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- Reading responses must be AT LEAST 350 words.
- Include your full name at the end of your comments. Unnamed comments will be deleted.
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- Reading responses are due by 10pm on the day PRIOR to our discussion of the required reading.
Grasping the core of creative nonfiction was difficult as it appears to be a combination of poetry and fiction (Starkey 171). With poetry, a greater emphasis is placed on word selection and placement, additionally rhyme may play a role as well. This careful selection of words is seen with sentences such as “We open windows to each but we live alone in the house of the heart” from Joyas Voladoras from Brian Doyle (Starkey 181). The metaphor is capable of being a verse summarizing the theme of solitude from the memoir. The metaphor, however was extended and seen throughout the memoir drawing heavily on aspects of fiction, where the story and its structure is crafted with greater detailed. Such was also the case with the liferower from Rebecca McClanahan’s LIferower.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, what will help me facilitate the poetic and fictional genres are some of the elements making creative nonfiction such as it is personal revealing about the author, and the writing piece itself is a vessel of self-discovery and exploration (Starkey 171). When it comes to dealing with the intimate of my own story, I will rely on poetic aspects to create the tone depending on the memoir I am to choose. It should be noted, that regardless of my poetic ability, I need to rely on the truth, otherwise my reader will discern if he is being lied to (Starkey 194). My creative nonfiction will incorporate the exploration to help aid the fiction aspect of the memoir, or the storytelling. Unlike in novel writing where the beginning, middle, and ending have been anticipated, in my creative nonfiction, I can divert and digress as I so choose as long as I have a reference point. This technique was identified as the maypole analogy (Starkey 187). A reference point is the driving vehicle of the story as the liferower around which McClananhan organized events of her life. In addition to the maypole analogy, another technique that I will be using is jump cuts to transition in and out from my reference point (Starkey 187). My exploration though needs to be with some degree of relativity as otherwise I am in danger of alienating my audience.
My most difficult task that I see when writing my creative nonfiction will be concluding. My impression from the genre creative nonfiction is that I am at liberty of purposely leaving an open ending.
Alejandro Sanchez
Nonfiction is my favorite literary genre, and though dismayed a bit that we were not saving the best for last, nonetheless, I eagerly read the beginning of Starkey's chapter of writing creative nonfiction. First off, the title "Writing Short Creative Nonfiction" makes one wonder what and where the distinctions are that separate short from long creative nonfiction and if they are distinct genres. Since I'm currently reading (and enjoying) Frank McCourt's rather length memoir, Angela's Ashes, this is a relevant observation.
ReplyDeleteLong memoirs can be good. I just completed Winston Churchill’s My Early Life and found it enjoyable and fascinating. I also read The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, and while this is long and certainly not fiction, I question whether or not this can be categorized as literature. Maybe it can fit in under the Literary Journalism sub-class but it seems to me that such works as text and history books do not fall in the non-fiction genre. They lack some of the key features present in most non-fiction works.
Non-fiction is human. Rebecca McClanahan relates her abortion in the context of snippets about her life. Brian Doyle describes the anatomical heart in very a conversational, humanly style. And David Sedaris provides a whimsical classroom scene from somewhere in (presumably) his history. And the fact the very fact that it is non-fiction keeps it in the realm of humanity since it is relatable.
Who can really relate to Chewbacca from Star Wars? There is no such being, really, and we must always consider them within the context of their fictional universe, a universe that is distinct from our own and may operate under totally different rules. On the other hand, the bits and pieces of McClanahan shares about her life allows us to recall and relate parts of our own lives, and therein lies the power and the wonder of non-fiction. These are real people like you and me, engaged in real lives having real struggles. Welcome to the club.
There may not really be much difference between a short and lengthy non-fiction composition aside from the length. Both utilize the same elements that make it that much more enjoyable for the reader. Colorful language can be use used, characters developed, scene, dialog, the whole nine yards. One is quicker to read and write within a short 4-month semester whereas the other is not. All non-fiction is relatable, though, because it stays within the human realm.
Elizabeth Barham
In this reading, Stegner’s aside about the basic five paragraph essay concerned and struck home with me. This was the same model I learned when I was in primary and secondary school before university; and it is basically the same form that I use today. Though I typically extend my essays past five paragraphs to accommodate for longer page and word requirements, even now I divide my essays into five parts and expand from there. It is right, I think, that Stegner would be concerned with the teaching of this model, not because the five paragraph essay is fatally flawed, but because it is taught rigidly and for ease of grading by the teacher rather than as a tool of communication between writer and reader. This falls back into Stegner’s unhappiness with inflexible schooling that teaches writing as a step-by-step process with unbreakable rules and regulation. In this sense, the five paragraph essay limits the growth of children (and older students) as writers by limiting their knowledge and stunting their progression in writing. If they are confined to only knowing how to produce one form of essay, and especially if this form is chosen and enforced for convenience rather than a creative approach, then it would stand to reason that the students would learn nothing of how to write creative nonfiction except, in theory, how to write so as to mimic a base appearance in five paragraphs. I myself am an example of the poor results from this method: I have struggled throughout university to properly write non-fiction essays, and essays of any kind, as I have had no previous training in any other form, nor had the allowance to explore other options. It is because of this that I especially enjoyed reading this chapter as it has given me some ideas as to how to proceed and grow from this point. I do not need to remain stagnate. I can explore creative non-fiction through the personal I, or mix genres if I believe the result to be favorable. That Stegner encourages exploration and growth made me very happy and hopeful to read this.
ReplyDeleteDoris Tolar
Starkey mentions in his writing about creative nonfiction being a rare and fun genre (Starkey 171). I believe at one point everyone has had to do creative nonfiction. It goes as far as elementary school, to the days where we would write creatively, but there were topics that dealt with personal background. Another way to see noncreative writing being so well liked is because everyone likes to talk; either it being about them or gossiping. The things that people like to hear are the important stuff and drama. This can be seen as a great tip for writing creative nonfictions, write what is important and the detailed juicy stuff to capture the reader’s attention. Starkey does show that there is a lot when it comes to creative nonfiction. Creative nonfiction is personal, so it has truth and different feelings. Although the writing is real, there can be some things tweaked. When writing creative nonfiction, I prefer to hide identities of factual characters. The purpose is to hide the actual person’s identity. It comes in handy in case a person did not want you to make public what they did (that whole “what happens here stay here”) or when, no offense, talking bad about another person.
ReplyDeleteGoing back to the writing of Wallace Stegner, he writes about being dangerous and taking risks (Stegner 13). It was taken into consideration when in Starkey’s writing he mentions that Gutkind believes that there is research to be done (Starkey 173). I agree, since the piece is nonfiction, it is wanted to be as factual as it can. When Starkey writes about Wolfe’s experimentation with acid, this testing gave him more of an advantage when writing about his pranksters. This is where Stegner’s words of taking risks come to mind. Yes in creative writing there are risks to be taken, and since creative nonfiction is a branch off creative writing, it was seen as a risk of taking the drug, but he now has a connection with his characters. Although drugs can be seen as bad because it is illegal, going back to Stegner, he says to be humble, have an open mind (Stegner 14). Think of both sides to the story to make it more real.
Having an open mind is an important thing to me; this is why I also prefer Montaigne over Bacon. I believe the best writers are open to changing their mind; this can help when writing too, because if someone has something to say about your writing, it won’t be seen as criticism. When Hemingway showed Fitzgerald his writing, he crossed the first pages, and now A Farewell to Arms is a great work from Hemingway.
(Sandra) Melaine Villarreal
I believe that creative non-fiction consists of adding different techniques to make a narrative more interesting and “more fun than traditional essay writing”, as Starkey mentions. My 10th grade English teacher taught me that the word “Creative” is the use of literary craft and techniques writers use in their work. Since non-fiction is mainly known for being a narrative or prose about real people or events, I would say that, creative non-fiction is a narrative that is made more appealing and interesting thanks to those techniques. At first I found it hard to imagine creative a non-fiction piece because I couldn’t think of many events in my life to write about. However, I came to find out that we could write about any event, and as long as we apply techniques, feelings, and the senses, we could make a simple day at the park something life changing.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I wasn’t really thrilled about this chapter. I did find it very useful and informative, however, it’s difficult for me to really enjoy writing about it since I enjoy writing and reading fiction more. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve written a few creative non-fiction essays, but I don’t think they are as appealing as my fiction ones. Perhaps that is why I should focus more on this genre and understand what Starkey wrote about the elements of non-fiction. It makes it better to understand and follow even if we’re not familiar with the genre.
I did like something that John T. Pryce says, “Personal essays bring together the best of both poetry and fiction lyrical and imagistic language with narrative appeal.” (Starkey 171) What I get from this is something similar to what my English teacher had told me. We are adding some fiction elements into non-fiction in order to make it more appealing to the reader. I am sometimes guilty of exaggerating a bit or adding something that might not had happened, but that is believable in order to make it better.
-Erik Ramirez
After reading this “Writing Short Creative Nonfiction” , I can interpret that you have to build on to your essay and add more creativity into the essay. I agree with this “The foundation of good writing emerges from personal experience” (Starkey 172). Because when you write from your own personal experience, you are able to express your thoughts and ideas into the paper. You want to organize your essay as much as you can and to emphasize the structure toward the essay. In addition, I concur with imagery because as a writer, you want the reader to visualize what you have in mind since it does leave a good impression toward the reader. “Essay readers except authors to have complete control of their material” (Starkey 189). I definitely agree with that because you would not want to bore the reader and you want to have complete control toward the audience. Doing plenty of research it does sculpt your essay in a good manner. Furthermore, when Laurie Lynn Drummond mentions about “memories that make us most uncomfortable are often the very ones that make the best subject matter for our essays” (Starkey 190). The reason uncomfortable memories provide the best subject matter are because we understand them better. Since it may show more emotion for the reader to comprehend. When you use past experiences that happened in your life, I feel like some people can relate to you in a way. As a college student, sometimes it is a struggle for me to do essays. But when you break it down and organize yourself, you are able to wrap up your conclusion. As a writer, you are able to put in imagery into the topic of the essay and you can also use brainstorming for instance as well. This allows the writer to be more expressive and to elaborate on the content of the essay which captures the audience’s attention. One of the most important aspects to do for an essay is to set the tone for the reader and provide a good abstract. In summation, I feel with what I have read will help me as a creative writer.
ReplyDeleteAndrea Espericueta
The reading “organizing creative fiction” helped me a lot to understand what is my style of writing and not only that but to know that it is okay not to write in order or not have guidelines. Since I was in grade school I was taught that essays “need to go in order” or that “you need to have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion” I have struggled with that through out college. I am fascinated of how, even in upper level English classes students are still being asked to write essays in the same format. In the reading the author mentions how this format makes it easier for teachers to revise essays and how convenient and time efficient it is. What I think the education fails to acknowledge is that by doing this they are limiting a students’ potential to write and learn.
ReplyDeleteLopate claims that “most great essayists have crossed the line frequently” (Starkey, pg. 174) meaning that they go back from formal to informal writing. It is okay to go off the line and talk about something else then go back to the same thing you were talking about. Doing this will not make you less of a writer, to me, this makes you grow both as a writer and an individual. I would say I am more of a Montage than a Bacon. I am always leaving room for other possibilities and I am always going from thought to thought. One of the things that stuck to me the most from this reading was how even though there are different opinions about essay/story structures almost every writer agrees that whatever you decide to write about write it with passion. I believe that when writing a story or an essay it should be a topic that really either entertains you or you are passionate about. One of Gutkinds 5 R’s research is a guideline that every writer should follow. If a writer is not going to be writing about something that enthusiasts him, the least he could do is be informed.
Overall I found this reading enjoyable to read and very informative. From this reading I not only gained awareness of what my style of writing is but also guidelines to make my writing better.
Estefany Gonzalez
If I am being completely honest, on the very first day, when I heard that we were going to have to write creative non-fiction, my heart sank. To me non-fiction translated to boring research paper or talking about my uneventful life and hoping that somebody cares. After reading through this though, I am very much more hopeful and excited about creative non-fiction. The very first piece that we read in the chapter about a woman just working out and how she used that time to reflect back on her life and how it connected to the machine that she was on was absolutely incredible to read. Her thoughts were seemingly random but the flowed together so nicely that reading it through a few times made me realize that there was actually a strategy to the way that she wrote. It wasn't hard to follow because there was a rhythm to her writing that made it seem effortless, yet I know it must be much more difficult than it seems. Another thing that I found interesting is how similar and yet different this is to journalism. Because it is non-fiction you have to make sure that it is all true. You cannot blur the boundaries between real and embellishment because then you can no longer claim it to be non-fiction. While at first I thought this would constrict my options and creativity, I soon realized that this allows me to think back on my life in a different way, or look at reality differently. Because I cannot embellish, it forces me to really pay attention to the things around me and figure out how those things may subconsciously affect me and how they relate to my past and present. Something that I will definitely take away from this reading and use in my own writing is how to use the everyday imagery of the things around me and try and connect to them on a deeper level. I think that this will definitely challenge me more than any other type of genre, but it is something that I am excited to do and ready to get into.
ReplyDeleteErin Valdez
Reading about Creative Non-Fiction in Starkey's view made wonder: "Is there such thing as being informative, yet imaginative at the same time?" Is there really a way to put facts on a novel, poem, play, or some form of writing and label it a non-fiction? I do like he made the reference to the five R's of the genre itself. I do believe it has to have some sort of actual experience to give it meaning and reflecting how you felt during the reality of a certain situation. It also needs that research and points from other authors to give it more depth. And, to give it that awe-inspiring good read for an audience is the passion along with aspiration to bring the work a unique outlook for people.
ReplyDeleteThe elements of making the creative non-fiction really intrigued me as well with how you make your own way into the genre. I did like how he wrote about organizing the essay into your topic or issue of choice. I myself am a big supporter in developing your ideas (example: rough drafting) then, create thm into your works. He made the point of making sure your audience is captivated with the story as they read along. Transitioning within the paragraphs, dialogue while staying on topic is also very fine details to keep in mind while writing. I also like how he said that it must have a solid conclusion, way to summarize everything that has happened and have the end leave the readers satisfied with your ending of choice. I am a huge fan of endings that give a really great impression of the novel while thinking: "Wow, that was a really good ending."
I like how Starkey states that one could make a great novel within the non-fiction genre with how the characters change throughout the story. The dialogue transitioning naturally with metaphors and similes. The rhythm, diction, and and imagery using figurative language is also very vital towards the writing itself to make it more interesting for the readers. I found this reading very profound towards a genre that I did not know existed and would like to learn more about it in the future.
-Alexa Rodriguez
It is relieving to know there are other ways to write than the five paragraph essay. Such a format, while useful, is very mechanical and not very conducive to the type of creativity expected from creative nonfiction. Much like varying word choices and sentence types, it is important to vary writing formats. It is easy to fall into the habit of simply giving what is expected. Years of regurgitating information tend to lead to regurgitating writing, in both content and style. That being said, it is interesting to note the difference in style found in the examples provided. The difference in cadence, transition, and approach to subject matter all reflect on the author’s personality and attitude. I find it interesting as well how the word ‘nonfiction’ typically brings to mind a cold, steely, account of events, such as is the case in journalism—a description of a burglary or a weather report—yet the creative aspect of creative nonfiction makes these types of literature almost a blend of fiction and nonfiction. While the subject matter may be entirely factual, it reads like a short story made up for entertainment as the language used is anything but bland. Fabrication may, in fact, exist in creative nonfiction, whether intentionally in order to flatter the author or by accident as a false memory genuinely believed to be true. I am eager to attempt my own work of creative nonfiction as I have, like I believe many others have, been limited to the five paragraph format and others like it for most of the years I have spent in school. It might be difficult to deviate into such a seemingly relaxed format and to weave points together rather than isolating them so harshly as is done in formats like the five paragraph format. It feels almost like too much liberty is awarded, and I will admit it is largely alien to me. I do believe, however, that it is the first step in becoming a well-rounded writer as pushing the envelope and reaching outside one’s comfort zone is the only way to progress. After all, nothing changes if nothing changes.
ReplyDeleteJessica Rodriguez
I came to the conclusion that I have never been quite introduced into writing a creative non-fiction essay or short story. I am glad to say that I feel excited to see what I will eventually come up with. Starkey mentions, “the essay form grants writers permission to explore without knowing where they will end up, to be tentative, speculative, and reflective.” I believe that will be very beneficial for me, I tend to be very curious and optimistic in a wide aspect when it comes to my academics. I want to grasp a great deal of myself in anyway I can and I think this will be one marvelous strategy. After reading different individuals perspective of writing and their original essays, I recognized that this genre can be difficult only if the writer makes it. One of the essay’s that I liked reading was Rebecca McClanahan’s, I adored how she wasn’t absolute on a topic but how she braided in different type of topics into her essay. Each paragraph was important to the whole essay. From what I understood after reading it, she juggled a number of things of repeated subjects (Starkey 187). She was able to add in different life experiences to introduce a meaning into her essay. Overall her conclusion had tied together resembling real life scenarios and facts in her life and the lesson through the essay was “to symbolize our inevitable” (Starkey 188) in all of our lives.
ReplyDeleteMost importantly I understood that creative nonfiction is a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives. Creative nonfiction juxtaposes with other nonfiction, such as technical writing or journalism, which is also rooted in accurate fact. As a genre, creative nonfiction is still relatively young, and is only beginning to be scrutinized with the same critical analysis given to fiction and poetry. When someone starts as a beginner of writing a creative non-fiction creative writing is nothing but using colorful unusual diction that leaves a vivid memory in the reader's mind. It is also good to make your text factual, thus nonfiction. It can be an object or a person or an event or even an opinion. And not only that but also be capable of adding interesting language to deliver the content metaphors, synonyms, imagery, etc.
-Aliza Longoria
Writing at times seems like a tedious, over-whelming task and a nonfiction piece honestly seems like it would just be a task a whole lot more difficult to achieve. A great trouble experienced by many writers, or at least when they begin to write, is dealing with the constant “pressure” to find a secure, truthful, yet riveting way to grasp someone’s attention. In a nonfiction piece, you can’t lie, and one might feel limited from what he or she may really want to say. One eye-catching thing I came across while reading, “Writing Short Creative Nonfiction”, is that I found small comfort from hearing that you can sort of play around with this genre of writing creatively, but at the same time organization does play a role in writing a nonfiction essay. He says, “…that doesn’t mean their final products have no organizational principle” (Starkey 186) referring to people who admire the “process of investigation” (Starkey 186). So I interpret this in a way that tells me that there is no point in feeling nervous about this upcoming essay, it’s actually very possible. Furthermore, Starkey provided a wide spectrum of what creative nonfiction is. Of course you must maintain a truthful establishment at all times, even if a common ground may not be established for both, it is important to create and experience something that is real. Why would you lie about your life, about something real? One might say, my life is not interesting enough, but I found that this particular reading provides ways in which you might improve that. Whether it be through, diction or dialogue, or any other means of a narrative, the power to write is the same- boring or exciting lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn’t expect to be entertained ever by reading a short creative nonfiction, but “Liferower” really outdid itself, basically proving that you can use anything as a guideline for your essay. Such as in her situation she uses a yoga class, and the small details she writes about are there to cover a bigger, actual, real part of her life. It’s so convincing and realistic. So much that the symbolism she uses does not feel like she tries to hard but that rather her words came out so smoothly and wrapped up nicely in truth. For future reference I believe this is the essay I will have as an inspiration.
- Mayra Lopez
From the way Starkey is presenting himself in this reading, you can tell that this is not too formal sounding, like there are no restrictions to this. Meaning, he will get his point across in this reading, just it will not be too hard to understand, since it sounds like something I would end up writing. He mentions that the subject he will be addressing is “creative nonfiction” and that “most student find that working in this genre is much more fun than traditional essay writing. (Starkey170). In the text it mentions common elements that Michael Steinberg addresses about “creative nonfiction”. I will be only mentioning one of the elements, which is the first one, “requires a personal presence”. One of my favorite writers is John Green, and he had mentioned that his first book that was published (“Looking For Alaska”), was based on his own life, of course there are things made up throughout the book, but the overall theme was real. Then that brings up a debate whether or not that is nonfiction or fiction, since it is based mostly on real events, just a few things added to it. I find myself adding real life events that happened in my life to my book for a few reasons; it makes it feel more like a journal so writing doesn’t feel like a job or a burden and because I don’t have the best memory so I can just fill in what I forget. Creative writing is supposed to be fun and not seem so boring, and adding your own persona in the writing makes it more gratifying, and you truly appreciate the art of writing.
ReplyDeleteI like how Starkey says “… often refer their [students] nonfiction essays as “stories” (Starkey)” then he references Michael Pearson, “a genuine obligation to factual truths [referring to essays]”. Just because creative nonfiction can have different people telling the same story, but of course from their own perspective, you should get the same main points from each story. Plus with us being human, we can either over exaggerate the situation or undermined it.
One of the types of creative writings I am very interested in is poetry, because it can be very happy and also can be very depressing. Poetry isn’t just “roses are red” it can be quiet fascinating. “Aside from its organizational structure and overall tone, essay writing can be said to have a poetic aspect when we pay extra attention to imagery and figurative language, to diction, and to the sound and rhythm of words (Starkey 200).” Writing poems can be very complex and not just a basic form of writing, it should not be looked down upon just because it reveals emotions, and exposes the person.
-Roberto Rodriguez
Every article or chapter I read continues to be an eye opener for me. Returning to school after a ten-year absence has me feeling a little behind the learning curve. I’m glad I am taking this course. After reading, Writing Short Creative Nonfiction, I have been brought into a new understanding of the things I have read. I have never been a big reader but I am fascinated by the study of how. This article opened that world of what creative nonfiction is all about. I was most drawn into the essay “Liferower” written by Rebecca McClanahan. “One of the great pleasures of writing creative nonfiction is the opportunity it gives you to go from thought to thought, and from one place and time to the next.” (Starkey 185) I feel McClanahan really captured this and because of that I was enthralled in her essay. I was amazed how she was able to take me into her mind while she used the row machine. The way she was able to bounce from the realism of the mechanics of how the body works as she uses the row machine and yet use those images to bring in a memory from her life had me seeing her life before me. I felt I really identified with how her mind was working. One second she was in her mind the next she was focused on what was going on around her and then she would go back to the workings of the muscles and her body and continue that cycle. I never thought creative and nonfiction could go together without being untruthful. I didn’t understand how a writer could be creative when writing about facts. I enjoyed the possibility of what it means to be a creative writer of nonfiction. To be “passionate about their subjects and committed to seeing them from as many angles as possible.” (Starkey 172) The guidelines brought up by different writer’s perspectives, gave me different ideas and understandings of what and how to be successful in this genre. The importance of how your topic “should be something that you truly want to explore rather than something you feeling obliged to write,” really nailed my understanding of how I could be successful in this genre. That it’s not merely reporting but explaining it in a different and truthful light.
ReplyDelete-Diana Zepeda
Creative is the keyword in life without creativity there is no life to be enjoyed. There are no stories, no jokes, no creative aspects in daily events to be told and remembered. ‘’ Once you start writing, you might even find yourself wondering how will stay within a page count rather than how you will reach one(Starkey175).’’ Creative writing has infinite ways to create any piece of writing more enjoyable to write and to read from the elements that allow you to organize your writing all the way to the breakable rules. This shows that any writing is able to be creative even in nonfiction. Beginners’ first introduction to creative writing in grade school engages you just like a five paragraph essay mentioned in the chapter of Organizing Creative Nonfiction. As the first paragraph comes by meaning grade school and you get involved in writing for the pure fun of writing and not worrying too much about the grade that’s true creative writing. Your hooked because of the freedom of expression. Then the first paragraph turns into second, third, and fourth in this case meaning writing supporting details and evidence such as academic essays and research paper essays, position essays, etc. You start to get uninterested and bored of going over the same thing not having a bigger input that you want to let out. Essay writing does not always translate into speaking in that sort of tone and structure of writing in the real world. The more reading and writing you do the better your language and broader range of words develop. Finally, when you get to the fifth and final paragraph the conclusion, what you have been waiting for you start to realize that there might be more to writing than just a certain tone and structure and you start replaying the first paragraph asking yourself rhetorical questions like there has to be more ideas and input that I can achieve in order to help me evolve as a writer and a speaker in the real world. With most academic essays there is a definite ending but unlike the real world there is never an ending there is always more dialogue and connections that happen. This in turn doesn’t leave the reader thinking but leaves you, the writer with an unfinished essay and questions hoping a creative class will be that essential evolution in language. We can all take something from Rebecca McClanahan, Brian Doyle and David Sedaris and that is that personal hardship is like writing, you will only know from the imagery that is written and not life. ‘’Imagery- language that evokes one of the five senses- leaves a stronger impression than a mere abstraction (Starkey 200).’’ In other words, without creative nonfiction emphasis on creative there is no life for the reader to be hooked on and there is no life line for the writer to express.
ReplyDelete-Victor Vasquez
When I was younger and would go to the library, I would always end up steering clear of the non-fiction books section and instead I would head straight to Harry Potter, Goosebumps, or anything written by Roald Dahl. Mostly because I thought that all non-fiction books were boring at the time. Throughout my years of wanting to be a writer, I have never once thought of the advantages of writing non-fiction. It just wasn't appealing to me. I have always been a fiction author. The words creative non-fiction just seemed like a oxymoron to me, because how can you be creative with cold hard facts?
ReplyDeleteIn the reading, the story of Joyas Voladoras by Brian Doyle stood out to me the most. It might have even been my favorite part of the whole reading. I loved that it was written with such truth. Which we know Starkey mentioned was one of the rules for writing for non-fiction. The way that he wrote of the hummingbird was so memorizing that I almost forgot that it was non-fiction. Thats how descriptive it was and I enjoyed every bit of it.
Non-fiction writing is certainly out of my comfort zone. And to be honest I am a tad nervous to write a memoir or something personal about myself because let's face it I lead a rather uneventful life. But from this very lengthy chapter, along with its excerpts and examples from all the very different authors, has my mind already teeming to the brink with ideas for what I can write about in the genre of non-fiction. Plus its kind of nice to be able to branch out sometimes. Even if I might not like it I understand that my views must change if I am to became the well rounded writer I want to be. So it is nice to know that you still can be able to write in such a descriptive way and have it not be fiction. It's not that I don't hate non-fiction I have just always preferred writing as an escape from reality rather then divulge myself in it.
-Victoria Walls
To me, nonfiction is something that every writer must be able to do, especially if you want to be a fiction writer because to me, a writer can take on what they have learned from real life and apply it to their own fictional writings. When reading the passage, what stood out to me were the elements because Starkey is expressing to writers that these are the different elements of what creative nonfiction actually is. The two that stood out most to me were the “Demands Self Discovery and Self Exploration” and “Requires a Personal Presence”. To me, these two elements are important because they are helping the writer fully understand what they are writing. When using creative nonfiction, the author must be able to show what they believe in, especially when they are writing about they either truly believe in or want to express something that no one in the world knows about them. Starkey also pointed out in the piece that “like a nature essay, essayists always insert themselves in some fashion in their own essays.” To me that is something that every writer should to when writing creative nonfiction because they are expressing something to the reader that shows a part of the author on who they are as a person and also what they stand with or against. Ten going on to self-exploration and self-discovery is another idea, especially when doing research on a creative nonfiction piece. When Starkey expressed, “essays all, even encourage, their authors to learn as they go,” this shows that the author, while writing the piece they are researching, they will discover who they are, not as a person, but their own beliefs and what they stand for when faced with a difficult topic/situation. The author would be able to explore the topic of their essay and be able to find out much more information then they originally thought they knew. And when confronted with these new ideas and this new information, they author can then change their own views on what they believed or stood for before and then put the new discoveries they found and express it through their work. Creative nonfiction is something that I think everyone should do at least once in their writing career because it will help the author see who they are as a person and maybe something about them might cange and when this happens they can then apply that to their own works and be able to create new pieces with the information they now have and the person they’ve become. They can give brand new ideas to different readers.
ReplyDelete-Andrea Serrano
To me, nonfiction is something that every writer must be able to do, especially if you want to be a fiction writer because to me, a writer can take on what they have learned from real life and apply it to their own fictional writings. When reading the passage, what stood out to me were the elements because Starkey is expressing to writers that these are the different elements of what creative nonfiction actually is. The two that stood out most to me were the “Demands Self Discovery and Self Exploration” and “Requires a Personal Presence”. To me, these two elements are important because they are helping the writer fully understand what they are writing. When using creative nonfiction, the author must be able to show what they believe in, especially when they are writing about they either truly believe in or want to express something that no one in the world knows about them. Starkey also pointed out in the piece that “like a nature essay, essayists always insert themselves in some fashion in their own essays.” To me that is something that every writer should to when writing creative nonfiction because they are expressing something to the reader that shows a part of the author on who they are as a person and also what they stand with or against. Ten going on to self-exploration and self-discovery is another idea, especially when doing research on a creative nonfiction piece. When Starkey expressed, “essays all, even encourage, their authors to learn as they go,” this shows that the author, while writing the piece they are researching, they will discover who they are, not as a person, but their own beliefs and what they stand for when faced with a difficult topic/situation. The author would be able to explore the topic of their essay and be able to find out much more information then they originally thought they knew. And when confronted with these new ideas and this new information, they author can then change their own views on what they believed or stood for before and then put the new discoveries they found and express it through their work. Creative nonfiction is something that I think everyone should do at least once in their writing career because it will help the author see who they are as a person and maybe something about them might cange and when this happens they can then apply that to their own works and be able to create new pieces with the information they now have and the person they’ve become. They can give brand new ideas to different readers.
ReplyDelete-Andrea Serrano
I always thought that I was a fiction lover; I didn’t like reading the non-fiction required in class growing up. Now I can say writing and reading non-fiction is becoming my favorite form of creative writing. It is easier for me to express from experience or fact. Non-Fiction is not as boring as I thought it was. Montaigne wrote without being confined to rules. He would go, “from thought to thought, like a child who is chasing a butterfly.” Compared to his exact opposite, Bacon, Montaigne was a mess. Bacon followed strict rules. But, it makes so much sense that, “they should not be viewed as opposites.” It’s the opposites of their writing technic that draw us to write with the combination. I like the technic of braiding a subject and counter theme together in a writing piece. With these two you can keep the reader, as well as yourself the writer, intrigued to see the parallels and the tie in of what the machine or thing compares with in the narrative.
ReplyDelete“Tell the truth, even if it makes you wince.” Isn’t that the truth? It is so hard to share personal parts of our innermost thoughts, or things we might have done in the past. As writers we must share the things that make us cringe. Who knows who will be able to relate or who it may touch. Also, the truth is craved and makes a huge point and difference in a writer’s essay. Without these qualities the reader will not trust the writer. I know that when I read someone’s writing, I can always tell if its too far from the truth. The writer loses their connection to the story, it runs away from them and is no longer what they think, experienced, or are experiencing, its their fantasy that they add to the story thinking it will make it better.
Lastly as a writer we must write ourselves into our essay without overwhelming the reader with “I.” Balance the amount of stage time you have in your piece. Also, give your style of writing plenty of attention, with a beautiful style you can draw in a reader. I sometimes forget to have my style thought out or even let it be apparent. Sometimes I focus too much on words, the story content, and grammar and forget the creative part all together.
Claria Buddle
Starkey’s introduction to creative non-fiction is an interesting one. At first glance it appeared to me as an oxymoron, how could one write creatively about something that’s not falsified? But further reading lead to learning of Starkey’s true intentions of how emotions set into real word situations can lead into a creative writing process not justly recognized. As he states, “Creative nonfiction… brings artistry to information and actuality to imagination.” (Starkey 171)
ReplyDeleteIt’s almost common knowledge that literary fiction stems from some sort of personal truth on the behalf of the author. Starkey reinforces that notion utilizing the words of John T. Price, “Personal essays bring together the best of both poetry and fiction…” (Starkey 171)
Philip Lopate makes some interesting points as well, ones that I personally hold to high standards. One that stands out is the fact that a personal essay, as being discussed, brings out and pays attention to life’s often overlooked little details. When writing in depth, those things may seem unnecessary, a hindrance even, but I’ve come to learn some readers appreciate them.
Again, school conformity is brought to the forefront, or into the light as often times in a classroom setting, students are forced into writing about something they simply aren’t passionate about. It becomes a “grinding” process as stated in the book.
The 5 Rs of creative nonfiction are good principles for anyone starting out in that particular field. I specifically like the research bit. Before attempting to write anything, it’s imperative to have at the very least a simple understanding of what you’re writing about. Even if it’s a personal experience, researching others encounters will only enhance and amplify your own piece of work. And yes, it will make things that much more believable to your audience.
I’ve never understood, why grade school teachers forbade the word, “I”. Many of the best works of literature that I’ve read, fiction or nonfiction are told from the 1st person perspective.
It was interesting to note the bordering legal and moral lines that can often get crossed when unveiling creative nonfiction; perhaps, in the form of shedding unwanted light on a certain person.
The stories included in the reading, are all good in their own way. I particularly liked Rebecca McClanahan’s “Liferower”, possibly because it was the first and I had more stamina to get through that one without wandering too much.
Although I will admit to getting slightly lost in the transitions between the reality and what was seemingly fabricated by my mind.
Lucas Zamora
Writing a ten-minute play requires work and strategy. When reading the introduction it was obvious that the reading was for students. I felt like I was getting tips from my professor on how to effectively write a short play. I am currently a Junior in college and I was familiar with most of the tips because they have become common sense to me. For example like writing a play with purpose, creating realism in your stories, and having a beginning middle and end. I have only written one short play when I was attending South Texas College, and I enjoyed creating the dialog. Creating a setting in the beginning is important in order to have your readers understand the characters situation, especially in plays. My short play I wrote was only seven pages long, but I am sure it is not as great as these three plays I just read.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading “Sure Thing” by David Ives, I thought it was creative that he had a bell included throughout the dialog. The bell shows the audience that there is a redo in the conversations between the two characters. When reading the critique of this play, I would have never thought that the characters were meant to be together. It makes sense to have that much repetition in order to make a point across. When writing my first play I had a clear message across, but I would have enjoyed adding more creativity to my piece.
“Trying to Find Chinatown” David Henry Hwang writes about racism in an interesting realistic way. He makes this situation believable because the characters just ran into each other on the street. These two characters are both conflicting with one another, which is good to include in your essays to keep the audience engaged. I liked how Hwang had the characters interrupt each other because it made the conversation more believable.
Tina Howe wrote “The Divine Fallacy” I did not understand the title at first, but I looked it up and it is something that you do not understand so god must have created it. The girl does not believe she is beautiful but towards the end she is glowing with inner beauty. I enjoyed how Howe made the characters have two different conversations. I would have never thought to add dialog side by side one another as if they we talking at the same moment.
Bianca Salinas
In his chapter on creative nonfiction, Starkey elaborates on the art of planning and dissecting various elements that come in play as a writer begins his career. As a college student, I found it easy to relate to those students who feel obligated to turn in a paper, whether it be reflective, personal, or formal. However, Starkey dives deeper into the subject of nonfiction writing as he draws the reader into a journey of personal experience. What I found very interesting was how a writer’s experiences can really mold the writing. It is like the first chapter “On Creative Writing” when Starkey wrote that the author and his style are inseparable. Truly, each individual carries experiences unique to them that only that person felt. However, Starkey challenges the traditional cliches when it comes to creative nonfiction. In fact, he states“Good ideas are common; so are interesting experiences.” Nevertheless, “The challenge is to develop the germ of piece into something that is complete and resolved, and to do it in a few words.” If there is one thing I can take from this creative writing course is exactly this: whatever you write, make it unique.
ReplyDeleteAs Starkey develops his chapter, he equips the new writer with Gutkind’s 5 Rs of Creative Nonfiction and explains how a writer can incorporate real life experiences, reflections on a particular incident, research on the subject matter, reading, and riting. In the three works provided, I feel each followed the model effectively. The authors described in creative nonfiction offer their experiences on a sonogram visit, a classroom setting, and Doyle’s writing on a humming bird and a blue whale. As odd as each story appears, the authors were able to create a personal unique piece that did not rant about a superficial matter. I think one of the greatest characteristics about writing is to show your writing worthy of reading. By taking Starkey’s advice on putting a creative nonfiction piece together, a writer will be able to produce not just a technical paper, but one worth reading. As I continue my endeavors to pursue a career in English I hope I can implement the 5 R’s model in order to convey a meaningful message.
- Julio C. Manzano
The systematic approach which Starkey uses to explain the core fundamentals of creative writing is very well organized. Every key point is written as a lesson on its own, a lesson to expand on with practice. Of all the elements which he mentions in the book, the one that really struck me was the importance of honesty in writing. Throughout the read he insists on the reader/writer staying true to what it is she/he has experienced. In doing so, the reader has a better chance of engaging the reader and crafting a more relatable and complex story.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there is flexibility with how a writer presents the truth. There are many ways in which an experience of a particular character could be presented and therefore bending and playing on what is true or real.
As a student it has challenged how I present a story. I am accustomed to write in a way that is strictly in my perspective. That has changed and my current tendency is to explore the outskirts of my creativity by looking at different perspectives in the characters of my stories. I am not much of a writer but I do enjoy telling stories. Telling stories is different than writing them out. You have the advantage of the moment, gestures, timing, and reading a person(s).
It seems like the authors of the short stories manage to take an experience, make it believable and then expand on the characters themselves. And still, they capture the integrity of the moment and quality of a memory. It seems that research is the foundation to build a good story. Not just academic research but a true internal reflection of an occurrence in order to expand on. Brainstorming has taken a whole other meaning in my writing because it is something under my control and can be used as a tool to explore truth in my subconscious.
- Abran Garcia
After reading Creative nonfiction writing theory, I have come to realize and believe it is a great tool to evaluate situations, scenarios, and complications. When it comes to writing, one should be able to utilize creative ways of portraying the story. Or even simply telling the story straight out and simple, however making sure the reader is on the same page. The three models, were very clear, effective, also the examples and readings presented were explanatory. One should be aware of these tools and gain experience and knowledge on how to use them. What I mean is: being able to express, compare, and offer a good understanding to the reader of the situation or story. The reader has to understand the backbone of the story, and its surroundings. And I believe this is where the challenge to the writer comes in. There has to be creativeness which allows the reader expand towards the story. For the reader to be able to see on his own eyes, as well as other instincts, and formulate its own conclusions. In the reading News of the Wild, it is easy to read how it elaborates on the father, and also it is easy to see how the story appreciates nature. Joyas Voladoras, which translates to flying jewels, on the other hand seems as an informative essay about hummingbirds. It caught my attention on details about the nature of the animal, but eventually as you keep on reading, it takes you to reflect about life and the memories. It is a very simple analogy that towards the end shifts to express and make you feel that reality.
ReplyDeleteI usually am interested in the basic nature of living and function things, and the way they work. When Doyle elaborates on the nature of the heart of the hummingbird, and then compares it to a whale’s and other animals, but then twists it to something personal, deep and worthy of reflection, I thought it was a great piece, an awesome piece.
-Francisco J. Aboytes
Starkey’s introduction to creative nonfiction was easy enough to understand since it provided material already covered in traditional English courses. I really like that the author goes into detail and provides examples followed by his additional comments. I’m still not completely sure how I feel about this. I have this stubborn notion that writing should be expressive and in that same foundation, it should be wild. I like knowing about the rules and techniques of things but thinking about them always prevents me from writing what I want to write since I am so preoccupied trying to follow instructions. It’s a hard way to live but that’s just the way I do. I feel like a part of me dies trying to do what I am told. Yes, his explaining and examples are easy to follow but at what cost? Maybe I am being to dramatic but sometime one needs to let loose and just let creativity do its thing.
ReplyDeleteMaria Fajardo