Creative Nonfiction is a sub-genre of nonfiction

Less than two years ago, I was a die-hard fiction girl through-and-through, and the more literary, the better. I felt cursed with my poetic ease. I wanted to write novels. I wouldn’t have believed it if you told me I’d become a fountain spouting creative nonfiction. But I have.

Sure, I knew about nonfiction, but I really didn’t think writing about my life would be very fun. Whenever I tried to write about anything serious and true, it turned poetic and intense. (I’ve since learned that I tend to write lyrically.) I couldn’t help playing with the words and images that crammed out of my head all at once. I truly felt cursed.

So, one day I wrote a piece, and instead of stopping and assuming it would be a poem, I just let the images come and I wrote them down. It was nonfiction, but it was nothing like the memoir or autobiography I’ve read. I still had no idea nonfiction could also be creative.

This piece morphed and became something I so mysterious to me, but I thought it was pretty good. I did some research and learned about “creative” nonfiction. I knew I’d found my niche. “The Gods, Looking Down” was a breakthrough for me. It was published in issue 64 of filling Station, one of Canada’s best experimental writing journals. I’m so happy I let the pen take control. Reading it will give you an idea of what creative nonfiction can be if you push at the limits.

Flash CNF

Anyone interested in exploring creative nonfiction MUST read The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction by Dinty Moore. I came across flash fiction about a year and a half ago and was quite taken with it. My first flash fiction piece made the short list with Geist and I was sold on the form. Until this book, I hadn’t thought of trying my hand at flash NONfiction!

I was impressed with this “field guide.” I have underlined important parts, made some notes and earmarked pages to return to. The book is well-organized and written in short, digestible snippets. Of course, some of the chapters are more useful to me than they might be for you and vice versa, but a little review is always a good reminder. I appreciate the sample essays that end each chapter and got some new ideas from the suggested writing prompts/activities.

There is something for everyone in The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction. I wish this had been the textbook used in the short class I took on writing nonfiction.

Pass this on to anyone who might be interested in going beyond memoir or autobiography.

Cheers.

** You can read my review of The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction here.