Creative Nonfiction
Creative Essay
Any short, non-fiction text written with
specific attention to its aesthetic qualities
and presentation that is written from the
point of view of the author. It focuses on a
personal experience that is a turning point,
a change in direction, an event that has
significant meaning, and also shares a
universal truth with readers.
What is a Personal Narrative Essay?
• based on memory of an event or experience or
moment in time that had significant meaning to
you
• tell a true story about a turning point in your life
• the event or experience actually happened to
you
• look back into your memory, to an earlier time
in your life, and unearth true stories that had
significant meaning to you
Inspiration
• Memory. Mining your memory for turning points in your life. Turning
points, such as a job loss, illness, disease, death, first encounters.
• Family life. Reflecting on family-What family events had significant
meaning? What do you remember about family life?
• Spiritual journey. Write about your spiritual journey.
• Place. Write about home. What is home? Travel experiences. The
natural world, such as hiking, biking, camping, exploring the
wilderness.
• Popular culture. Write about film, music, fiction, poetry,
photography, art—and how it has impacted you. What memories do
you have?
• The global village. Write about the world in which you live, such as
the environment.
Other Ideas
•
Journey, quest, pilgrimage
•
Mysteries and investigations
•
Rituals, games, performances, events
Dig up memories about a myriad of topics–from
toys to technology, to milestones to
accomplishments, things that have significantly
affected you.
Structure
• Problem (exposition)- Your goal is to describe a problem in vivid
details. What is the significant event that lead to a problem?
• Struggle (rising action)-This problem creates conflict, which can be
external (the outside world) and internal (within your mind or
psyche) obstacles or setbacks.
• Epiphany (climax)- Your problem and struggle results in an epiphany
or flood of new understanding. The epiphany transforms your story
from merely an anecdote to a personal narrative that has significant
meaning to you, and shared meaning with others.
• Resolution- What you have done differently since you had the
epiphany.
(Does not necessarily have to be in this order—be creative)
• Creative essays are written to express, render, and
entertain
• frequently do not follow a standard structure
• designed to move the emotions
• should be rich with imagery, modifiers, and fresh
language, and should vary their syntax
• Usually told from the first-person voice
• make sure that it tells a story
• the writer should structure and present his essay in
the way that best reflects the emotional timbre of
the essay
• should attempt to accurately and honestly relate
these personal ideas
Readers Expect You to Share
•
Your thoughts
•
Your feelings
•
Your opinions
•
Personal Reflections
Keep in mind that a creative essay does
not strive to provide answers to questions or
even to necessarily explain a particular concept.
Rather, a creative essay is meant to help create
sense of the world and to raise questions that
the reader may wish to explore further.
Descriptions found at:
essaytown.com
http://www.essaytown.com/writing/creative-essay
http://www.essaytown.com/writing/write-creative-essay
davehood59.wordpress.com
http://davehood59.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/creative-nonfiction-writing-thepersonal-narrative-essay/