CREATIVE

NON-FICTION
Creative Nonfiction
 is a genre of writing that uses literary
styles and techniques to create factually
accurate narratives.
 sometimes called ‘literature of fact'
 Spot the Difference

FICTION NONFICTION
• It is fabricated • It is factual.
• It is a product of the • It reports on true events.
writer’s imagination. • It uses techniques of
nonfiction to make it more
• Some elements such as
appealing giving rise to
setting and events can be Creative Nonfiction.
factual.
 The 5R’s of Creative Nonfiction
CNF has real-life aspect
CNF is based on the writer engaging in personal
reflection about what he/she is writing about.
CNF requires that the writer should undergo complete
research.
CNF requires reading.
CNF requires writing.
 Elements of Creative Nonfiction
Fact – the writing must be based on fact rather than
fiction. It cannot be made up.
Reporting – the writer must be able to document
events or personal experiences
Personal Experience and Personal Opinion – a
writer can actually include his/her ow personal
thoughts and experience such as in the case of
personal essays or memoir.
 Elements of Creative Nonfiction
Extensive Research – a piece of writing
should be based on:
Primary Research – such as interview or
personal experience
Secondary Research - such as gathering
information from books, magazines and
newspaper
Explanation/Exposition – the writer is required to
explain the personal experience or topic to the reader.
Essay Format – is often written in an essay format
such as Personal Essay.
 Literary Elements of Creative
Nonfiction
Storytelling/Narration - the writer needs to be able to
tell his/her story which includes an inciting incident, a
goals, an obstacles, a turning point and the resolution
of the story.
Character/Characterization
Setting/Scene – the time and place in which the story
happens, making use of descriptions of landscapes,
scenery, seasons or weather to provide strong sense of
settings.
Plot – refers to the sequence of events in
the story.
Exposition – refers to the part of the story that
sets the stage: it introduces the characters, setting
and circumstances of the story.
Rising Action – it is where the tension arises
between the protagonist and the antagonist
Climax- the turning point of the story; the peak of
the tension
Falling Action – the tension eases
Denouement – the story comes to close; the
resolution
Conflict – the struggle between two people
or things in the story.
Man vs Man – the main character is having
struggle with another character
Man vs Himself - the main character is having
struggle with himself
Man vs Society - the main character is having
struggle with the society
Man vs Circumstances - the main character is
having struggle with circumstances
Man vs Nature - the main character is having
struggle with the forces of nature.
Point of View – the angle by which the story is
told.
1st person POV (I, Me, My) – it is when “I” am
telling the story. The character is in the story, relating
his/her experiences directly.
2nd person POV (You, Your) – the story is told to
“YOU”. This POV is not common in fiction but in
nonfiction.
3rd person POV, Limited (She/He, Her/His) – the story is
about HE/SHE. This is the most common POV. The
narrator is outside the story and relating the experiences of
a character. The narrator has only some, if any, access to
the thoughts and experiences of the characters, often on
just one character.
3rd person POV Omniscient – the story is still about
HE/SHE but the narrator has full access to the thoughts
and experiences of all characters in the story.
Theme – the central idea that is weaved through the
essay or work, often reveals a universal truth.
Dialogue – are conversations spoken between people
and is an important element of creative nonfiction.
Symbol/Symbolism – the practice of art of using an
object, a person, a situation or a word to represent an
abstract idea
Imagery – the writer construct word pictures
using sensory language.
Visual – pertains to graphics, visual senses,
pictures or sense of sight
Auditory – pertains to sounds, noises, music
or sense of hearing
Olfactory – pertains to odors, scents or the
sense of smell
Gustatory - pertains to flavors or the sense of
taste
Tactile – pertains to physical texture or sense
of touch
Kinesthetic - pertains to movements
Organic/Subjective - pertains to personal
experiences of a character’s body such as
emotion and the sense of hunger, thirst, fatigue
and pain.
Figures of Speech – a figurative language in the
form of a single word or phrase.
it often provides emphasis, freshness of expression or
clarity and can also introduce ambiguity between
denotative and connotative interpretation.
Simile – a comparison between two things with the use
of ‘as’ or ‘like’.
Metaphor – a direct comparison between two things.
Personification – giving of human attributes to
inanimate objects
Irony – the use of words in a way that conveys a
meaning opposite to its usual meaning
Hyperbole – an extreme exaggeration
Assonance – the repetition of vowel sounds
Oxymoron – two contradictory ideas are placed
in the same sentence
Alliteration – the repetition of first consonant
sounds
Synecdoche – the use if particular name to represent
a class of people
Onomatopoeia – words that imitates a real sound
Litotes – an understatement that renders an ironical
effect
Ex: I am not as young as I used to be – to avoid saying I
am old
Anaphora – the repetition of the same word or set of
words in a paragraph
Antithesis – juxtaposition of opposing or contrasting ideas
Ex: Love covers all sins.
Apostrophe – directing the attention away from the
audience through an absent third party
Euphemism – the substitution of pleasant words to
unpleasant one.
Dysphemism – a derogatory or unpleasant term used
instead of pleasant one.
 Common Genres of Nonfiction
Biography Travelogue
Autobiography Literary Journalism
Diaries and Memoir Blogs
Reportage Testimonio
Lab Report Food Writing
Reference Book
(thesaurus, dictionary)
True Crime