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- Reading responses must be AT LEAST 200 words.
- Include your full name at the end of your comments. Unnamed comments will be deleted.
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- Reading responses are due Mondays and Wednesdays by midnight, no exceptions.
I personally like the fact that creative non-fiction is quite the opposite of what I previously thought it was. It focuses on the first-person narrative and telling the facts the way you remember them, which is very contradictive to the writing style most professors require. Additionally, my favorite writing style out of the three was Sedaris’ Jesus Shaves which resembled a storybook rather than a textbook approach, which I felt more with Doyle’s Jayas Valadores since he used facts such as the size of a hummingbird’s heart and the room-size heart of a whale. While both used different ways of telling a story or describing events, I felt that Sedaris’ style of writing creative non-fiction was much easier to understand and much more similar to the writing style that is used in children’s books with a direct sequence of events that transpires. McClanahan’s Liferower reminded me of a movie due to its back and forth nature when referring to rowing the boat simultaneously recounting her past and the child she aborted. Metaphors, similes, diction, sound, and rhythm can be great ways to make your writing better by making it flow and more interesting to read, comparable to writing poetry. When creating non-fiction, I found that it is important to tell your truths in a way that is factual and yet creative without making yourself sound egotistical.
ReplyDeleteAlyssa Campos
I noticed that creative non-fiction differs from your average required essay. The structure is different because in this type of writing you're telling truths, but at the same time keeping the reader entertained. I like that when writing creative non-fiction we can stray from the path and write for pleasure instead of appealing to certain tastes. Learning that dialogue can make a reader question the authenticity of the writing meant that there were certain risks to writing things that weren't classified as non-fiction. Many of the writings shown in this section included facts while adding a touch of their personal lives for better understanding. My two favorites in this section were the "Liferower" and "Jesus Shaves", these selections gave the reader imagery that helped us visualize their situations better. The way these authors organized their material made me feel some of the emotions that they explained. It seemed as if both "Liferower" and "Jesus Shaves" were written with completely different intents. McClanahan had more serious tones in her selection by mentioning her personal problems such as divorce, loneliness, and heart problems. While on the other hand, Sedaris added comedic dialogue to show how cultures each celebrate holidays in unique ways.
ReplyDeleteLianna Andrade
Before jumping into this chapter, I thought this was going to be a boring read. It was quite interesting. All my life, I believed that creative writing involved a writer just writing whatever he or she wanted to in a spur of the moment. It’s more concise and complex than that. I find it interesting that creative nonfiction has its own kind of structure to follow. Lee Gutkind wrote in his journal Creative Nonfiction, the “5 R’s” that creative nonfiction should consist of, which are: Real life, Reflection, Research, Reading, and Riting. I find that creative nonfiction writing would probably be the most interactive and easiest to write because it involves a writer using his or her personal experiences and the work reflecting the writers’ feelings, along with the rest of the “R’s” in the work. A lot of the writings that I read consist of all of those “R’s”. I specifically enjoyed reading “Liferower” by Rebecca McClanahan. I find this work to be relatable because I come from a family who has a long history of heart problems and I like to exercise to keep my heart healthy and strong. Therefore, I started to see myself as the main character and I feel as if that’s what creative nonfiction is supposed to be about; making the reader feel a connection with the authors feelings and the work itself.
ReplyDeleteIlene Guevara
I personally have always preferred reading/writing creative non-fiction pieces over a typically bland or boring essay. I feel that an assigned college essay truly restricts students to writing stiff papers on topics they more than likely don’t care too much about anyways. Creative non-fiction allows students to write on a topic but also add their own personality and flare to their work, making it more enjoyable for the student to write. Non-creative fiction can still be really focused and complex just like an essay but of course still just as completely different. Putting personal experiences into ones work and making it relatable for others is what draws readers in and that’s what Rebecca McClanahan did for me with “Liferower”. My family suffers from a history of Heart disease and I thought about my family extensively as I continued to read. I saw myself, my father and my cousin as the main character and that is what captivated me to the story. It made it easier to read but above all definitely more enjoyable. I believe that this further proves my point that Non-creative fiction can bring awareness and information on a topic while also being enjoyable and entertaining to an audience.
ReplyDeleteArianna Martinez
Growing up I always found myself shying away from non fiction books, because they appeared to be long, stagnant, and uninteresting. I never realized that creative nonfiction was a real genre, and I feel as I have deprived myself of so many great novels and short essays. From this reading, I learned that creative writing is way more complex than I initially thought of it to be. While the experience, or the event being presented is on hundred percent factual, the narrator is still allowed to add their personal style and twists to their writing. I think my favorite aspect of this, is the fact that the writers are allowed to be as flexible as they wish, this also includes being as vulnerable as they wish. I personally enjoyed reading Rebecca McClanahan’s piece “Liferower”, because she used powerful imagery to put her personal conflictions on display. McClanahan discussed various dark topics in such a poetic manner; it was a truly enjoying piece to read. McClanahan did not use traditional transition sentences, an attribute in which made her piece even more intriguing because it forced you to take a step back, to figure out what subject matter she was going to discuss. After reading, I discovered that this technique is called “anti-transition.” Upon reading the given models, all three shared the fact that each author adequately engaged their audience, and allowed them to connect or relate to their real life thoughts and experiences.
ReplyDeleteValerie Jackson
Something I truly enjoy about creative nonfiction is there is so much to do with it because it is entirely your own. There are so many different elements to it which help bring it to life. One of my favorite elements is being honest and truthful because whatever you display, readers will foresee it as true. If you tell honest stories, it is more appealing to read. Just allowing venerability to play as an element helps attract readers from all over and allows them to open up themselves and become invested. If you add yourself into the mix, it brings a better flavor to the story you’re trying to portray by writing in your opinions and perspective. I really loved all three of the examples, but I connected more with McClanahan’s “Liferower”.I did enjoy Doyle’s use of the hummingbird to further explain to be spontaneous. I enjoyed reading Sedaris’ use comedy to explain different cultural backgrounds coming together and having their differences make sense. There is something about “Liferower” that really makes me connect to it more than Doyle and Sedaris’ works. I really got the feel for the transitions from reality real time to flashbacks. It was interesting to see how easily distracted she was on the rower and comparing it to the heart. Especially the use of sound effects like “whoosh whoosh” to transition to a memory related to explaining heart chambers and new life being brought into the world.Her usage of such intense imagery going back and forth and finally coming to reality at the end and taking a halt just to finally breathe, or just watch someone else breathe after everything that just happened is something that made it all the more alluring to me.
ReplyDeleteFaith Ortiz
Nonfiction, oddly enough, is one of my favorite genres because it is one of the genres I first fell in love with as a budding reader throughout junior high and high school. This has slowly shifted into a love for creative nonfiction as I have come accustomed to the work of writers like Joan Didion and David Sedaris. Which was why it was so thrilling to see both of their names pop up in this chapter, nonetheless have a Sedaris essay be presented and analyzed. Overall, the idea of creative nonfiction, and this chapter’s breakdown of the genre, has inspired me to adapt my thoughts and life situations into a new approach of writing. I really enjoy the elements that go into producing this genre because the author is given an academic freedom in an otherwise loosely based essay format, but is not completely lost in the land of fiction either. Creative nonfiction is the literary personification of one’s own experience; a sharing of personal highs and/or lows in a way that intrigues the reader, but does not bore them with the idea of a mundane life story. Creative nonfiction is the recollection of a memory by giving it life through characterization and narrative. It is poetic in the way that it is presented through the expression of dialogue, imagery, and rhythm. In my opinion, the most touching of the three essays as well as the most fitting of the genre was McClanahan’s “Liferower.” Her writing was not only captivating, but it had what the textbook identifies as the braiding of different angles or viewpoints which keeps the reader interested and aware. The comparison of literary journalists and essayists was another factor I found to help conceptualize creative nonfiction because there are so many elements that the two have in common, and one might argue that they are building blocks of one another. Another of my favorite features about reading this chapter was the multitude of quotes and advice presented by the author from the genre’s leading essayists and genre enthusiasts like Lopate and Gutkind. I believe it will help as future reference when writing creative nonfiction.
ReplyDeleteKimberlee Salas
Before reading this chapter, I had clumped all of the nonfiction works together. Whether it was straight nonfiction or creative nonfiction, I thought it was going to be boring because of that one word: nonfiction. Creative nonfiction allows freedoms that wouldn’t really be given to authors of other essay formats, such as the encouragement of exploration and growing, the experimentation of structures, and the technical uses from both fiction and poetry. Creative nonfiction presents the truth and facts in a way that plays with the reader’s imagination. I wouldn’t be surprised if some readers even had to step back and double check the story’s genre because this specific type of storytelling is so open the author’s personal feelings as opposed to just handing out the facts. I think all three stories did a great job getting their respective information across, but while ‘Liferower’ by Rebecca McClanahan and ‘Joyas Voladoras’ by Brian Doyle used beautiful imagery to transport the reader into the words, ‘Jesus Shaves’ by David Sedaris was the most entertaining of the three. I will admit that I couldn’t lose myself as much to the middle story as I did the first and final. I believe that ‘Liferower’ and ‘Jesus Shaves’ showed two different sides of the mundane; the “darker” reality and the comedic moments that happen from day-to-day. Whether it’s handling a long standing heart condition or witnessing different cultures trying to explain one single holiday, there’s at least one moment where the reader can put themselves in the story.
ReplyDeleteTeresa Villarreal
Starkey's guidelines to creative non-fiction writing help the reader (and future creative non-fiction writer) have a better idea of what creative writing is. In addition, the short sections of works presented in the book help the reader gain a better feel for the style, rhythm, and diction which encompasses creative writing. To be truly candid, I wasn't too sure what creative writing entailed. However, I have gained a better understand as to how aspects of journalism, poetry and essays all merge together to produce a manner of writing which can be personal, thought provoking, and candid. As Starkey mentions, creative writing must have several aspects which must be taken into consideration. Is this work factual? Does this work effectively capture the attention of the reader though ideas such as a preside attention to details, diction, dialogue, and imagery? As a creative writer in non-fiction works, maintaining the truth, while editing away the parts which are not necessarily contributing to the themes of the work, is a job which can help prevent issues such as legal proceedings. In short, the work of a creative non fiction writer is not only to reflect, but rather to gather the information, research, and create a work which is both beautiful and captivating.
ReplyDeleteJose Montoya
Creative writing has a whole new meaning to me now, specifically creative nonfiction. Creative nonfiction writing is different than I thought it would be. It involves so much more than just thinking about something and writing it down. Creative nonfiction has to be factual and has to have a recurring theme, as well as great diction. It has to be brought to life and made to be understood using all of these elements. When I was younger, I did not like nonfiction books simply because they seemed so agonizingly long and unbearable. They never stood out to me. However, it is actually just so complex and way different than I ever thought it would be. The writer is able to add their own technique and style, while still telling the actual story. It’s like saying “based on a true story.” It’s almost like an essay, but without all the rules. It can bring in information, but in an interesting and different way that I actually really enjoy.
ReplyDeleteSidney Carranco
When I first heard of creative non-fiction, I had heard it from a parent explaining at the time that the movies say based on a true story, but the directors add a bit of a kick to make it less or more morbid, dramatic, or more captivating to the audience. Learning about creative non-fiction today taught me that there isn’t just one definition to it, but its simply a genre and there are several different songs (topics) under the genre of creative non-fiction. Creative non-fiction isn’t improvising because non-fiction is in the title, its all truth, how I see it, however, its exaggerating certain areas and focusing on a certain situation a little longer or not as long but enough to make it important because it is tied to something greater later in the story. All this must be taken into consideration just as Starkey stated, which is the main reason why people need to watch a movie twice to see all the hints and clues we missed while having no idea what was going to come of it. What I saw interesting and easy to remember was Lee Gutkind and his 5 R’s just like remembering the 5 W’s, it simply captivated my attention to discuss about. I also related to McClanahan’s work of art “Lifeower” because I literally felt that she is my spirit animal. Her vivid imagery is what had me hooked and a page turner, I would strive to write a piece such as hers. It was so realistic and truthful and personal that knowing its real is what’s more captivating. I enjoyed learning different ways of writings and learning that it’s so branched out that the creativity of making the truth more interesting surpassed the walls of the little knowledge I had on creative non-fiction.
ReplyDeleteStephanie Ruiz
Several chapters in, and I personally must confess - I have not completely read most of the content itself. Several times read, with the creative nonfiction bit inserted by the end of our short essay collection given, I see a familiarity with the subject discussed. I see it familiar with a book I once read - The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien - a book that employs its own style on creative nonfiction, in which while many of the events are fabricated, though they are told through a perspective of raw emotion. There are times where the author felt so responsible for his actions, so much he fabricates a half-truth or an entire lie; an instance told: the author discusses war, and one particular event where he called out the position of a lone enemy guerilla; the author felt responsible, for his actions had one of his troop members kill the man right there. The author feels so responsible, he tells this story truthfully sometime after stating he was the one who shot and killed the man himself. There is even several times where the author details a false background for this man, which came not just from guilt but from a need to rationalize this man's death - a need to make this man feel human - a need to make this man someone, not just a number.
ReplyDeleteOne might even up and employ the "sometimes the lie is more honest than the truth" line to describe such a style. It comes down to whether a story told is conveyed in a manner in which it is best told, or better told, for a matter of perspective shared is the very vehicle in which the author is capable of seeing to it that his readers relate to the subject spoken of. (And I share many words, both necessary and unnecessary, to convey my point.) On a whole basis, this creative nonfiction, is just a cut-and-filter approach on what points make best on the message to be sent; whether the message sent requests to omit its detracting parts or to better condense its message for the sake of succinct writing. These are few details to consider, and I don't quite think I've touched more than the surface at this point.
I'll say this: I plan to read more on the rest of the content I up and postponed. A lot of that has to do with guilt anyway, but I also think there's something interesting to learn with.
Gary Tolar
When I was younger I did not really read any non-fiction books because of the length. Part of me wanted the fiction so I could let my mind escape and I could create amazing sceneries with my imagination with that being said I did not expect this chapter to really interest me. I did read other works when required by professors but other than that I steered clear of non-fiction works. But this work by Rebecca McClanahan “Liferower” was really good to read and made me feel like I missed a good amount of reading because I did not want to read anything else. McClanahan had a way to keep me interested with the poetry provided it gave me an insight on how the works are made. Some do not use a traditional style of writing while some do. McClanahan was using a style called “anti-transition” which I enjoyed more opposed to other styles of works that were used. So in many ways having a non-fiction book does not mean that the stories would be bland and boring but insightful with educational which is helpful for the readers.
ReplyDeleteAndi Marie Rubalcava
The section from the reading titled “Telling the truth” stood out to me. In writing creative nonfiction, usually a look at an event in my own life, or a particular viewpoint on an occurrence, I have wondered to what extent I should tell the whole truth about a memory. The reading acknowledges that “memory is selective,” and while I have always thought my memory was better than most people’s, it is imperfect at best. Even supposing I remembered an event down to the minutest detail, I couldn’t possibly have seen what other witnesses standing at various lengths away might have seen.
ReplyDeleteThe allowance for personal perspective in creative license is broad, given that the “nonfiction” is not an outright fictional account (e.g. wild events that never took place). Within the framework of accurate reporting, I believe there is freedom in truth-telling, even as it “makes you wince,” (Laurie Lee Drummond, quoted in Starkey). A standing in truth – what really happened – is personally freeing: confessions about paths I chose in my life, whether they resulted in good things or not, reveals the whole picture of a life: ugly and diverting threads being woven into one beautiful piece. Be honest, and don’t make your story more or less “glamorous” than it is. An attention to details in the truth will make a story stand out in its own right.
Natalie Roeglin
I myself am no stranger to the idea that the arts are also a science. I understand that creative writing isn't simply throwing your words on paper any more than painting is just lathering oil on a canvas. The beauty comes from how you arrange the paints. In the same way, the beauty in creative writing is found in how carefully one chooses their words. There is, in fact, a method to the madness. So when reading through this introduction to creative writing, it was relieving to see lists and such elegant organization. I've never been one for writing myself, so lists that tell me exactly what to do make everything so much easier.
ReplyDeleteAs for the readings, they were interesting, though almost predictable. “Liferower” was very sad with the author mentioning all her family members who've passed because of their weak hearts. Because of that, I really enjoyed Joyas Voladoras more. I understand that her family’s poor heart is an essential part of the story, but I just personally prefer Doyle's approach to describing the heart, as he sees it more as a miracle, than a curse. Jesus Shaves was probably my least favorite. Not for religious reasons, I simply didn't care for the story. It was a little boring to me. As an avid Christian, I can't recall how many times people have reworded the story of the crucifiction to make it sound like something so ridiculous to believe in. I will admit I found it a little funny since it was relatable.
Ricardo Garcia