Creative Non-Fiction Resources
Caption,
Scenario, Word: Classroom Approaches to Creative Nonfiction
These are three sets of handouts from a session presented at the Associated
Writing Programs Conference in Albany, New York, April 16, 1999. Robert Root
discusses an assignment inviting students to write informal “caption essays”
(in the mode of Civilization Magazine’s back page) in response to photographs
from their lives and illustrates the form with a caption essay of his own. Simone
Poirier-Bures discusses the use of fiction techniques in nonfiction writing
by explaining the use of the sample scenario, in which students look at a set
of circumstances from the perspectives of both the essayist and the fiction
writer. Kim Barnes describes an exercise in which students build an essay from
a single word.
What is Creative Non-Fiction?
Phil Druker of the University of Idaho provides an brief outline that defines
the term and provides guidelines for writing creative non fiction. There is
a also a link to creative non-fiction goals.
Creative
Non Fiction
A writer of travel narratives on New England provides elaborate insights into
the process of creative non-fiction writing. His notes are at once philosophical
and instructional.
Bruce Dobler's Creative
Nonfiction Compendium
Bruce Dobler is an Associate Professor of English in the Creative Nonfiction
Program at the University of Pittsburgh. He defines the term, introduces the
art of creative non-fiction, supplies anthologies and collections of short works,
and more.
Introduction
to Literary Journalism
An English instructor provides an introductory unit on literary journalism.
BTW, another lesson unit asks about Mark Twain's journalistic techniques and
asks students to imagine Walt Whitman working as a journalist.
http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/markport/lit/litjour/sum201/03ante.htm
Creative
Writing in Non Fiction
This Lynchburg college page supplies a few examples and exercises for writing
non-fiction specifically geared for journalism students and non-fiction writers
who are looking to improve their skills in writing.
Creative
Non-Fiction
This is a journal devoted exclusively to creative non-fiction. You can listen
to audio excerpts about the genre and read a few full-text articles. One discusses
the 5Rs of creative non-fiction. You need to buy the magazine to read more.