The Mid-term

First things first:

1. Make sure all of your assignments are complete in your writing folder.

2. Make a separate folder inside your personal folder to place both your Town Hall assignment and the piece(s) you wrote for Town Hall.

For the midterm in specific:

1. Review the elements of creative nonfiction below. Choose one of your assignments and rework it to reflect the aspects of creative nonfiction. DUE Monday, March 13

2. Your midterm is to do a profile of your dancer that does NOT include where they are from or where they went to school. This is a profile of who they are as “movement artists”. You have watched them and spent time with them now it is time to write about them in particular. DUE Thursday, March 23

Let's get a reminder of what makes a piece of writing creative non-fiction:

Elements of Creative Nonfiction

The creative nonfiction writer often incorporates several elements of nonfiction when writing a memoir, personal essay, travel writing, and so on. The following is a brief explanation of the most common elements of nonfiction:

• Fact. The writing must be based on fact, rather than fiction. It cannot be made up.
• Extensive research. The piece of writing is based on primary research, such as an interview or personal experience, and often secondary research, such as gathering information from books, magazines, and newspapers.
• Reportage/reporting. The writer must be able to document events or  personal experiences.
• Personal experience and personal opinion. Often, the writer includes personal experience, feelings, thoughts, and opinions. For instance, when writing a personal essay or memoir.
• Explanation/Exposition. The writer is required to explain the personal experience or topic to the reader.
• Essay format. Creative nonfiction is often written in essay format. Example: Personal Essay, Literary Journalistic essay, brief essay.

Literary Elements

Creative nonfiction is the literature of fact. Yet, the creative nonfiction writer utilizes many of the literary devices of fiction writing.  The following is a list of the most common literary devices that writers incorporate into their nonfiction writing:

• Storytelling/narration. The writer needs to be able to tell his/her story. A good story includes an inciting incident, a goal, challenges and obstacles, a turning point, and resolution of the story.
• Character. The nonfiction piece often requires a main character. Example: If a writer is creating his/her memoir, then the writer is the central character.
• Setting and scene. The writer creates scenes that are action-oriented; include dialogue; and contain vivid descriptions.
• Plot and plot structure. These are the main events that make up the story. In a personal essay, there might be only one event. In a memoir, there are often several significant events.
• Figurative language. The writer often uses simile and metaphor to create an interesting piece of creative nonfiction.
• Imagery. The writer constructs “word pictures” using sensory language. Imagery can be figurative or literal.
• Point of view. Often the writer uses the first person “I.”
• Dialogue. These are the conversations spoken between people. It is an important component of creative nonfiction.
• Theme. There is a central idea that is weaved through the essay or work. Often, the theme reveals a universal truth.

Lee Gutkind wrote an essay called “The Five R’s of Creative Nonfiction.” In this essay, he identified five essential elements of creative nonfiction. These include:

1. Creative nonfiction has a “real life” aspect. The writer constructs a personal essay, memoir, and so forth, that is based on personal experience.  He also writes about real people and true events.
2. Creative nonfiction is based on the writer engaging in personal “reflection” about what he/she is writing about. After gathering information, the writer needs to analyze and assess what he/she has collected. He then must evaluate it and expression his thoughts, views, opinions. Personal opinion is permissible and encouraged.
3. Creative nonfiction requires that the writer complete research. The writer needs to conduct research to learn about the topic. The writer also needs to complete research to discover what has been written about the topic. Even if a writer is crafting a personal essay, he will need to complete secondary research, such as reviewing a personal journal, or primary research, such as interviewing a friend or family member, to ensure that the information is truthful and factual.
4. The fourth aspect of creative nonfiction is reading. Reading while conducting research is not sufficient. The writer must read the work of the masters of his profession.
5. The final element of creative nonfiction is writing. Writing creative nonfiction is both an art and craft. The art of creative nonfiction requires that the writer uses his talents, instincts, creative abilities, and imagination to write memorable creative nonfiction. The craft of creative nonfiction requires that the writer learn and deploy the style and techniques of creative nonfiction in his/her work.

Magazines

There are also many popular magazines that publish all types of creative nonfiction, including:

• The Atlantic  ( http://www.theatlantic.com/ )
• The New Yorker ( http://www.newyorker.com/ )
• Vanity Fair ( http://www.vanityfair.com/ )
• Esquire (http://www.esquire.com/)
• The Walrus ( http://www.walrusmagazine.com/ )

Read this classic creative nonfiction piece 

Frank Sinatra Has a Cold