What Is Creative Non Fiction? (A Short Discourse)... Part 1
February 20th 2007 02:14
Before looking at what is meant by the term ‘Creative Non fiction,’ I needed to identify a clear parameter for this literary art form in order to analyse its matrix properly. Indeed, on closer inspection a plethora of aliases duplicate the product called, ‘creative nonfiction’ and in so doing, automatically form a share in my study as well.
To this end, these aliases are herewith identified to avoid confusion. They are; Gonzo and Neo-gonzo Journalism [1] Personal Journalism, Literary Journalism, Dramatic Nonfiction, the New Journalism, Parajournalism, Literary Nonfiction, the New Non-fiction, Verity, the Nonfiction Novel, the Literature of Fact, Memoir, Narrative History, the Literature of Reality [2] and the name coined by Lee Gutkind, author and professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh – to encompass them all - Creative Non Fiction (CNF) [3].
A DEFINITION FOR THE FOURTH GENRE OF LITERATURE
Furthermore, I discovered that its popularity is currently sweeping the developed world in a renaissance set in motion during the 1960’s by writers like; Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese and lastly, Lee Gutkind, [6] whom some call the father of contemporary creative nonfiction.
However, I had to go deeper to discover that despite being as piebald as fiction – even reading like fiction, it can never be fiction. [7] Even though it demands the same spontaneity and imaginative approach as fiction, creative nonfiction solemnly pledges to remain as true to the validity and integrity of the information it contains, [8] as the preordained vows needed to enter a secret priesthood.
The finished product, the written work itself, is not new to the annals of human literature, either. It has presented regularly in various guises since the days of Aristotle; not only as memoirs, poetry, literary essays, personal profiles and biographies - and newspaper and magazine articles - [9] but also as vignettes, odds and ends of scholarship, short bursts of sociology, apostrophes, epithets, and even moans and cackles. [10]
THE INNER SANCTUM
This shape-shifter had finally revealed itself to me, allowing a nutshell definition; Creative Non-Fiction is literature which is constructed of bona fide fact, superimposed into the written form - via literary techniques and devices - previously only reserved for novelists and writers of fiction... [11]
SO, WHAT ARE LITERARY DEVICES?
Of course, the writer of creative nonfiction is not granted this luxury simply to make the story more interesting. However, he or she, is permitted a different form of literary license which allows an immersion of self into the story; a narrator with a point of view [14] who initiates the literary devices of scenes, dialogue, description, action, and resonance, bringing them together by a ‘single thread’ or theme.[15] In other words, nonfiction writers cannot alter the facts, but they can capture and present them much more dramatically. [16].
It is these components that set this genus apart from traditional journalism, by combining the skills of the storyteller with the research abilities of the conscientious reporter. [17] The finished product is a fused work that is both timely and timeless, [18] and perhaps, even more accurate than the most meticulous reportage, because this artful mode of writing forces the writer to dig deeper into a subject in order to unearth a larger truth. [19].
WHAT ARE SCENES, DIALOGUE, AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF?
Whether written from a first-person or third person point of view, the uninspired writer will TELL the reader about a subject, place or personality, whilst the creative nonfiction writer will SHOW that subject, place or personality in action. [23] For example, instead of saying "A man who liked loose women, had walked into a room where many women looked like they had had too much to drink..." A creative non-fiction writer would write : ‘...He was six foot tall and liked loose women. When he walked into the room, the men noticed him as much as the women. He towered over everyone, a walking totem pole clad in leather. His eyes flicked around the crowd, resting in the cleavage of a young sequined dancer who had downed one martini too many.’ [24].
To Be Continued .../
_____________________________ ________________
[1] Scanlan, Chip : Breaking into Creative Nonfiction, Part 1 : The Basics 2004. Available on-line at: http://www.poynter.org/ as part of Chip On Your Shoulder on-line column. Posted Apr. 21, 2003. Accessed” 19th October, 2004.
[2] Cheney, Theodore A : Writing Creative Nonfiction 2001 rev. ed., Ten Speed Press, Berkley, California. US. p1.
[3] Gerard, Phillip : Creative Non Fiction : Researching and Crafting Stories of Real Life 1996. Story Book Press Books, Ohio. p7.
[4] Cheney, Theodore A. Rees : Writing Creative Nonfiction : 1st ed., 1987. Writer’s Digest Books, Ohio, US. p2.
[5] Cooper, David and Steinberg, Michael, Eds., : The Fourth Genre : Exploring Non Fiction 2nd Edition 2004. Michigan State University Press US. Introduction p xxiii.
[6] Cheney, op. cit., 1st ed., pp. 7-9
[7] Cheney, et al.
[8] Gutkind, Lee : The Art of Creative Nonfiction : Writing and Selling the
Literature of Reality 1997. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. US. p5.
[9] Blair, Molly : Creative Non Fiction The Yellow Test 2004. Tutorial Powerpoint presentation, Week 7 (28th October 2004). Creative Non Fiction, Post Graduate Research Project : Bond University. Queensland, Australia. Slide No. 2.
[10] Cheney, op. cit., 1st ed., p4.
[11] Cheney, op. cit., rev., ed. p1.
In his book The Art of Creative Nonfiction, Lee Gutkind writes;
‘Creative nonfiction differs from fiction only because it is necessarily and scrupulously accurate and the presentation of information, a teaching element to readers, is paramount. [12]
[12] Gutkind, op., cit. p15.
[13] Gutkind, ibid, p17.
[14] Cheney, op., cit. rev,. ed. p3.
[15] Blair, Molly : Scenes Week 8, 2004. Creative Non Fiction, Powerpoint presentation, Post Graduate Research Project : Bond University. Queensland, Australia. Slide No. 2.
[16] Gutkind, ibid, p17.
[17] Cheney, op., cit. 1st ed., p3.
[18] Gerard, op., cit. p2.
[19] Gutkind, op., cit. p10.
[20] Gutkind, ibid, p46.
[21] Gutkind, ibid, p33.
[22] Gutkind, ibid, p46.
[23] Gutkind, ibid, p33.
[24] Blair, op., cit. slide No. 5.
Copyright 2004
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Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
Do you think that something can always be totally non-fiction though? I have thought about this with a few things that I have written where I wanted a totally objective view on something...and it is difficult to present things without a small element of your own emotion being attached to it. I know that it may sound a little nit-picky and I cannot think of a good example right now, but even the description that one gives is totally of their own.
Say I describe something for you and you conjure up a picture in your mind of it. When I show said object to you, it will appear completely different to how you imagined it. I may have given you all the facts, but how you put them together and how I put them together could create a totally different picture of the same thing.
Is anything really classified as non-fiction? or is it all creative non-fiction, because everything has that certain personal element attached to it? Perhaps I am over-analytical and expect too much but I wonder how much we think of as fact is really fact...everything that we know has been recorded by someone else and those people, even though they may try to record it as factually as they can, won`t there always be a little bias in the view they have of it?
I checked out creative non-fiction on Wikipedia...which I know isn`t the be all and end of knowledge - and they had an article there about James Frey and the novel that he wrote, claiming was his memoir but later was found to have been embellished. He has made a fortune having these novels go to Bestsellers and at the end of the day the people who were reading his books don`t know the guy so what difference does it make about the story that he is telling? But then again the same could be said about the recording of history - it does not really have any bearing on us, but we have been lied to about the facts, betrayed. Hmmm you have opened a can of worms in my mind here
Thinking...and waiting for part 2....
ash
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
Interesting and thought provoking, especially because Ive been wondering about the parameters on this subject myself.
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
Health Focus
Poetry Lighthouse
MS Paint Art
I cannot recover from this ecstasy.
And I haven't even popped one.
katyzzz
Comment by Wendi
With the exception of when I'm actively seeking publication for something I wrote, I usually don't pay attention to genre. If it looks interesting, I read it. If it doesn't, I don't. Those are the only two "genres" I need. *LOL*
I do believe there are some things in life that should be simplified.
Great work. Curiosity... and feel free to ignore the question. How long did it take to do the homework, rough draft, and rewrites of this, start to finish, before you posted it?
W
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
Comment by Lilla
Enviro Warrior
An Extra Ordinary Life
Dream Herald
Interesting response and you are right about your own emotions being present. There is no such thing as totally objective… academics can’t even fully master it and this essay proves it. *lol*
There has been and remains much debate of Creative Non-fiction, but the truth is that something has to be a genre for memoir, to cover stories like my Memories of Moscow-type rants?
I was real, the plane was real, Moscow and the photo’s were real.
My Memoir?
A documentary from that time and era and memory.
True it is pasted from my recollection and from my viewpoint, but non-fiction in basics, the same…no?
Yes, it is an interesting genre…
Thanks for your time in responding… how are your thoughts on it going?
Kleonaptra,
Not cryptic, academic! *lol*
Katyzzz,
The rose is exquisite, I agree, glad I could pick something you enjoy so much.
Wendi,
As I said above, this form of writing had to be given its own genre as it is “recollection” (usually) of fact as in journalism, but using a researched base that offers more. For example, the literary devices of fiction – meaning? It doesn’t have to be written in a vacuum like news articles, etc.
It took me six weeks to research and write. It took me about 20 re-writes and edits.
Perfectionism drove me hard on this one, but I wrote it whilst completing my last year at uni for my Masters Degree, three years ago.
As the worlds oldest student *jj** I wanted a High Distinction.
I wanted to see if I could get one?
I did.
I like testing my mettle from time to time...(you'll know what I mean when I tell you I have two master numbers in my chart. My birthdate and life path)...must ...test...mettle...now... *lol* never mind if I'm half dead...
Glad you liked it, thank you.
Lilla …
Comment by Lilla
Enviro Warrior
An Extra Ordinary Life
Dream Herald
Ha! .. now whose cryptic?
You mean Ceasar was an imposter?
Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
I read a little into Lee Gutkind....only skimming as time permitted last night, so am not even close to fully understanding....but he sounds like a very interesting man and I really like the fact that he has emmersed himself in his research, instead of simply relying on facts found in books - see to me that is writing...experience, although tainted, speaks volumes in my eyes.... the more that I think about it I realise that maybe it is not the term creative non-fiction that I am having trouble with...instead with the term fiction....
I still don`t think I agree with the name though....creative non-fiction already implies that there is some questioning in its validity, even if it is memoir. Say we believe non-fiction is a truthful account of an event...creative just implies that it is that....creative. I am perhaps taking things a little to literally....
I will be exploring all these things this year in my studies so you have given me a head start into it....ta
ash
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
Comment by Lilla
Enviro Warrior
An Extra Ordinary Life
Dream Herald
You are right. You will realise this too as you get older.
The more psychic I become the more I have to question things... did that happen, or did I dram it... worlds become blurred, and should do as we head back to death.
No good being corporate savvy on my death bed, is there? *lol* *jj*
Seriously, you raise great points and the word "fiction?" ... yes, very good point!!!
I am really interested in your progress through your studies on this one and delighted I'll have someone to debate things with further...
Looking forward to your posts on this issue...
Lilla ...