Creative Nonfiction

Creative Essay

Any short, non-fiction text written with specific attention to its aesthetic qualities and presentation that is written from the

point of view of the author. It focuses on a personal experience that is a turning

point, a change in direction, an event that has significant meaning, and also shares a

universal truth with readers.

What is a Personal Narrative Essay?

• based on memory of an event or experience or moment in time that had significant meaning to you

• tell a true story about a turning point in your life• the event or experience actually happened to you• look back into your memory, to an earlier time in

your life, and unearth true stories that had significant meaning to you

Inspiration• Memory. Mining your memory for turning points in your life. Turning

points, such as a job loss, illness, disease, death, first encounters.

• Family life. Reflecting on family-What family events had significant meaning? What do you remember about family life?

• Spiritual journey. Write about your spiritual journey.

• Place. Write about home. What is home? Travel experiences. The natural world, such as hiking, biking, camping, exploring the wilderness.

• Popular culture. Write about film, music, fiction, poetry, photography, art—and how it has impacted you. What memories do you have?

• The global village. Write about the world in which you live, such as the environment.

Other Ideas

• Journey, quest, pilgrimage

• Mysteries and investigations

• Rituals, games, performances, events

Dig up memories about a myriad of topics–from toys to technology, to milestones to

accomplishments, things that have significantly affected you.

Structure• Problem (exposition)- Your goal is to describe a problem in vivid

details. What is the significant event that lead to a problem?

• Struggle (rising action)-This problem creates conflict, which can be external (the outside world) and internal (within your mind or psyche) obstacles or setbacks.

• Epiphany (climax)- Your problem and struggle results in an epiphany or flood of new understanding. The epiphany transforms your story from merely an anecdote to a personal narrative that has significant meaning to you, and shared meaning with others.

• Resolution- What you have done differently since you had the epiphany.

(Does not necessarily have to be in this order—be creative)

• Creative essays are written to express, render, and entertain

• frequently do not follow a standard structure• designed to move the emotions• should be rich with imagery, modifiers, and fresh

language, and should vary their syntax• Usually told from the first-person voice• make sure that it tells a story• the writer should structure and present his essay in

the way that best reflects the emotional timbre of the essay

• should attempt to accurately and honestly relate these personal ideas

Readers Expect You to Share

• Your thoughts

• Your feelings

• Your opinions

• Personal Reflections

Keep in mind that a creative essay does not strive to provide answers to questions or even to necessarily explain a particular concept. Rather, a creative essay is meant to help create sense of the world and to raise questions that the reader may wish to explore further.

Descriptions found at:

essaytown.comhttp://www.essaytown.com/writing/creative-essayhttp://www.essaytown.com/writing/write-creative-essay

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