book clubs and local conferences, from Wyoming to Birmingham to Boston, and met not only with students but also with many of these “real” people who wanted to write. Some were professionals—doctors, teachers, scientists—but there were also firefighters, ambulance drivers, and what we then called homemakers, all with stories to write. They, too, saw the appeal of this nonfiction form that let you tell stories and incorporate your experiences along with other information and ideas and personal opinions.

These folks cared much less than the academics did about what it was called. But—after the dust had settled to a certain extent in academia; after the English department at Pitt had agreed, first, to a course called “The New Nonfiction” and then, nearly two decades later, to a whole master’s program concentrating on creative nonfiction writing (the first in the country, I believe), which later became an MFA program; and after the NEA, in 1989 or so, also adopted the term “creative nonfiction,” a tipping point for sure—well, it mattered tremendously to those folks that it had a name, this kind of writing they wanted to do. It brought a validation to their work, to know that there was a place or a category where their work belonged. The writing itself wasn’t necessarily anything new—people had been doing it forever, if you knew where to look for it—but now people were paying attention to it, and they had something to call it.

And then, a little later, when this journal (now, this magazine) started publishing, in 1993, that added another form of legitimacy. And, in fact, work from many of those writers I met during those years on the road was published in the first few issues of Creative Nonfiction . In the early issues of the journal, we attracted all kinds of writers who were, perhaps, tired of being locked in or limited. We published journalists and essayists and poets, all of them exploring and reaching.

All of this did not happen overnight. English departments did not jump right in and embrace nonfiction; it was, as I have said, a much more gradual and often reluctant acceptance, but clearly an inevitable—and eventually gracious—one, maybe mostly for practical reasons. Creative writing programs were becoming quite profitable, especially at a time when literature and liberal arts majors were waning. Adding nonfiction brought in an entirely new breed of students, not just literary types, but those interested in science and economics or those students who were just interested in finding a job after graduation. Learning to write true stories in a compelling way could only enhance future opportunities.

It may well be that English departments resisted change for various reasons at the beginning, but they also opened the doors and provided a place—a destination—for all of us creative nonfictionists to come together, dialogue and share our work, and earn a certain legitimacy that had been denied to us at the very beginning. I had no idea at the time I started teaching that creative nonfiction would become such a mainstay, not just in the academy, but as a force and influence in literature and in publishing. That was not my intent, and I was certainly not the only “warrior” who took up the fight. But I don’t think this fight could have taken place anywhere else but in the academy, where intellectual discourse and opportunities for new ideas can so richly flourish and be recognized. I have no idea whether an outsider like me, beating the bushes for support of a genre or an idea that did not seem to exist, could survive in an English department or anywhere else in the academy today; the atmosphere, the politics, the financial pressures, the tone of the times is so very different.

Even then, it was very much a minor miracle that I, uncredentialled and tainted, as some thought, by commercialism, was accorded such an opportunity. And that all of my campaigning and annoying persistence were tolerated. It would have been easy to eliminate me. But as much of an interloper as I was, I was rarely shut down; I could always speak my mind. And even though many of my colleagues were pretty damn unhappy about the new journalism and, later, creative nonfiction, they eventually came to recognize the popularity and potential of this new genre and, I think, to respect and appreciate the dedication and excitement displayed by our nonfiction students.

As the program grew and other universities followed suit, we outliers not only began to fit in, but also began to thrive. We added depth and substance not just to writing programs, but to the entire department. And as our students published, won awards, became popular teachers in their own right, we added more than a little bit of prestige.

What happened at Pitt and later at other English departments isn’t so very different than what happened as our genre evolved. Fifty years ago, we were hardly a blip on the radar, an add-on or an afterthought, a necessary annoyance at best. Today, we are not just a part of the literary ecosystem, we are its most active and impactful contributors—leaders and change makers and motivators where we once did not belong.

__________________________________

This essay originally appeared in Issue #76 of  Creative Nonfiction under the title “ I’d Like to Thank the Academy .”

Lee Gutkind

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49 Introduction to Creative Non-Fiction

Dr. Karen Palmer

Introduction to Creative Nonfiction

Creative nonfiction has existed for as long as poetry, fiction, and drama have, but only in the last forty years or so has the term become common as a label for creative, factual prose. The length is not  a factor in characterizing this genre: Such prose can take the form of an essay or a book. For this chapter’s discussion, we will focus on the essay , since not only will this shorter version of the form allow us to examine multiple examples for a better understanding of the genre, but also, you may have written creative nonfiction essays yourself. Looking carefully at the strategies exhibited by some successful essay writers will give us new ideas for achieving goals in our own writing.

Currently, creative non-fiction is the most popular literary genre. While generations past defined literature as poetry, drama, and fiction, creative nonfiction has increasingly gained popularity and recognition in the literary world.

Creative nonfiction stories depict real-life events, places, people, and experiences, but do so in a way that is immersive, so readers feel emotionally invested in the writing in a way they probably are not as invested in, say, a textbook or a more formal autobiography. While “nonfiction” (without the creative designation) tells true stories as well, there is less emphasis upon and space for creativity. If regular nonfiction were a person, it might say “just the facts, ma’am.” Creative nonfiction, on the other hand, might ask “and what color were her eyes as the moonlight reflected off the ocean into them, and what childhood memories did that moment dredge up?”

The best creative nonfiction tells a true story in an artistic — or literary — way. This means that the story has certain elements, such as descriptive imagery, setting, plot, conflict, characters, metaphors, and other literary devices. Usually, a work of creative nonfiction is narrated in first-person, though sometimes it can be written in third-person. It can be lyric and personal or representing important moments in history. They also might be more objective and scholarly, like many pieces of investigative journalism.

Key Takeaways

Creative Nonfiction Characteristics

• True stories
• Prose (usually, though sometimes poetry)
• Uses literary devices/is more creative and artistically-oriented than “regular” nonfiction
• Often told in first person
• The narrator is often the author or a persona of the author, but not always

When reading a work of creative nonfiction, it is important to remember the story is true. This means the author does not have as much artistic freedom as a fiction writer or poet might, because they cannot invent events which did not happen. It is worthwhile, then, to pay attention to the literary devices and other artistic choices the narrator makes. Readers should consider: what choices were made here about what to include and what to omit? Are there repeating images or themes? How might the historical context influence this work?

First, let’s do what we can to more clearly define the creative nonfiction essay. What is the difference between this kind of essay and an academic essay? Although written in prose form ( prose is writing not visually broken into distinct lines as poetry is), the creative nonfiction essay often strives for a poetic effect , employing a kind of compressed, distilled language so that most words carry more meaning than their simple denotation (or literal meaning). Generally, this kind of essay is not heavy with researched information or formal argument; its priority, instead, is to generate a powerful emotional and aesthetic effect ( aesthetic referring to artistic and/or beautiful qualities).

In this video, Evan Puschak discusses the evolution of the essay with the advent of technology and gives some really interesting insight into the importance of essays.

How YouTube Changed The Essay | Evan Puschak | TEDxLafayetteCollege

Four Types of Essay

A narrative essay recounts a sequence of related events.  Narrative essays are usually autobiographical. Events are chosen because they suggest or illustrate some universal truth or insight about life. In other words, the author has discovered in his/her own experiences evidence for generalizations about themselves or society.

Argumentative/Persuasive:

An argumentative essay strives to persuade readers. It usually deals with controversial ideas, creating arguments and gathering evidence to support a particular point of view. The author anticipates and answers opposing arguments in order to persuade the reader to adopt the author’s perspective.

In this video, the instructor gives an overview of the narrative and argumentative essays from the writer’s perspective. Looking at the essay from the author’s perspective can provide an interesting insight into reading an essay.

Descriptive:

A descriptive essay depicts sensory observations in words. They evoke reader’s imagination and address complex issues by appealing to the senses instead of the intellect. While a narrative essay will certainly employ description, the primary difference between the two is that a descriptive essay focuses only on appealing to the senses, whereas a narrative essay uses description to tell a story.

Expository:

An expository essay attempt to explain a topic, making it clear to readers. In an expository essay, the author organizes and provides information. Examples of this type of essay include the definition essay and the process analysis (how-to).

In this videos, the instructor gives an overview of the descriptive and expository essays from the writer’s perspective. Looking at the essay from the author’s perspective can provide an interesting insight into reading an essay.

Choosing a Topic & Reading the Essay: Steps 1 & 2

Your first step in writing a paper about an essay is to choose an essay and read it carefully. Essays confront readers directly with an idea, a problem, an illuminating experience, an important definition, or some flaw/virtue in the social system. Usually short, an essay embodies the writer’s personal viewpoint and speaks with the voice of a real person about the real word. Essays might also explore & clarify ideas by arguing for or against a position.

When reading an essay, ask yourself, “what is the central argument or idea?” Does the essay attack or justify something, or remind readers of something about their inner lives?

In this video, I do a close reading of the essay “ The Grapes of Mrs. Wrath .” As in any type of literature, you want to read first for enjoyment and understanding. Then, go back and do a close reading with a pen in hand, jotting down notes and looking for the ways in which the author gets his/her point across to the reader.

Virginia Woolf’s 1942 “The Death of the Moth” is an illuminating example of an argumentative essay. While the essay does not present a stated argument and proceed to offer evidence in the same way conventional academic argument would, it does strive to persuade . Consider this piece carefully and see if you can detect the theme that Woolf is developing.

“The Death of the Moth”

Here are some important items to consider when reading an essay.

1. The Thesis:

What is the point of the piece of writing? This should be your central concern. Once you know what the author’s main idea is, you can look at what techniques the author uses to get that point across successfully.

The title of Woolf’s essay, “The Death of the Moth,” offers us, from the start, the knowledge of the work’s theme of death. What impression does the essay, as a whole, convey? The writer acknowledges that watching even such a small creature as the moth struggle against death, she sympathizes with the moth and not with the “power of such magnitude” that carries on outside the window—that of time and inevitable change, for this power is ultimately her own “enemy” as well. In her last line, “O yes, he seemed to say, death is stronger than I am,” what lesson has she internalized regarding herself , a human being who at first observed the autumn day with no immediate sense of her own mortality?

2. Structure & detail:

• opening lines capture attention
• endings offer forceful assertions that focus the matter preceding them
• body converts abstract ideas into concrete details

While this piece is not a poem, what aspects of it are poetic ? Consider the imagery employed to suggest the season of death, for all of nature. The writer describes her experience sitting at her desk next to the window, observing the signs of autumn: the plow “scoring the field” where the crop (or “share”) has already been harvested. Although the scene begins in morning—characterized by energetic exertions of nature, including the rooks, rising and settling into the trees again and again with a great deal of noise, “as though to be thrown into the air and settle slowly down upon the tree tops were a tremendously exciting experience”—the day shifts, as the essay progresses, to afternoon, the birds having left the trees of this field for some other place. Like the moth, the day and the year are waning. The energy that each began with is now diminishing, as is the case for all living things.

The writer is impressed with the moth’s valiant struggle against its impending death because she is also aware of its inevitable doom: “[T] here was something marvellous as well as pathetic about him.” As is common in poetry, Woolf’s diction not only suggests her attitude toward the subject, but also exhibits a lyrical quality that enhances the work’s  effect: She introduces words whose meanings are associated with youth and energy, as well as sounding strong with the “vigorous” consonants of “g,” “c,” “z,” and “t”—words such as “vigour,” “clamour,” and “zest.” Yet, the author counters this positive tone with other words that suggest, both in meaning and in their softer sounds, the vulnerability of living things: “thin,” “frail,” “diminutive,” and “futile.” In a third category of diction, with words of compliment—”extraordinary” and “uncomplainingly”—

Woolf acknowledges the moth’s admirable fight. In addition to indicating the moth’s heroism, the very length of these words seems to model the moth’s attempts to drag out its last moments of life.

3. Style and Tone

• Style: writing skills that contribute to the effect of any piece of literature
• Tone: attitude conveyed by the language a writer chooses

Woolf’s choice of tone for an essay on this topic is, perhaps, what distinguishes it from the many other literary works on the subject. The attitude is not one of tragedy, horror, or indignation, as we might expect. Rather, through imagery and diction, Woolf generates a tone of wistfulness . By carefully crafting the reader’s experience of the moth’s death, through the author’s own first person point of view, she reminds us of our own human struggle against death, which is both heroic and inevitable.

Step 2: Personal Response

For Further Reading

Believe it or not, people actually add essays to their reading lists! Here are a few folks talking about their favorite essay collections. 🙂

https://youtu.be/ta68Bj7n0o4

Attributions

• Content created by Dr. Karen Palmer. Licensed under CC BY NC SA .
• Content adapted from “Creative Nonfiction, the 4th Genre” from Writing and Literature , licensed under CC BY SA .
• Content adapted from “ What is Creative Non-Fiction ” licensed CC BY NC .

The Worry Free Writer Copyright © 2020 by Dr. Karen Palmer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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100 Major Works of Modern Creative Nonfiction

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• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

Essays , memoirs , autobiographies , biographies , travel writing , history, cultural studies, nature writing —all of these fit under the broad heading of creative nonfiction , and all are represented in this list of 100 major works of creative nonfiction published by British and American writers over the past 90 years or so. They're arranged alphabetically by author last name.

Recommended Creative Nonfiction

• Edward Abbey, "Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness" (1968)
• James Agee, "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" (1941)
• Martin Amis, "Experience" (1995)
• Maya Angelou , "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" (1970)
• Russell Baker, "Growing Up" (1982)
• James Baldwin , "Notes of a Native Son" (1963)
• Julian Barnes, "Nothing to Be Frightened Of" (2008)
• Alan Bennett, "Untold Stories" (2005)
• Wendell Berry, "Recollected Essays" (1981)
• Bill Bryson, "Notes From a Small Island" (1995)
• Anthony Burgess, "Little Wilson and Big God: Being the First Part of the Confessions of Anthony Burgess" (1987)
• Joseph Campbell, "The Hero With a Thousand Faces" (1949)
• Truman Capote , "In Cold Blood" (1965)
• Rachel Carson, "Silent Spring" (1962)
• Pat Conroy, "The Water Is Wide" (1972)
• Harry Crews, "A Childhood: The Biography of a Place" (1978)
• Joan Didion, "We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live: Collected Nonfiction" (2006)
• Joan Didion, "The Year of Magical Thinking" (2005)
• Annie Dillard, "An American Childhood" (1987)
• Annie Dillard, "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek" (1974)
• Barbara Ehrenreich, "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" (2001)
• Gretel Ehrlich, "The Solace of Open Spaces" (1986)
• Loren Eiseley, "The Immense Journey: An Imaginative Naturalist Explores the Mysteries of Man and Nature" (1957)
• Ralph Ellison, "Shadow and Act" (1964)
• Nora Ephron, "Crazy Salad: Some Things About Women" (1975)
• Joseph Epstein, "Snobbery: The American Version" (2002)
• Richard P. Feynman, "The Feynman Lectures on Physics" (1964)
• Shelby Foote, "The Civil War: A Narrative" (1974)
• Ian Frazier, "Great Plains" (1989)
• Paul Fussell, "The Great War and Modern Memory" (1975)
• Stephen Jay Gould, "Ever Since Darwin: Reflections in Natural History" (1977)
• Robert Graves, "Good-Bye to All That" (1929)
• Alex Haley, "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" (1965)
• Pete Hamill, "A Drinking Life: A Memoir" (1994)
• Ernest Hemingway , "A Moveable Feast" (1964)
• Michael Herr, "Dispatches" (1977)
• John Hersey, "Hiroshima" (1946)
• Laura Hillenbrand, "Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption" (2010)
• Edward Hoagland, "The Edward Hoagland Reader" (1979)
• Eric Hoffer, "The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements" (1951)
• Richard Hofstadter, "Anti-Intellectualism in American Life" (1963)
• Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston, "Farewell to Manzanar" (1973)
• Langston Hughes , "The Big Sea" (1940)
• Zora Neale Hurston , "Dust Tracks on a Road" (1942)
• Aldous Huxley, "Collected Essays" (1958)
• Clive James, "Reliable Essays: The Best of Clive James" (2001)
• Alfred Kazin, "A Walker in the City" (1951)
• Tracy Kidder, "House" (1985)
• Maxine Hong Kingston, "The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Childhood Among Ghosts" (1989)
• Thomas Kuhn, "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" (1962)
• William Least Heat-Moon, "Blue Highways: A Journey Into America" (1982)
• Bernard Levin, "Enthusiasms" (1983)
• Barry Lopez, "Arctic Dreams: Imagination and Desire in a Northern Landscape" (1986)
• David McCullough, "Truman" (1992)
• Dwight Macdonald, "Against The American Grain: Essays on the Effects of Mass Culture" (1962)
• John McPhee, "Coming Into the Country" (1977)
• Rosemary Mahoney, "Whoredom in Kimmage: The Private Lives of Irish Women" (1993)
• Norman Mailer, "The Armies of the Night" (1968)
• Peter Matthiessen, "The Snow Leopard" (1979)
• H.L. Mencken, "A Mencken Chrestomathy: His Own Selection of His Choicest Writing" (1949)
• Joseph Mitchell, "Up in the Old Hotel and Other Stories" (1992)
• Jessica Mitford, "The American Way of Death" (1963)
• N. Scott Momaday, "Names" (1977)
• Lewis Mumford, "The City in History: Its Origins, Its Transformations, and Its Prospects" (1961)
• Vladimir Nabokov, "Speak, Memory: An Autobiography Revisited" (1967)
• P.J. O'Rourke, "Parliament of Whores" (1991)
• Susan Orlean, "My Kind of Place: Travel Stories from a Woman Who's Been Everywhere" (2004)
• George Orwell , "Down and Out in Paris and London" (1933)
• George Orwell, "Essays" (2002)
• Cynthia Ozick, "Metaphor and Memory" (1989)
• Robert Pirsig, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" (1975)
• Richard Rodriguez, "Hunger of Memory" (1982)
• Lillian Ross, "Picture" (1952)
• David Sedaris, "Me Talk Pretty One Day" (2000)
• Richard Selzer, "Taking the World in for Repairs" (1986)
• Zadie Smith, "Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays" (2009)
• Susan Sontag, "Against Interpretation and Other Essays" (1966)
• John Steinbeck, "Travels with Charley" (1962)
• Studs Terkel, "Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression" (1970)
• Lewis Thomas, "The Lives of a Cell" (1974)
• E.P. Thompson, "The Making of the English Working Class" (1963; rev. 1968)
• Hunter S. Thompson, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream" (1971)
• James Thurber, "My Life and Hard Times" (1933)
• Lionel Trilling, "The Liberal Imagination: Essays on Literature and Society" (1950)
• Barbara Tuchman, "The Guns of August" (1962)
• John Updike, "Self-Consciousness" (1989)
• Gore Vidal, "United States: Essays 1952–1992" (1993)
• Sarah Vowell, "The Wordy Shipmates" (2008)
• Alice Walker , "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens: Womanist Prose" (1983)
• David Foster Wallace, "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments" (1997)
• James D. Watson, "The Double Helix" (1968)
• Eudora Welty, "One Writer's Beginnings" (1984)
• E.B. White , "Essays of E.B. White" (1977)
• E.B. White, "One Man's Meat" (1944)
• Isabel Wilkerson, "The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration" (2010)
• Tom Wolfe, "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" (1968)
• Tom Wolfe, "The Right Stuff" (1979)
• Tobias Wolff, "This Boy's Life: A Memoir" (1989)
• Virginia Woolf , "A Room of One's Own" (1929)
• Richard Wright, "Black Boy" (1945)
• Stream of Consciousness Writing
• Creative Nonfiction
• Examples of Images in Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction
• Writers on Reading
• An Introduction to Literary Nonfiction
• Defining Nonfiction Writing
• What Is Literary Journalism?
• List (Grammar and Sentence Styles)
• A Look at the Roles Characters Play in Literature
• Point of View in Grammar and Composition
• Using Flashback in Writing
• Tips on Great Writing: Setting the Scene
• Genres in Literature
• Premises and Conclusions: Definitions and Examples in Arguments
• Definition and Examples of Formal Essays

Picturing the Personal Essay: A Visual Guide

A design professor from Denmark once drew for me a picture of the creative process, which had been the subject of his doctoral dissertation. “Here,” he said. “This is what it looks like”:

Nothing is wasted though, said the design professor, because every bend in the process is helping you to arrive at your necessary structure. By trying a different angle or creating a composite of past approaches, you get closer and closer to what you intend. You begin to delineate the organic form that will match your content.

The remarkable thing about personal essays, which openly mimic this exploratory process, is that they can be so quirky in their “shape.” No diagram matches the exact form that evolves, and that is because the best essayists resist predictable approaches. They refuse to limit themselves to generic forms, which, like mannequins, can be tricked out in personal clothing. Nevertheless, recognizing a few basic underlying structures may help an essay writer invent a more personal, more unique form. Here, then, are several main options.

Narrative with a lift

Take, for example, Jo Ann Beard’s essay “The Fourth State of Matter.” The narrator, abandoned by her husband, is caring for a dying dog and going to work at a university office to which an angry graduate student has brought a gun. The sequence of scenes matches roughly the unfolding of real events, but there is suspense to pull us along, represented by questions we want answered. In fact, within Beard’s narrative, two sets of questions, correlating to parallel subplots, create a kind of double tension. When the setting is Beard’s house, we wonder, “Will she find a way to let go of the dying dog, not to mention her failing marriage?” And when she’s at work, we find ourselves asking, “What about the guy with the gun? How will he impact her one ‘safe place’?”

One interesting side note: trauma, which is a common source for personal essays, can easily cause an author to get stuck on the sort of plateau Kittredge described. Jo Ann Beard, while clearly wrestling with the immobilizing impact of her own trauma, found a way to keep the reader moving both forward and upward, until the rising tension reached its inevitable climax: the graduate student firing his gun. I have seen less-experienced writers who, by contrast, seem almost to jog in place emotionally, clutching at a kind of post-traumatic scar tissue.

The whorl of reflection

Let’s set aside narrative, though, since it is not the only mode for a personal essay. In fact, most essays are more topical or reflective, which means they don’t move through time in a linear fashion as short stories do.

One of the benefits of such a circling approach is that it seems more organic, just like the mind’s creative process. It also allows for a wider variety of perspectives—illuminating the subject from multiple angles. A classic example would be “Under the Influence,” Scott Russell Sanders’s essay about his alcoholic father. Instead of luring us up the chronological slope of plot, Sanders spirals around his father’s drinking, leading us to a wide range of realizations about alcoholism: how it gets portrayed in films, how it compares to demon-possession in the Bible, how it results in violence in other families, how it raises the author’s need for control, and even how it influences the next generation through his workaholic over-compensation. We don’t read an essay like this out of plot-driven suspense so much as for the pleasure of being surprised, again and again, by new perspective and new insight.

The formal limits of focus

My own theory is that most personal essayists, because of a natural ability to extrapolate, do not struggle to find subjects to write about. Writer’s block is not their problem since their minds overflow with remembered experiences and related ideas. While a fiction writer may need to invent from scratch, adding and adding, the essayist usually needs to do the opposite, deleting and deleting. As a result, nonfiction creativity is best demonstrated by what has been left out. The essay is a figure locked in a too-large-lump of personal experience, and the good essayist chisels away all unnecessary material.

Virginia Woolf’s “Street Haunting” is an odd but useful model. She limits that essay to a single evening walk in London, ostensibly taken to buy a pencil. I suspect Woolf gave herself permission to combine incidents from several walks in London, but no matter. The essay feels “brought together” by the imposed limits of time and place.

As it happens, “Street Haunting” is also an interesting prototype for a kind of essay quite popular today: the segmented essay. Although the work is unified by the frame of a single evening stroll, it can also be seen as a combination of many individual framed moments. If we remove the purpose of the journey—to find a pencil—the essay falls neatly into a set of discrete scenes with related reveries: a daydreaming lady witnessed through a window, a dwarfish woman trying on shoes, an imagined gathering of royalty on the other side of a palace wall, and eventually the arguing of a married couple in the shop where Woolf finally gets her pencil.

Dipping into the well

Our attention to thematic unity brings up one more important dynamic in most personal essays. Not only do we have a horizontal movement through time, but there is also a vertical descent into meaning. As a result, essayists will often pause the forward motion to dip into a thematic well.

In fact, Berry uses several of these loops of reflective commentary, and though they seem to be digressions, temporarily pulling the reader away from the forward flow of the plot, they develop an essential second layer to the essay.

Braided and layered structures

Want an example? Look at Judith Kitchen’s three-page essay “Culloden,” which manages to leap back and forth quite rapidly, from a rain-pelted moor in 18th-century Scotland to 19th-century farms in America to the blasted ruins of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, the author’s birthday. The sentences themselves suggest the impressionistic effect that Kitchen is after, being compressed to fragments, rid of the excess verbiage we expect in formal discourse: “Late afternoon. The sky hunkers down, presses, like a lover, against the land. Small sounds. A far sheep, faint barking. . . .” And as the images accumulate, layer upon layer, we begin to feel the author’s fundamental mood, a painful awareness of her own inescapable mortality. We begin to encounter the piece on a visceral level that is more intuitive than rational. Like a poem, in prose.

Coming Full Circle

First of all, endings are related to beginnings. That’s why many essays seem to circle back to where they began. Annie Dillard, in her widely anthologized piece “Living Like Weasels,” opens with a dried-out weasel skull that is attached, like a pendant, to the throat of a living eagle—macabre proof that the weasel was carried aloft to die and be torn apart. Then, at the end of the essay, Dillard alludes to the skull again, stating, “I think it would be well, and proper, and obedient, and pure, to grasp your one necessity and not let it go, to dangle from it limp wherever it takes you.”

See how deftly Dillard accomplishes this effect simply by positing one last imagined or theoretical possibility—a way of life she hopes to master, that we ourselves might master: “Seize it and let it seize you up aloft even, till your eyes burn out and drop; let your musky flesh fall off in shreds, and let your very bones unhinge and scatter, loosened over fields, over fields and woods, lightly, thoughtless, from any height at all, from as high as eagles.” Yes, the essay has come full circle, echoing the opening image of the weasel’s skull, but it also points away, beyond itself, to something yet to be realized. The ending both closes and opens at the same time.

All diagrams rendered by Claire Bascom. An earlier version of this essay appeared in Volume I, issue 1 of The Essay Review .

This essay is fabulously This essay is fabulously useful! I’ll be showing it to my creative writing students semester after semester, I’m sure. I appreciate the piece’s clarity and use of perfect examples.

I love the succinct diagrams and cited writing examples. Very instructive and useful as A.P. comments above. I also loved that I had read the Woolf journey to buy a pencil–one of my favorite essays because it is such a familiar experience–that of observing people.

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Applicants must apply to BOTH the Fresno State Graduate Admissions office and also to the MFA Program in Creative Writing . We also strongly recommend applying for financial aid and scholarships.

STEP 1 — University Application

Apply online to the Division of Research and Graduate Studies at Fresno State through the Cal State Apply website. There is a nonrefundable $70 application fee. All applicants must pay the application fee; there are no application fee waivers for CSU post-baccalaureate applicants.

Download Cal State Apply's graduate application guide for more.

For supporting materials, you must submit your  official  college transcripts (and TOEFL scores, if you are an international applicant) directly to the university for admissions review. Transcripts must be received in sealed envelopes directly from the institution from which you will or have graduated.

For domestic applicants, mail your transcripts to: California State University, Fresno Attn: Graduate Admissions 5150 N. Maple Ave., JA57 Fresno, CA 93740

For international applicants, mail your transcripts to: California State University, Fresno Attn: International Admissions 5150 N. Maple Ave., JA56 Fresno, CA 93740

NOTE: If your undergraduate bachelor's degree is from Fresno State, you do not need to submit an official Fresno State transcript to  Graduate Admissions.  (Transcripts from other institutions are still needed.)

STEP 2 — Program Application

The program application will be submitted online in the "Quadrant 4" section of your Cal State Apply application. You will answer several additional questions in Quadrant 4, and then you will be asked to upload the following:

• A brief personal statement (one or two pages) that discusses your interest, background, and goals in creative writing.

• A copy of your unofficial college transcripts for MFA faculty review (all in one document).

• A writing sample of your creative work (up to 10 poems or 25 pages of prose) to be evaluated by the creative writing committee. Prose submissions may be a continuous selection from a book-length work, such as a novel, or a collection of multiple short stories or essays. Screenplays and scripts are not accepted, as these forms are not within the primary scope of the program. Please send clean, easy-to-read copies of your work.

Letters of Recommendation (optional)

Also in Quadrant 4, you will have the opportunity to enter the names and email addresses of three recommenders, for your letters of support. Letters are now optional and are no longer required. We will not accept letters of support directly from the applicant; they must be uploaded online by your recommenders.

Your recommenders can be teachers, editors, or others familiar with your writing and academic skills, as well as your potential to contribute to the program’s environment. Letters are considered confidential.

STEP 3 — Financial Aid and Scholarship Applications

In addition, students are  strongly encouraged  to fill out a  general Scholarship Application  for California State University, Fresno, as well as a  Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) . Please note that the deadline for these applications is different (read: earlier) than the program application. See our  MFA Program financial assistance tab  and also our  English Department scholarships page  for more details and support.

Additional Notes

Please note: Though the  Division of Research Graduate Studies  lists April 1 as the university's deadline for applications to many programs, the MFA Program sets its application deadline earlier as  March 1, 2023 . Students applying must have  both  parts of their applications, as well as supporting materials, completed by  March 1, 2023 .

Also note: GRE scores are  not  required for admission.

International applicants should contact the office of  International Student Services and Programs  for additional guidelines and support.  

MFA Financial Information

For current costs of standard Tuition and Campus Fees at Fresno State, see the  Accounting Services fee schedule  page. Tuition and fees are subject to change each semester.

Funding Opportunities

Creative Writing students can apply for a wide range of local, state, and federal financial assistance. These include scholarships, grants, loan programs, and more. F unding and job opportunities are competitive.

All decisions made by the Creative Writing faculty on student awards and funding are made collaboratively and are based on an evaluation of the quality of creative work and on programmatic needs.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Visit our Department of English's  student funding page  for full information about scholarship and financial aid opportunities. Pay closest attention to financial aid from the Division of Research and Graduate Studies (DRGS).

In addition to what's listed on the department funding page, we offer up to three nonresident fee waivers to qualified incoming students for their first year of study.

We also offer ongoing Instructionally Related Activities (IRA) funding for select students to attend and participate in national writing conferences. Travel grants are also available.

Teaching Associate positions

Recruitment for  Teaching Associate positions (TAships) in the department takes place each spring semester for positions beginning in the fall. (Please note that recruitment for AY 2023-24 will open in March 2023.) Most TAs teach in the first-year writing program , and several teach beginning creative writing classes each semester.

Writing and Research Scholar positions

Up to three positions will be awarded each fall for MFA Writing and Research Scholars in the Graduate Student Success Center at $18/hr, for a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 20 hours per week. Scholars will be working with Fresno State graduate students on class assignments as well as projects and theses. Scholars will receive training on consulting practice as it pertains to the center's philosophy while also gaining teaching and public presentation experience by actively facilitating workshops and/or colloquia focused on thesis preparation and research. Contact the center's co-coordinator, Ronald Dzerigian, for information. ( Email )

Tutoring positions

Recruitment for Writing Consultant positions in the campus  Graduate Student Success Center takes place each semester. Tutors consult on graduate student projects, thesis manuscripts, or papers for publication. Contact the center's co-coordinator, Ronald Dzerigian, to apply. ( Email )

Recruitment for Tutor positions in the campus  Writing Center  takes place each semester. Tutors work as facilitators in small writing groups, in one-on-one tutoring, and in online tutoring.

Assistantships in publishing and editing

The program awards up to three Student Assistant positions each year. The SAs work as editorial interns for  The Normal School  literary magazine , and they support the administrative staff in the program office.

The program awards up to four Student Assistant positions each fall to assist faculty in running our annual book contest, the Philip Levine Prize for Poetry .

The program awards one Student Assistant position each spring to assist faculty in running our English Department's annual Young Writers' Conference .

Creative Writing Prizes

The program, together with the English Department and the Academy of American Poets, sponsors annual  Creative Writing Prizes  each spring for writers in all genres.

California Residency

The Admissions Office determines the residency status of all new and returning students for purposes of tuition. Out-of-state, nonresident, and international students must pay an additional Non-Resident Tuition Fee of $396 per unit, in addition to the standard Tuition Fee and Campus Fees. The fees are subject to change each semester.

Because each student's residency status can be different and complex, students should contact the Graduate Admissions Office at [email protected] or 559.278.4073 for individual consultation.

Find out more about residency requirements students must meet:

Basic Requirements

Generally, establishing California residency for tuition purposes requires a combination of physical presence and intent to remain indefinitely.

An adult who, at least 366 days prior to the residency determination date for the term in which enrollment is contemplated, can demonstrate both physical presence in the state combined with evidence of intent to remain in California indefinitely may establish California residency for tuition purposes.

A minor normally derives residency from the parent(s) they reside with or most recently resided with.

Examples of Evidence

Evidence demonstrating intent may vary from case to case but will include, and is not limited to:

• the absence of residential ties to any other state;
• California voter registration and voting in California elections;
• maintaining California vehicle registration and driver's license;
• maintaining active California bank accounts;
• filing California income tax returns and listing a California address on federal tax returns;
• owning residential property or occupying or renting a residence where permanent belongings are kept;
• maintaining active memberships in California professional or social organizations; and
• maintaining a permanent military address and home of record in California.

Reclassification and Financial Independence

Nonresident students seeking reclassification are required to complete a supplemental questionnaire that includes questions concerning their financial independence.

Financial independence is required, in addition to physical presence and intent, to be eligible for reclassification.

Financial independence is established if, in the calendar year the reclassification application is made and in any of the 3 consecutive calendar years preceding the reclassification application, the student:

• has not and will not be claimed as an exemption for state and federal tax purposes by his/her parent;
• has not and will not receive more than $750 per year in financial assistance from his/her parent; and
• has not lived and will not live longer than 6 weeks in the home of his/her parent.

Additional Information

Fresno State catalog

Admissions Office website

MFA Degree Requirements

The MFA degree in Creative Writing requires a 54-unit course of study. The program is intended to take three years, and you are limited to five years to complete the requirements. Students are accepted into the program with a focus in one of three genres: poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction.

Visit the  Fresno State catalog  for full program information.

Coursework Requirements

In consultation with the MFA adviser, each student prepares and submits a coherent program individually designed within one of the two following frameworks:

Seminars in Writing (16 units)

ENGL 261 — Seminar in Writing Poetry ENGL 263 — Seminar in Writing Fiction ENGL 265 — Seminar in Writing Creative Nonfiction

These workshops make up the heart of the coursework, and you will use them to work toward your thesis manuscript. Four sections are required, but some students choose to take more and count them as electives. It's a good idea to take one workshop nearly every semester, and to take them from different faculty. You may also choose to take a workshop outside of your genre.

Seminars in Form and Theory (8 units)

ENGL 241 — Seminar in Form and Theory of Poetry ENGL 243 — Seminar in Form and Theory of Fiction ENGL 245 — Seminar in Form and Theory of Creative Nonfiction

One course is taken in the student's focus genre and one in either of the other two genres.

These courses in literary craft provide intensive study in the forms, styles, and technical issues in the genres. Instructors rotate, and different faculty focus on different content. The creative nonfiction course is offered in the fall semester only, and the poetry and fiction courses are offered in the spring semester only.

Seminars in Literature or Critical Theory (12 units)

ENGL 250T — Seminar in Literature (topics class) ENGL 280T — Seminar in Critical Theory (topics class)

These courses provide broad and necessary background in literary studies, and there are different topics offered each semester. Many of those topics will not be offered again while you are here, so look for topics and faculty you'd most like to take. You may choose a class that will deepen your knowledge of your chosen genre, or you may choose a class that will broaden your horizons by exposing you to something new.

Please note: The seminar paper that you write for one of these seminars is often used to fulfill your Graduate Writing Requirement (see Handbook tab), so don't put these off until the last minute!

Approved Electives (12-14 units)

Chosen from upper-division or graduate level courses.

In most cases, these courses will be graduate level English courses, but they may also include literary seminars, foreign language courses, or courses from other departments in art, drama, playwriting, etc. that are relevant to your plan of study.

Please note: Via the Division of Research Graduate Studies, see page 2 of the Program Adjustment Request form for a full list of  Course Limitations for Graduate Programs .

Students are also encouraged to consider taking Engl 242 (Literary Editing and Publishing) and/or Engl 286 (Practicum in Literary Arts: Publishing and Programming) to gain real-world experience in professional publishing and editing. Students in Engl 242 serve as editorial assistants for the  Philip Levine Prize for Poetry , and students in Engl 286 serve as editors and editorial assistants for  The Normal School  literary magazine , both in print and online. Both projects are nationally recognized.

Engl 242 is offered in the fall semester only; 4 units, and the course is repeatable. Engl 286 is offered each semester; units vary from 1-6, with a max of 6 that count toward the degree.

Thesis (6 units)

ENGL 299 — Thesis

See Specific Requirements below for full details. See also the "Sequence of Engl 299 courses" tab in the program handbook, linked above, for enrollment information.

Total: 54 units

Note:  At least 70% of coursework (38 units)  must be at graduate (200-series) level.

MFA in Creative Writing: Emphasis in Publishing and Editing

ENGL 261  — Seminar in Writing Poetry ENGL 263  — Seminar in Writing Fiction ENGL 265  — Seminar in Writing Creative Nonfiction

ENGL 241 — Seminar in Form and Theory of Poetry ENGL 243 — Seminar in Form and Theory of Fiction ENGL 245 — Seminar in Form and Theory of Creative Nonfiction

Seminars in Literature or Critical Theory (8 units)

ENGL 250T  — Seminar in Literature (topics class) ENGL 280T  — Seminar in Critical Theory (topics class)

Practicums in Publishing and Editing (8 units)

ENGL 242 — Literary Editing and Publishing ENGL 286 — Practicum in Literary Arts: Publishing and Programming

Students are encouraged to consider taking Engl 242 and/or Engl 286 to gain real-world experience in professional publishing and editing. Students in Engl 242 serve as editorial assistants for the  Philip Levine Prize for Poetry , and students in Engl 286 serve as editors and editorial assistants for  The Normal School  literary magazine , both in print and online. Both projects are nationally recognized.

Approved Electives (8-10 units)

Please note:  Via the Division of Research Graduate Studies, see page 2 of the Program Adjustment Request form for a full list of  Course Limitations for Graduate Programs .

ENGL 299 — Thesis

Note: At least 70% of coursework (38 units) must be at graduate (200-series) level.

Specific Requirements

In addition to coursework, students must complete a thesis manuscript, the graduate writing skills requirement, and a contextualizing narrative.

The thesis for the MFA degree in Creative Writing consists of a single book-length manuscript of fiction, a collection of poems, or creative nonfiction that works together to make a unified body of work. The thesis committee works closely with the student on style as well as content; it adheres to a high standard of publishable quality work. In their final semester, students will complete a formal defense of their thesis with their committee.

Graduate Writing Skills Requirement

Before advancement to candidacy, the student must satisfy the Graduate Writing Skills Requirement. This requirement is met by submission and approval of a sample of scholarly writing. (This is distinct from the sample of creative work required for program admission.) See the  MFA handbook tab on this webpage for more details.

Contextualizing Narrative

In addition to the general Graduate Division requirements, students are required to complete the MFA Contextualizing Narrative assignment with a grade of B or above. Students work with their adviser to create an approved reading list for the assignment. The Contextualizing Narrative assignment consists of craft-focused annotations of approved texts that allow students to demonstrate a theoretical and critical knowledge of their genre.

For more info, see the Assignment Description (doc, 14K).

MFA Program Handbook

You are responsible for meeting all deadlines set by the program, your thesis chair,  the Department of English, and the Division of Research Graduate Studies (DRGS). Check the DRGS dates and deadlines page  for the most current info, and familiarize yourself with these important explanations of the degree process and terminology.

Adviser/Coordinator

The program coordinator also serves as the official academic adviser for all MFA students. This person is your go-to resource for the degree process, including paperwork, policies, and any course-planning questions.

Prof. Brynn Saito  is the current coordinator and adviser.  We recommend you meet with him at least once per semester.

Classified Standing

This means you have met the requirements for admission and have been formally admitted to both the University and the program.

We occasionally admit students to the University as “Conditionally Classified” to indicate that the student has not yet satisfied all program admission requirements.

You are responsible for understanding and completing all coursework and degree requirements. Read the University catalog page for the program and frequently consult the  DRGS website  for updates and deadlines.

You must maintain a 3.0 GPA in all your coursework, and no grade below a C is allowed to count toward your degree. Also, no CR/NC grades will count.

To graduate with distinction, you must maintain a GPA of 3.9.

Graduate Writing Requirement

This is a University requirement that is met by submission and approval of a substantial sample of scholarly and critical writing, such as a seminar paper you have written for an Engl 250T course. (This is distinctly different from the sample of creative work required for program admission.)

Submissions are made to the coordinator. This must be done before Advancement to Candidacy.

Advancement to Candidacy

This is a crucial requirement. The completion of the ATC petition form— available here from the DRGS website —should be done by midway through your degree process.  We strongly recommend the third semester.

The ATC form is tailored specifically to the year you entered the program, and it lists all courses already taken along with the courses you plan to take to complete your degree. Approval of the ATC petition form enables you to sign up for thesis units when you are ready to begin the final stages of your work here. You must complete the form in cooperation with the adviser.

To be eligible for Advancement to Candidacy, you must have earned at least a B average on all coursework to be included in the MFA degree. You must also have met your Graduate Writing Requirement, after which time you can file the ATC petition form anytime.

Check the DRGS graduate degree deadlines page carefully for ATC petition form timelines, especially if you intend to enroll in thesis units the next semester. A delay in ATC petition form approval can result in problems with your "satisfactory progress toward degree" standing, which can affect your TA position, your registration options, your Financial Aid status, etc.

Program Adjustment Request

Any changes to the program of study you charted on the ATC petition form—for instance, if you take classes other than you predicted—must be noted and approved by both the adviser and DRGS. Many students have to file at least one of these PAR forms— available here from the DRGS website — before they’re through.

Also worth noting: See page 2 of the PAR form for a full list of  Course Limitations for Graduate Programs .

In addition to the general Graduate Division requirements, students are required to complete the MFA Contextualizing Narrative Assignment with a grade of B or above. Students work with their advisor to create an approved reading list for the assignment. The Contextualizing Narrative Assignment consists of craft-focused annotations of approved texts that allow students to demonstrate a theoretical and critical knowledge of their genre.

For more info, see the  Assignment Description  (doc, 14K).

Your Thesis Manuscript

This should be a book-length manuscript of publishable quality. Take the thesis very seriously, and take advantage of it. This is almost certainly the only time in your life when you will be given this kind of time, assistance, and permission to make a book. If you do it well, it could become your first published book as well as your thesis.

Don't wait to start on your thesis until the last year. If you come here to write, you should be writing toward the thesis from day one. Of course, everything you write here will not be included in the thesis, but thesis progress should be your goal from the start. You will not have time to write the whole thing from scratch during the last semester—or even the last two semesters. The 4-6 thesis units are offered as a way to give you time and the end of the program to focus intensely (with help from your committee chair) on revision, final drafts, polishing, etc.

Thesis Committee

Your committee consists of the three people who will work most closely with you to complete your thesis manuscript. After your first year of study, you should be ready to identify your first and second priority for your Thesis Committee Chair. At the end of your second year of study, you will identify and reach out to your second and third committee members. Your Chair should be a member of the MFA faculty—usually the person with whom you have worked most closely. The other two members can be MFA faculty or English Department faculty. Or, with program approval, one of your members may be from another department or outside the University.

Your Thesis Committee Chair will become your primary mentor, advisor, and advocate. Your Chair will also help you select the other two members of your committee and help identify appropriate texts for your contextualizing narrative. You will work with your Chair to plan, prepare for, draft, revise and submit your thesis. Your Chair will lead and schedule your Thesis Defense and introduce you for your third-year MFA Student Showcase Reading. They will also be one of your primary recommenders for job applications, PhD program applications, or other professional opportunities. Chair is organizing defense (2 hours).

Second and Third readers/committee members are expected to attend your Thesis Defense, contribute to the discussion, and provide a 1-2 page “letter of response” to your thesis. They are not expected to offer line-edits, copyediting, or annotations on the manuscript itself. They will also be asked to fill out a thesis assessment rubric and participate in the overall evaluation of the thesis.

Thesis Committee Assignment Form

The thesis Committee Assignment Form, which you'll submit in your 2nd year— available here from the DRGS website — cannot be filed until after the ATC petition form is filed and approved. All three members of your thesis committee must sign the form, as well as the program coordinator.

Sequence of Engl 299 Courses

Beginning in your 2nd semester, you will register for a four-course sequence of 299 classes (one 1-unit course per semester) that will focus on preparing you to write, submit, and defend your thesis, while also incorporating some pre-professional training for students in things like submitting your work and applying for jobs.

Registration is arranged by the MFA Coordinator.

Registration for Thesis Units

In your final semester, you will register for 2 units of Engl 299 with your Thesis Chair. This is done through the Supervised Course Request form,  available here from the English Department website . The same form is used to sign up for an Independent Study or an Independent Reading course. It requires signatures from your Thesis Chair and the MFA Coordinator.

You must have an approved ATC petition form and thesis Committee Assignment Form already completed and approved.  The number of thesis units must agree with what you listed on your ATC petition form. After approval, the Department will give you a permission number to enroll.

Thesis Defense and Showcase Reading

The MFA Thesis Defense is an hour-long formal discussion of your thesis and your writing in general. Students will be expected to give a brief (five minute) introductory presentation on their thesis. The Thesis Committee will then ask questions of the student and discuss their work for approximately 45 minutes. The student will be excused briefly while the committee deliberates on assessment of the thesis and then invited back in for a final conversation. The defense conversation will assist your committee in completing the thesis rubric (an assessment form that is filed with the department). More importantly, the defense is an opportunity for you to engage in a rich conversation about your work with your entire committee present. Your contextualizing narrative will assist you in preparing for the defense.

You will also present an excerpt of your thesis for your MFA Student Showcase Reading.

Thesis Completion

Check the  DRGS dates and deadlines page  for your final deadline for turning in your approved thesis. The deadline typically comes around midterm. This means that you should have your thesis very close to completion  before  the semester you expect to turn it in and graduate.

Please note that there is a precise and specific document format required by the University for thesis submission. The DRGS thesis consultant (currently Chuck Radke) offers workshops and individual help with this, and there is a template on the  DRGS Dissertation and Thesis Office page  to help you get your thesis into the required format.

Application for Graduation

This requires completing an online form and making a payment through your student portal, and electronic approval must be given by the coordinator. There is an early deadline every semester — details are here on the DRGS website .

If you don’t complete your thesis manuscript during the semester you are enrolled in thesis units, you must enroll in thesis continuation units again each semester until you complete the thesis, which will require further registration fees. The University requires that students be enrolled during the semester they graduate, even if it's being enrolled in "zero" thesis continuation units.

Graduate Degree Clearance

The final Graduate Degree Clearance form verifies that you have completed all requirements for your degree. It must be signed by your thesis chair (who will assign you a grade for your completed thesis units), the coordinator, the English Department chair, and the dean of the College.

During your final semester, you should download the Graduate Degree Clearance form — available here from the DRGS website . F ill out the top part and then give it to the coordinator, who will complete the form, obtain the grade from your chair and necessary signatures, and file it with DRGS in person.

Now, you are ready to graduate!

Program coordinator

Prof. Brynn Saito ( email )

Administrative staff

Jefferson Beavers ( email )

Mailing address

MFA Creative Writing Program Fresno State, English Department 5245 N. Backer Ave., PB98 Fresno, CA 93740-8001

559.278.1569

Peters Business Building, Room 391

Social Media

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• Fresno Writers dot com
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Home > Dissertations and Theses > Theses and Dissertations > 2406

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Creative nonfiction thesis -"becoming normal".

Kaitlin T. Goetchius , University of New Orleans Follow

Date of Award

Degree type, degree name, degree program, major professor.

Richard Goodman

Second Advisor

Daniel Doll

Third Advisor

Reggie Poche

The following Creative Nonfiction Thesis delves into the suppressed past of a girl who experienced brief episodes of adolescent epilepsy. She was diagnosed with Rolandic seizures when she was eight years old and eventually “grew out” of them when she hit puberty. Since that time, the author had not spoken of these events with her family. The topic of her epilepsy remained, somewhat, the elephant in the room until the epilepsy discontinued. She interviewed her mother and her sister to see the perspectives of those people who were closest to her throughout this era. Through these interviews, the author learns of what her family truly experienced and their opinions of these events. These events largely affected the past and future relationship between her mother, her sister, and the relationship the author has with herself.

The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.

Recommended Citation

Goetchius, Kaitlin T., "Creative Nonfiction Thesis -"Becoming Normal"" (2017). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations . 2406. https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/2406

Available for download on Monday, May 15, 2028

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Using Creative Nonfiction to Explore Influences on Our Academic Identities as South African Teacher Educators

• First Online: 13 September 2024

Cite this chapter

• Anita Hiralaal   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4364-4327 18 &
• Bridget Campbell   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4305-3391 19  

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Arts-Based Educational Research ((BABER))

Academic identity is the way academics view themselves in the academic arena. This chapter explains how we used creative nonfiction as an arts-based educational research method in our self-studies to explore the influences on our academic identities. The research question for our chapter was: “What did we learn about influences on our academic identities through sharing our use of creative nonfiction?” Using literature and film as devices for creative nonfiction, we explore our lived experiences and tell our evocative stories as we seek to understand our academic identities. By identifying with fictional characters, we found it easier to share our academic journeys and experiences and to re-imagine who we want to be as lecturers. As we re-imagined our academic identities by juxtaposing the influences on our academic selves with fictional characters, we found ourselves going back and forth, and we realised that trying to build an academic identity is a fluid and complex process that is infinite. The chapter concludes by indicating where our shared stories intersect and highlighting how we found it less threatening to reflect on our experiences by juxtaposing them with literary characters.

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Hiralaal, A., Campbell, B. (2024). Using Creative Nonfiction to Explore Influences on Our Academic Identities as South African Teacher Educators. In: Naicker, I., Pillay, D., Pithouse-Morgan, K., Masinga, L., Chisanga, T., Hiralaal, A. (eds) Arts-Based Educational Research Narratives of Academic Identities. SpringerBriefs in Arts-Based Educational Research. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-6422-8_9

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Reed Magazine

Reed Magazine is California’s oldest literary journal. Tracing its heritage to 1867, the journal started as a mere pamphlet published by students of the California State Normal School, the precursor of San José State University. In more than a century and a half of publication, the journal’s name evolved until the end of World War II. Then in 1948, we adopted The Reed , which was later shortened to just Reed , the title we have proudly held ever since.

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Contest guidelines : With an award of $1,000 for the winning poem, the Edwin Markham Prize honors outstanding works of poetry. Our taste is eclectic and celebrates the wonderful diversity of forms, styles, and levels of diction available to the contemporary poet. The contest submission fee is $20.

• format pieces in double-spaced 12-point font

Contest guidelines : The Gabriele Rico Challenge for Nonfiction recognizes outstanding works of nonfiction, awarding $1,333 to the author of the winning entry. We are looking for creative nonfiction, such as personal essays and narratives, not scholarly papers or book reviews. All works should be stand-alone essays, not chapters of longer works. The contest submission fee is $20.

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Reed Magazine seeks to publish the young voices of the South Bay. Submit your original fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or visual art/photography and see your work featured in California's oldest literary journal! Scholarly works are also accepted. Reed Magazine does not accept work that has been previously published. Please limit prose submissions to 1,000 words. 

Note: Reed Magazine claims first rights to North American publication of any work featured in its print journal and on its website. After Reed has published said work in print or online, the copyright for that work reverts to the submitters for subsequent publication at their discretion.

Reed Magazine seeks to celebrate the young voices of the south Bay Area. Submit your original fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or visual art/photography and share your creativity with readers of California's oldest literary journal. Scholarly works are also accepted. We do not accept work that has been previously published. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please notify us if your work is selected for publication elsewhere. This contest is for high school students of Santa Clara County, CA, ONLY. Please be sure to: All submissions

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• include available art credits: title, medium, dimensions, year 
• submit up to two (2) works 

Winner receives monetary prize, as well as publication in and a free copy of the latest issue of Reed Magazine . Multiple submissions are accepted as separate entries. Contest submissions not selected for final judging may still be considered for publication in the journal and/or online.

The Mary Blair Award for Art honors exceptional artists’ work across various media. With a prize of $1,000, this award is constantly seeking new and fresh artist perspectives to create a dialogue with our audience. Works can be stand-alone pieces or part of a larger series. We do not accept previously published work. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please notify us if your work is selected for publication elsewhere. Artists may submit up to five (5) pieces of studio art, including photography, per submission.

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The contest submission fee is $20, which includes a free copy of the latest edition of Reed . (Please note that submitters with US addresses on file will receive print copies of the journal, whereas those with international addresses may receive digital copies.) Multiple submissions are accepted as separate entries. The winner of the Mary Blair Award may have a portfolio of their work featured in the journal and/or online (as space permits). Contest submissions not selected for final judging may still be considered for publication in the journal and/or online. Contest pieces may be considered for the cover.

The Gabriele Rico Challenge for Nonfiction recognizes outstanding works of nonfiction, awarding $1,333 to the author of the winning entry. We are looking for  creative   nonfiction, such as personal essays and narratives, not scholarly papers or book reviews. All works should be stand-alone essays, not chapters of a longer work. We do not accept previously published work. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please notify us if your work is selected for publication elsewhere. Please limit prose submissions to 5,000 words. 

• include word count (5,000-word limit)

The contest reading fee is $20, which includes a free copy of the latest edition of Reed Magazine . (Please note that submitters with US addresses on file will receive print copies of the journal, whereas those with international addresses may receive digital copies.) Multiple submissions are accepted as separate entries. Contest submissions not selected for final judging may still be considered for publication in the journal and/or online.

With an award of $1,000 for the winning poem, the Edwin Markham Prize honors outstanding works of poetry. Our taste is eclectic and celebrates the wonderful diversity of forms, styles, and levels of diction available to the contemporary poet. We do not accept previously published work. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please notify us immediately if your work is selected for publication elsewhere. Writers may submit up to five (5) poems per submission. Please be sure to:    

• submit up to five (5) poems in a single document

Note :  General fiction submissions are accepted June 1 through October 1. Writers may submit pieces of up to 5,000 words.  Aesthetically, Reed Magazine is open to most styles and approaches, including experimental and literary. All works should be stand-alone short stories, not chapters of longer works.

Please be sure to: 

Reed Magazine does not accept work that has been previously published. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please notify us immediately if your work is selected for publication elsewhere. Please only submit once during our open reading period.

Awarding one of the richest purses among literary magazines—$1,000 for the winning story—the John Steinbeck Award recognizes exceptional works of fiction.  Aesthetically, we are open to most styles and approaches, including experimental and literary. All works should be stand-alone short stories, not chapters of a longer work. We do not accept previously published work. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please notify us immediately if your work is selected for publication elsewhere. Please limit prose submissions to 5,000 words.

  The contest reading fee is $20, which includes a free copy of the latest edition of Reed Magazine . (Please note that submitters with US addresses on file will receive print copies of the journal, whereas those with international addresses may receive digital copies.) Multiple submissions are accepted as separate entries. Contest submissions not selected for final judging may still be considered for publication in the journal and/or online. 

Reed Magazine  seeks   creative nonfiction, such as personal essays and narratives, not scholarly papers or book reviews. All works should be stand-alone essays, not chapters of longer works. Writers may submit pieces of up to 5,000 words.  Please be sure to:

Note : General poetry submissions are accepted June 1 through October 1. Writers are welcome to submit up to five (5) poems per submission. Our taste is eclectic and celebrates the wonderful diversity of forms, styles, and levels of diction available to the contemporary poet.

Reed Magazine seeks artwork that reverberates beyond the page, with imagery that lingers in the minds and challenges viewers to think. Our pages are open to a variety of media and styles. Artists may submit up to five (5) pieces of studio art, including photography, per submission.

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  Reed Magazine does not accept work that has been previously published. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please notify us immediately if your work is selected for publication elsewhere. General Art submissions may be considered for the cover.

Santa Clara University

The jesuit university in silicon valley.

• Creative Writing Minor
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The Creative Writing Program offers students a coherent course of study in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

The creative writing minor is firmly grounded within the liberal arts tradition, integrating courses in poetry, fiction, screenwriting, and creative nonfiction writing within their broader literary and cultural context.

Introductory courses familiarize students with the practice and theory of creative writing. Advanced courses offer a workshop setting in which students write and critique one another’s work. Electives focus on particular genres of creative writing, such as Lifewriting, Fantasy and Science Fiction, and Screenwriting. All creative writing courses incorporate some study of literature as well as close attention to students’ own creative writing.

English majors who complete the Creative Writing minor may use their Creative Writing track courses for both the major and the minor.

*English majors who complete the Creative Writing minor may use their Creative Writing track courses for both the major and the minor.

Two Introductory Courses:

• English 71 . Fiction Writing

English 72. Poetry Writing

Two Sections of the Practicum Course:  

• English 91. Literary Review Practicum

One Advanced Course:

• English 171. Advanced Fiction Writing or English 172. Advanced Poetry Writing (may not double dip)

Three Electives From the Following:

• English 73. Lifewriting
• English 74. New Forms for Creative Writing
• English 170. Writing for Children and Young Adults
• English 171. Advanced Fiction Writing
• English 172. Advanced Poetry Writing
• English 173. Screenwriting
• English 175. Creative Nonfiction
• English 176. Creative Writing and Social Justice
• English 177. Writing Genre Fiction
• English 178. Creative Writing and Performing
• English 179W. Playwriting
• English 179. Advanced Playwriting

All SCU students have the opportunity to work on the University’s literary magazine. Published twice a year,  the Review includes fiction, essays, poetry, book reviews, art and photography from the Santa Clara University Community and the Bay Area. In the Literary Magazine Practicum, one-unit courses offered every quarter, students discuss submissions.

Each year three department literary prizes for undergraduates are given: the McCann Prize for the best short story, the Shipsey Prize for the best poem or group of poems, and the Academy of American Poets “Tamara Verga Poetry Prize” for the best poem or group of poems. In addition, SCU participates in the Ina Coolbrith Memorial Poetry Prize, choosing three finalists to compete with other California university undergraduates. The winning manuscripts receive cash awards and maybe published in the Santa Clara Review.

The Writing Forward Reading Series  brings creative writers with international, national, and regional reputations to the Santa Clara University campus for readings, classroom discussions, informal meetings with students, and interviews with the Santa Clara Review literary/arts magazine. This collaborative program between the English Department’s Creative Writing Program and the student-run Santa Clara Review is grounded in the Department’s and University’s commitment to involving undergraduate students in research collaboration with faculty, and is dedicated to reaching out to both the campus and local communities.

Poets and writers brought to campus include  Robert Hass  (U.S. Poet Laureate, Pulitzer Prize),  Carolyn Forché  (Yale Younger Poets, NEA and Lannan grants),  Khaled Hosseini  (NYT Bestseller List, SCU alumnus),  Viet Thanh Nguyen  (Pulitzer Prize, MacArthur Grant),  Tobias Wolff  (Pen/Faulkner Award, National Medal of the Arts),  Reyna Grande  (American Book Award, International Latino Book Award),  Gerald Stern  (National Book Award, Guggenheim),  Juan Felipé Herrera  (American Book Award, National Book Critics Circle Award, US Poet Laureate),  Dana Gioia  (American Book Award, Chair of NEA),  Rigoberto Gonzalez  (American Book Award, Guggenheim),  Raina Leon  (Cave Canem and MacDowell Fellow),  Jim Shepard  (Guggenheim Award, The Story Prize)  Alexandra Teague  (Stegner and NEA Fellowships), Norma Cantú (MLA Distinguished Scholar Award), and  Cheryl Dumesnil  (Agnes Lynch Starrett Prize, SCU alumna).

Students majoring or minoring in English and/or Creative Writing and those working on the Santa Clara Review from a variety of majors are actively engaged in planning, inviting, and organizing the series, in close collaboration with faculty. This involvement gives undergraduates hands-on experience with the fields of writing, publishing, and public relations, while also ensuring that the series continues to speak to our campus population. The faculty-student collaboration that undergirds the series is also mirrored in interdisciplinary collaboration on campus and in community collaboration off campus. 

In the last few years, over two dozen SCU students who have studied Creative Writing have been accepted into M.A., M.F.A., and Ph.D. programs in Creative Writing at University of Virginia, University of Iowa, Syracuse University, New York University, San Francisco State, University of Denver, University of Montana, University of Arizona, Bennington College, UC Davis, Brown University, San Diego State University, San Jose State University, USC, among others. Several have received prestigious fellowships and teaching assistantships to these universities. English major alumni include Neal Jimenez, who won first prize at the Sundance Film Festival for his film, Waterdance, and Jeff Brazil, who won a Pulitzer Prize in Journalism.

• Jerald Enos - Theater and Dance
• Francisco Jimenez, Tonia Riviello - Modern Languages
• Diane Dreher, Ron Hansen, Claudia MonPere McIsaac - English

Kirk Glaser, Claudia MonPere McIsaac, Cory Wade, Juan Velasco

Fiction and Screenwriting:

Kirk Glaser, Ron Hansen, David Keaton, Claudia MonPere McIsaac, Tim Myers, Juan Velasco

Nonfiction:

Simone Billings, Diane Dreher

For more information, contact:

Kirk Glaser

Director Creative Writing Program (408) 554-4384 Direct (408) 554-4837 Fax [email protected]

Submishmash Weekly: ‘To practice being seen’

Publishing & journalism:.

Calming beats from the  blue whale’s heart  ( Every Second ). The ‘ Unruly Body ’ Series curated by Roxane Gay is essential reading ( Medium ). Looking glass, water glass, doorways, leaves: Artist  self-portraits  ( Format Magazine ). ‘Love is love is  love is love …no matter who writes it’ ( NPR ). The basketball warriors of  Arlee, Montana  ( New York Times ). More data  (how much more do we need?) indicates the economic value of the arts ( Artsy ). ‘New Jersey residents can be so blinded by our hometown pride that we don’t actually listen to what  the Boss  is saying’ ( Newfound ). News from the land of  public domain , 95 years in the making ( The Atlantic ). ‘Elon Musk has  a message  for both degree-obsessed young people and companies desperate to hire them: chill out already’ ( Inc. ). Where to find  submission markets  and where to send your  Submittable-themed  poetry ( Sub mittable ).

Some Opportunities:

The Sea Letter  is a literary journal currently accepting short fiction & poetry for its  summer 2018 issue . For its Editor’s Reprint Award,  Sequestrum  is accepting previously published fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Colorado’s  Vintage Theatre  is calling for new, full-length  comedic plays . Six selected scripts will be presented as staged readings and one will be chosen to premiere in VT’s 2019 season. Wanderlust Journal  wants your short, pithy, witty  postcards  from places visited (aka. short nonfiction travel essays). Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication by  Noemi Press  are given annually for one book-length  poetry collection  and one  book-length work of prose . New York’s  Sag Harbor Creative Nonfiction Writers Conference  is now accepting applications for a small and focused nonfiction  writing conference  for 16 writers in November. Burning Man Project  seeks proposals from artists, designers, architects, or teams for the creation of an  Anchor Artwork  for the Charleston East plaza in Mountain View, CA, where Google’s new campus will be located. The budget for this Anchor Artwork is $750,000. For its  Guns and People Essay Contest ,  Memoir Magazine  seeks prose submissions of 3,000 words or less. Under a Warm Green Linden  is an  online journal  with a twofold mission: to publish and foster excellent poetry, and to give a portion of its proceeds to reforestation efforts. The Artists’ Community Administrator Residency from the  Rauschenberg Foundation  is designed to provide creative time and space for practicing artists of all disciplines who are also staff members of an artists’ community. Storm Cellar  literay journal seeks small things in any form and any content for its  Force Majeure Flash Contest . CA fest opportunities:  Litquake  is accepting  festival, crawl, and contest submissions;  Lambda Literary  seeks  programming proposals  for LitFest. The Normal School  has  several creative opportunities , including its Nonfiction Series as well as online and print publication. Mud Season Review  seeks  deeply human work  that will teach the editors something about life, but also about the craft of writing or visual art. Feedback services are also offered. Indolent Books  is currently seeking  poems  for its ‘What Rough Beast’ series as well as ‘NaPrWriMo on HIV Here & Now.’ Dennis Norris II will judge the  Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest  from  Winning Writers  for published and unpublished work. Two $2,000 prizes will be awarded along with publication. The Carolina Quarterly  seeks short stories for its ‘Wake, and Dream Again’ contest, as well as general submissions of art, nonfiction, poetry, and fiction. The winner of  Boston Review’s   Poetry Contest , judged by Mary Jo Bang, will receive $1,500 and publication. Philadelphia’s  Fleisher Art Memorial  has a number of open  professional positions . San Francisco State’s School of Cinema  has open  Assistant Professorships and opportunities for Adjunct Lecturers in Film.

What We’re Reading:

My favorite thing about this selection was how Pao’s story opened up dialogues on very relevant themes. Teammates (including our CEO) shared reactions to the trial’s outcome, experiences around workplace discrimination, and ideas for creating spaces where underrepresented groups aren’t just present but able to thrive. We talked about initiatives Submittable is working on and brainstormed ways we could do more, as a company and as individuals. I left feeling grateful to be a part of an organization where these kinds of conversations happen. For next month, ten team members are planning to read  West With The Night  by Beryl Markham, the first person to fly across the Atlantic east to west in a non-stop, solo flight.

What We’re Listening To:

Back to our regularly scheduled program: a new  Submishmash Weekly  playlist  on Spotify! Enjoy 50 specially-selected tracks each  Tuesday . Highlights from this week include Herbie Hancock, Drake, Ibeyi, Paul & Linda McCartney, Centavrvs, and more.

Rachel Mindell is Senior Editor for Submittable's Marketing Team. She also writes and teaches poetry. You can find Rachel's creative work here: rachelmindell.com

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