Creative Nonfiction - SHS

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Reading and Writing Creative Nonfiction

Module 016 Reading and Writing Creative

Nonfiction, Week 1

Starting this week, you are going to be actively referring to your past
modules to write your own pieces of creative nonfiction. You will also be
given a number of examples that will, hopefully, help you distinguish
between poor and good writing.
For those of you who love to read, the tasks should be a little easier. Being
able to discern good and poor writing takes time and practice. Of course,
there are those works that we immediately appreciate because they are
smooth and fluid.
In nonfiction, we don’t really have to look at plot, but we have to look at the
structure and the rhythm. We also have to look for accuracy of facts.
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
1. List or identify the different steps needed in writing creative nonfiction
effectively
2. Recall the terms involved in reading creative nonfiction
3. Use provided creative nonfiction materials to answer questions
4. Apply what you have learned by reading one of the books in Tasks for the
Week B and writing a book report on it.
<Discuss the common applications of the lessons in the module.>

Reading Creative Nonfiction

Do you like reading creative nonfiction? There are so many types of creative nonfiction.
Therefore, chances are you have read something in this genre if you do take the time to
read.
People like facts. We may not know it, but we like discovering things. For example, a lot of
people prefer reality television shows. We want to get into the minds of real people. While
we enjoy fiction and how it can transport us to other places, we also want the truth. What is
really going on in other people’s lives? This is how biographies of famous people sell like
hotcakes.
Why would people read about something that they already know the ending of? If you love
reading true crime, you might have even heard the real circumstances from the news. Still,
you may want to know more details or to get to know the persons involved.

How to Read Creative Nonfiction

To read creative nonfiction, you need to do the following:
- Do not expect a sensational plot all the time
Course Module
 - Read as you would any fictional works
- Enjoy the reading the first time around
- For the second reading, focus on the subtlety of language and use of literary devices
(especially symbolisms)
- Read more about the incidents using outside sources to double check on the facts
- Discuss with somebody else who has read the work
- Ask yourself questions, such as “What did I like about that particular piece?”
Tasks for the Week:
This week, instead of learning new devices, strategies, and concepts, you will be focusing
on actual reading of creative nonfiction examples. Do not limit yourself to what has been
provided in the list below. It is more important to choose your own reading material so that
you can develop your own sense of discernment. You should be able to distinguish poor
writing from good ones, and fabricated materials against well-researched materials.
Read this week’s online supplementary materials, with all that you have learned so far in
mind.
A.
1. The New Yorker’s Writer’s Process by Hallie Cantor
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/05/29/the-writers-process
2. The Best Books of 2017 (So Far) by Angela Ledgerwood
http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/a52733/best-books-of-2017

Then, read at least one of these full-length works of creative nonfiction.

B.
1. The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls (memoir, made into a film)
2. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (true crime)
3. Night by Elie Wiesel (memoir)
4. On Writing by Stephen King (reference)

You might have noticed that your reading materials in Section A are also related to writing
and literature, as a whole. The first one is a writing guide, in a sense that we are able to
peek into the habits and

Glossary
Accuracy: the state of being correct or factual
Discern: (a verb) to recognize
Supplementary: assists something or someone, in this case additional reading for better
understanding
Symbolism: the use of an icon/symbol to represent something bigger of deeper in
meaning
True crime: a narrative that is based on a true to life crime
 Creative Nonfiction - SHS
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Reading and Writing Creative Nonfiction

References and Supplementary Materials

Books and Journals
Gilbert, E., Blanco, R., Lethem, J., Roorbach, B., Russo, R., Beattie, A., . . . Eggers, D. (2014).
The Story I Want To Tell: Explorations in the Art of Writing. Thomaston: Tilbury House
Publishers.
Lamott, A. (2016). Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York:
Bantam Doubleday Publishing Group.
Lopate, P. (2013). To Show and to Tell: The Craft of Literary Nonfiction. Wilmington:
University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Online Supplementary Reading Materials

The Writer’s Process; https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/05/29/the-writers-
process; 31st August 2017
The Best Books of 2017 (So Far):
http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/a52733/best-books-of-2017/; 31st
August 2017

Online Instructional Videos

Teaching Text Structures for Nonfiction Reading:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSGX34Zf82c; 31st August 2017
The Structure of Creative Nonfiction; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlguuzwdq_Y;
31st August 2017

Course Module