Comm 11 – Advanced College Writing

2nd Semester, AY 2020-2021

Module 3: Creative Nonfiction (1 week)

Objectives: At the end of the module, you should be able to:

1. develop a thorough understanding and appreciation of creative nonfiction as a writing
style/genre;
2. write a creative nonfiction profile.
Activity 3.1. FORUM:
On the designated Padlet wall for your class, write a brief self-introduction with the following
content: (1) Name, (2) Course and Year, (3) Interests/Hobbies, (4) Fun Fact about yourself (5)
Link to your UPBVLE profile. You are encouraged to add a photo of yourself on your Padlet post.
You and your classmates will be able to see each other’s post here, which will be your jump off
point Activity 3.4. (Not graded)
I. What is Creative Nonfiction?
Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo provides a good introduction to creative nonfiction in her book
Creative Nonfiction: A Reader (2003). Key points are outlined below.
● CNF combines the authority of literature and the authority of fact...it demands
spontaneity and an imaginative approach, while remaining true to the validity and
integrity of the information it contains.
● CNF differs from fiction because it is necessarily and scrupulously accurate in the
presentation of information, a teaching element to the readers, is paramount.
● CNF is different from traditional reportage, however, because balance is unnecessary
and subjectivity is not only permitted but encouraged.
● The writer of CNF may not alter facts in the interest of improving his story.
● He must not deliberately misquote his sources, misconstrue their statements, or mislead
his readers.
● He is expected to write compelling stories about real life, and in doing so he must employ
all devices and strategies available to the fictionist.
● Sometimes this involves imagining scenes or even conversations that did not actually
happen.
● This is tricky ground and the writer would be well advised to tread softly here.
● For more information, read this overview from Purdue University:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/creative_writing/creative_nonfic
tion/index.html
II. Types of CNF
Pantoja-Hidalgo (2003) describes the following types of creative nonfiction:
● The term CNF covers quite a large field. At one end of the spectrum would be literary
journalism—writing in a personal way about the facts in a news event—which is still close
to traditional reportage. At the other end is the literary memoir, what Annie Dillard
 (1995) referred to when she said that “works of non-fiction can be coherent handcrafted
works of literature.”
● “Essay” and “article” are often used interchangeably. But the term “article” usually refers
to a “feature” in a magazine or newspaper or e-zine.
● A profile is an in-depth article or essay that concentrates on one person or place.
● Literary journalism or new journalism is writing in a personal way about the facts in a
news event.
● Personal narratives or “life stories” include autobiographical narratives like memoirs,
travel narratives, journals etc.; and biographical narratives like character sketches and
interview stories.
● The University of Vermont’s Writing Center also outlines the types of creative nonfiction
on this webpage: https://www.uvm.edu/wid/writingcenter/tutortips/nonfiction.html
III. Strategies of CNF
Lastly, Pantoja-Hidalgo (2003) also gives some tips for writing creative nonfiction:
● A good piece of CNF has a personal voice, a clearly defined point of view, which will
reveal itself in the tone, and be presented through scene, summary and description, as it
is in fiction.
● All its strategies are designed to reach out to the readers and draw them in without losing
track of facts.

Activity 3.1. Watch. Watch this short video on strategies for reading and writing creative
nonfiction. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsqWCkmEEBk

Activity 3.2. Read. As we will be focusing on how to write the profile in this unit, read the
following to help you prepare for this assignment. We advise you to use the rhetorical analysis
format given in the previous module for practice.
“Writing Creative Nonfiction: The Profile/Biography Sketch” by Dave Hood
https://davehood59.wordpress.com/2013/08/02/writing-creative-nonfiction-the-
profilebiography-sketch/
“Joey ‘Pepe” Smith” by Mark Gatela in Creative Nonfiction: A Reader (2003, 87-89)

Activity 3.4. 1ST PAPER. Writing Creative Nonfiction: A Profile (80 pts)
Write a 500-word profile of one of your classmates. You may choose whom to write about from
your entries in Activity 3.1. Remember to apply what you have read and watched in this unit.
Refer to grading rubric for the evaluation of your work.
Deadline of Paper: 27 April 2021, 12:00 noon
*Upload pdf file in the submission portal

(Rubric adapted from https://www.tpsnva.org/tcm/3409_rubric.pdf)

 Rubric for Creative Nonfiction Paper (Profile) – 80 points

Poor (5) Fair (10) Good (15) Great (20)

Content: Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrates

little knowledge some gaps in good excellent
How well do you or understanding. understanding understanding
know your understanding Includes some of important of person’s life.
classmate? What of the person. factual errors ideas and Highlights
have you learned Does not and events in relevant and
about this person? discuss misconceptions. person’s life. interesting
interesting Attempts to Discusses information
qualities and discuss relevant mostly about the
relevant and interesting interesting and person.
information on information. relevant
the person. information.
Written work is
merely a
rewriting of
facts.

Organization: There does not Introduction and Good Introduction

seem to be an conclusion are introduction and conclusion
Is your essay well- organizational present but not and are strong and
organized? Does plan. Ideas complete. An conclusion. engaging.
your beginning seem jumbled organizational Information is Information is
paragraph draw the and plan is event, but presented in a presented in a
reader in? Does disconnected. some ideas are logical order. logical and
your final presented out of Uses adequate interesting
paragraph order. Attempts transitions order. Ideas flow
summarize what is to use between ideas. well.
important to know transitions.
about this person?

Supporting Details: Does not use Uses some Develops ideas Develops ideas
relevant examples and using some fully using
Do you use details examples or explanations to examples, appropriate and
and examples from explanations to express ideas. details, and relevant
the person’s life to elaborate on the May include explanations. examples,
help the reader topic. some examples reasons, details,
 really get to know that are not explanations,
this person? relevant to the and
topic. generalizations.

Mechanics/Usage: Many errors Contains many Several Contains few

make errors which do grammatical or grammatical or
Have you comprehension not interfere spelling errors. spelling errors.
proofread your difficult or with Attempts to Uses varied
essay? Did you vary impossible. No comprehension. vary sentence sentence
your sentence attempt to vary Little attempt to structure. Uses structure. Uses
structure? Did you sentence vary sentence some strong,
choose the most structure or structure or descriptive descriptive
appropriate words make good word word choice. language. language.
to communicate choices.
your ideas?

VI. Suggested Reading

If you want to know more about CNF, click on this link.
https://www.fcusd.org/cms/lib/CA01001934/Centricity/Domain/3762/Writing%20Creative
%20Non%20Fiction.pdf

-End of Module 3-

References:
Hidalgo, Cristina Pantoja. 2003. Creative Nonfiction: A Reader. QC: UP Press.
Tuttle, Patty. 2005. “Writing a Biographical Essay Rubric.” Accessed February 16, 2021.
https://www.tpsnva.org/tcm/3409_rubric.pdf
Mazzeo, Tilar J. 2012. Writing Nonfiction: Course Guidebook. Chantilly: The Great Courses
https://www.fcusd.org/cms/lib/CA01001934/Centricity/Domain/3762/Writing
%20Creative%20Non%20Fiction.pdf
Purdue Online Writing Lab. n.d. “Creative Nonfiction: An Overview.” Accessed February 18,
2021.https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/creative_writing/creative_n
onfiction/index.html
The University of Vermont. n. d. “Creative Non-Fiction.” Accessed February 18, 2021.
https://www.uvm.edu/wid/writingcenter/tutortips/nonfiction.html