Forms and Types of Creative Non-Fiction
1. Autobiography
Definition
- Autobiography is one type of biography, which tells a life story of
its author, meaning it is a written record of the author’s life. Rather than
being written by somebody else, an autobiography comes through the person’s own
pen, in his own words. Some autobiographies are written in the form of a
fictional tale; as novels or stories that closely mirror events from the
author’s real life. Such stories include Charles Dickens’ David
Copperfield, and J.D Salinger’s The
Catcher in the Rye. In writing about personal experience, one discovers himself. Therefore,
it is not merely a collection of anecdotes – it is a revelation to the readers
about author’s self-discovery.
Examples:
Example
#1: The Box: Tales from the Darkroom (by Gunter Grass)
Example
#5: The Autobiography
of Benjamin Franklin (by Benjamin Franklin)
“The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin”
is written by one of the founding fathers of the United States. This book
reveals Franklin’s youth, his ideas, and his days of adversity and prosperity.
He is one of the best examples living the American dream – sharing the idea
that one can gain financial independence, and reach a prosperous life through
hard work.
2. Biography
Definition
- A biography is simply an account or detailed
description about the life of a person. It entails basic facts, such as
childhood, education, career, relationships, family, and death. Biography is a
literary genre that portrays the experiences of all these events
occurring in the life of a person, mostly in a chronological order. Unlike a
resume or profile, a biography provides a life story of a subject, highlighting different aspects of his of her life. A person
who writes biographies, is called as a “biographer.”
Examples:
Example
#1: The Bronte Myth (By
Lucasta Miller)
Emily, Anne, and Charlotte Bronte
were very famous and eminent writers in the history of English literature. Many
rumors and gossips were associated with them when they reached the peaks of
their careers and received great approval for writing the most admired novels
of the nineteenth century. In their biography, Lucasta Miller chunks the myths
related to these young enigmatic women. This is a fine example of a biography.
Example
#5: Why this World: A
Biography of Clarice Lispector (By Benjamin
Moser)
After perusing his own private
manuscripts and writings, this modernist writer, Benjamin Moser, has explored
the mystique surrounding Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector. This is one of
Moser’s biographies, which comes a little closer to finding her true nuances.
All those readers who are going to read her myriad of works for the first time
would find this biography interesting, and her life as beautiful and tragic,
yet riveting.
3. Literary Journalism and Reportage
Definition
-
Literary journalism is a form of nonfiction that combines factual reporting
with some of the narrative techniques and stylistic
strategies traditionally associated with fiction. Also called narrative journalism.
In his ground-breaking anthology The Literary Journalists (1984), Norman Sims
observed that literary journalism "demands immersion in complex, difficult
subjects. The voice of the writer surfaces to show that an author is at
work."
The term literary journalism is
sometimes used interchangeably with creative nonfiction; more often,
however, it is regarded as one type of
creative nonfiction.
Highly regarded literary journalists in the U.S. today include John McPhee, Jane Kramer, Mark Singer, and
Richard Rhodes. Some notable literary journalists of the past century include
Stephen Crane, Jack London, George Orwell, and Tom Wolfe.
Examples:
Examples #1.
First published in 1931, A Hanging is one of George Orwell's best-known
essays. To test your
understanding of Orwell's narrative, take this brief
quiz, and then compare your responses with the answers on page two.
The 1906 San Francisco earthquake and subsequent fires killed an
estimated 3,000 people and left over half of the city's population homeless.
Around 500 city blocks with 28,000 buildings were destroyed during this
devastating natural catastrophe.
The following is the complete text of the short story by
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, originally published in May 1892, in The New
England Magazine. Included are some questions
for analyzing the
story.
4. Personal Narrative
Definition
- A personal narrative essay is a story with a plot that includes a
beginning, middle and end. It also has a thesis statement explaining why this
particular story is significant to you. The narrative you choose for your essay
should change the way you see yourself, someone close to you, or the world
around you in some big or small way. Everyone has a story to tell, and the goal
is to make a connection with the reader through shared experiences and common
expectations.
Even though you still need to include a thesis statement
in your essay, you have more creative freedom while writing a personal
narrative than other types of essays. You need to include an introduction,
description, characters, setting, plot, climax and other necessary parts of a
story.
Examples:
A Personal
Narrative Depicting a Day at Children's World
Children's World Learning Center. Upon my arrival to the
classroom at Children's World, the young children were just waking up from
their afternoon nap. As the children woke up Miss Kristen allowed the children
to play, until all their classmates were awake. I watched Susie with blond
curly locks sit at the activity table...
A Personal
Narrative of How My Interest in Professional Wrestling Developed
Professional Wrestling The topic I have chosen to write about
is the world of professional wrestling. There are many reasons as to why this
subject has interested me. One major reason is that I grew up watching
pro-wrestling on television. As a child, I was fascinated with the spectacle of
the wrestling matches and wonderful...
5. Travelogue
Definition
- A travelogue is a person’s account of a
journey to another country or place. It can either be a written report with
many factual details or a narrative story about personal impressions and
experiences supported by images.
Examples:
Example #1.
First Time Being on a
Train in India
A Broken Umbrella
5. Reflective Essay
Definition
- A reflective essay is an essay in which the
writer examines his or her experiences in life. The writer then writes about
those experiences, exploring how he or she has changed, developed or grown from
those experiences.
Examples:
Example #1.
Ideal Social Moral Code
Upon reflection of the ideal social moral code, within
one sentence, it would be: be constructive, not destructive. We have many holy
books, manuals on living, and self-help tomes. However, I feel this is the most
exacting moral code in terms of a social context. By social context, I mean how
we interact with others and behave in social situations. Though “be
constructive, not destructive” sounds sensible, there are many nuances.
Sometimes it is difficult to determine if an act is exactly constructive or destructive.
In the following paragraphs, these nuances will be discussed in detail...
Example #2.
Honesty
Honesty is a principle that countless people value. In
friendships, marriages, work relationships, and more, honesty is regarded as a
prime ethical rule. However, there is often a grey area where it can be hardly
seen as proper or helpful. In my own personal life, I have been through many
instances where lying was the best action in the face of danger. In light of
this, I would like to discuss when being honest is fair, and when it is not...
6. True Narrative
Definition
- A true narrative essay is a true story, with
plot, action, suspense characters and setting which delivers a theme (a lesson
observed). The events in your essay represent the facts.
Examples:
Example #1.
Meeting Famous People
Meeting a famous person is almost always a shock and/or
surprise. You see them on screen or on the internet and then there they are,
right in front of you. It is a surreal experience. I got the chance to meet the
members of the Counting Crows band, the great spiritual leader Shri Mataji
Nirmala Devi, the inimitable percussionist Zakir Hussain, and more famous
people. Each of these experiences were different and produced a myriad feelings
in me.
Example #2.
Playground Memory
In elementary school, I had many experiences that
garnered memories. I was often bullied on the playground during recess because
of my skinniness and height. The larger boys saw me as a target for their ego
to inflate. They might have had problems at home, or were bullied themselves,
and were projecting their frustrations on me.
7. Blog
Definition
- a website containing a writer's or group of writers'
own experiences, observations, opinions, etc., and often having images and
links to other websites.
Example #1.
Miss Thrifty
One of the more popular frugal blogs in the UK, Miss Thrifty is
targeting young mums with her money saving, frugal tips and articles. And
rightly so! The market is massive and she’s meeting a need for this type of
information. Young mums aren’t exactly rolling in cash. They may have had to
give up work and are now relying on just one wage coming in, so the need to be
more frugal with everyday living is a must.
The
great thing about this blog is the conversational tone and the real person
behind the brand. I think it’s inspiring to other mums to see someone like them
making such a difference in other people’s lives by creating amazingly useful
content that is 100% actionable. Also it may inspire mums to set up their own
blog and to write about their experiences as a mother and a wife in the 21st
century.
Example #2.
Skint Dad
So when I talk about coming at a niche from a
different angle, this example is exactly what I mean. Skint Dad is a site that
helps young / new dads save money and be more frugal in their day to day
living. There’s also a section on their that shows guys how to make a little
more cash on top of their monthly day job wage, which is vital in some cases
just to keep your head above water. A lot of new dads have the added
stress of not having their wives’ or girlfriends’ wage coming in each month,
due to the temporary career change in being a full time mum of a baby. So
having some content around how they can make a few extra “Ps” in their wallet
each month, can ease the burden somewhat.
8. Testimonio
Definition
- A testimonio is
a first-person account by the person (narrator) who has faced instances of
social and political inequality, oppression, or any specific form of
marginalization.
Examples:
Example #1.
A Testimony to Individuality in the Road Not Taken by
Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passi...
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passi...
Example #2.
An Argument in Favor of Believing in Miracles
When asked the question whether it is reasonable to believe
that a miracle has occurred based on the testimony of other people, David Hume
will always answer no. This paper will discuss why Hume feels it is
unreasonable to believe in the occurrence of a miracle based on the testimony
of others. Then, I will discuss and supp...
