CREATIVE NON-FICTION

Creative nonfiction is a new style of writing which utilizes literary elements and poetic concepts to create an interesting story about an event, setting, or individual. This type of writing style is meant to show rather than tell. Creative Nonfiction is a combination of nonfiction fundamentals and literary fundamentals. It can we be presented in different traditions of writing. Even though the genre of creative nonfiction can be left to personal opinion it can include memoirs, journalism, criticism, documentaries, historical articles, and drama. It relies on literary realism through researched documents and captivated coverage. The language it is written in differs from other types of writing because it is more personal and informal. According to the father of creative nonfiction, Lee Gutkind, creative nonfiction’s poetic narrative techniques combine to make actual objects interesting to write about. Creative nonfiction can be defined as the use of literary elements when describing actual facts or events. It presents details that help the reader understand the main point and the facts come alive through literary elements. To me creative nonfiction is using personal experience and outside knowledge and incorporating it into pieces of writing that would otherwise be considered dry nonfiction. Creative nonfiction is an intriguing way of presenting gathered information or ideas to the reader. Writers have the opportunity to incorporate personal experiences with literary techniques to the produce an interesting and enjoyable literary piece. While creative nonfiction incorporates multiple characteristics of literature and non-fiction, there are many other several characteristics that describe creative nonfiction. It is a mixture of primary and secondary sources such as books, magazines, and newspapers use a creative nonfiction approach. For example, it is written with attention to literary style and technique in its presentation of accurate facts.
“All Around the Town” by Herbert Asbury and “The Curve of Binding Energy” by John McPhee are two examples of creative non- fiction. Creative nonfiction is depicted in these two works as the authors incorporate facts with creativity to make the story interesting. It allowed the writers to take factual events and place their personal creativity on the telling of the factual events. In “All Around the Town” Ashbury discusses the scandals, murders, and riots through creative literary means. In “The Curve of Binding Energy”, McPhee discusses the importance of safeguarding of nuclear materials through the characterization of Theodore Taylor’s life. McPhee’s research and McPhee’s experience with Taylor were combined in a literary way to present the threat of security to the information of nuclear materials. Both creative writers vividly describe nonfictional events in order for the reader to comprehend the material. This allows the reader to enjoy a horrendous read because of its creative tactics through the use of literary techniques. The authors enjoy taking factual events and exercising their creativity and opinions.
Both literary works include journalism and creative writing elements when composed. Creative writing allows the writer to include any information and exaggerate factual details where as journalism is based on stating factual research without the use of literary techniques. In both creative nonfiction works the authors present the lackluster factual events as pleasurable well written material. Currently the writing style and genre of today’s new writers is shifting towards creative nonfiction because it allows for freedom of ideas and unique individual style to develop. This is what makes creative nonfiction unique and isolates it from other forms of writing because it is not limited to a single structured from.