IWW
Practice-W Exercise Archives
Exercise: Creative Non-Fiction (Version 3)
These exercises were written
by IWW members
and administrators to provide structured practice opportunities for its
members.
You are welcome to use them for practice as well. Please mention that
you found
them at the Internet Writers Workshop
(http://www.internetwritingworkshop.org/).
Prepared by: Patricia L. Johnson and Gary Presley
Posted on: March 21, 2004
Reposted on: April 4, 2005
Reposted, revised, on July 1, 2007
Reposted,
revised, on April 6, 2009
Reposted on March 27, 2011
_____________________
In 400 words or less,
tell us a true story that resulted in your learning something important
about yourself or others. Write about the truth in an accurate and
informative style, as if you were a reporter, but see if you can
incorporate the techniques of other genres (novel, poetry, memoir) to
heighten the interest.
_____________________
Creative
non-fiction is as old as storytelling itself. A true-life event or
character sparks a story. The storyteller builds the tale using a
palette of writing techniques to add color and life that might not
have been present in reality. He or she can use all the techniques of
fiction and poetry, as well as those found in memoir, narrative
journalism, and reportage to teach life lessons and expose the human
condition by transforming something seemingly insignificant into
something universal.
_____________________
In 400 words or less,
tell us a true story that resulted in your learning something
important about yourself or others. Write about the truth in an
accurate and informative style, as if you were a reporter, but see
if you can incorporate the techniques of other genres, novel, poetry,
memoir,
to heighten the interest.
_____________________
When
critiquing creative non-fiction, give us specific comment on examples
of how the author used fictional, journalistic, or even poetic
techniques to bring us into a 'real' situation. Are characters and
situations well-developed? Does the author manage to keep enough
distance to allow the reader to experience emotions? Is the piece
coherent and interesting. Above all, do you believe it? Or do you
think it would have been better written as fiction?
Web site created by
Rhéal Nadeau and
the administrators of the Internet Writing Workshop.
Modified by Greg Gunther.
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