Creative Nonfiction

Creative nonfiction can be defined as many different things. It is a subject matter that everyone has their own definition that they feel is the correct way to define creative nonfiction. For me, creative nonfiction is a writing that is based on a true event, but the author added a twist to the story to make it more interesting to the audience. However, there are many people from online blogs that have a different view on the meaning of creative nonfiction.

One of the blogs that I have looked at was Bruce Dobler’s Creative Nonfiction Compendium. In this it is stated that they believe that creative nonfiction relates mostly to journalism. They also state that creative nonfiction is actual events that have occurred with fiction added to the literature. I agree with this to an extent as I believe that creative nonfiction can apply to more genres than just to journalism. However, I agree that authors add made up information and story lines to their writings as it is a way to give the material a more exciting edge that people are going to enjoy more when they read the article.

Another blog that I looked at was Brevity. In his blog you are able to submit your own creative nonfiction piece to be published on their blog. However, there are some guidelines that you must follow in order to have your piece posted. First, you have to make sure that you do not write more than seven hundred fifty words. It also has to be very vivid in details that make the audience feel like they are a part of what they are reading. However, you are only able to post two essays a year of creative nonfiction on Brevity.

All Around the Town, by Herbert Asbury is a good example of a collection of creative nonfiction short stories. Each story that we have read throughout the book, has been based on a true occurrence that happened throughout history, yet there was information added to them to make it better reading for those to read.

Over the years I have read multiple books that are creative nonfiction. At the moment I was unaware of what genre that they were considered. Now that I am aware of the genre that they were under, I have a better appreciation for them. One of the books that I have read was Kite Runner. It deals with the war in Afghanistan and of a family that is feeling the affects of the war. Although the story line about the family could be true, it most likely is stretched to make it more interesting to the reader. I know that the book would have been uninteresting and hard for me to read if there wasn’t any creative writing in the book, as I don’t like to read about history.

Another book that I read in high school was Under the Blood Red Sun. This book was based on the bombing of Pearl Harbor and what occurred with one friendship when war was declared. The friendship that was tested in the book was of an American boy and a Japanese boy. Again, the truth of the book was the bombing of Pearl Harbor and a friendship that the boys have. However, some of the details may have been stretched. This book is the perfect example of what I believe to be creative nonfiction.

Overall, there are many different definitions of creative nonfiction. None of which are incorrect as they all depend on what each person believes it to be. For me, creative nonfiction is the truth of an event that has occurred throughout history with a twist to the truth to give the readers something entertaining to read on a subject that may be dry. I wonder if my definition is to narrow to others and if others agree with what I say the definition is.