Creative Nonfiction

There are many ways to define the literary genre we call Creative Nonfiction. It is a genre that answers to many different names, depending on how it is packaged and who is doing the defining. Some of these names are: Literary Nonfiction; Narrative Nonfiction; Literary Journalism; Imaginative Nonfiction; Lyric Essay; Personal Essay; Personal Narrative; and Literary Memoir. Creative Nonfiction is even, sometimes, thought of as another way of writing fiction, because of the way writing about a subject inevitably changes the way we know a subject.
So, creative nonfiction is a form of non fiction writing based upon true events, but which places an emphasis on literary elements over the dry presentation of facts.

Creative nonfiction, a sub-genre within non-fiction, has become a fast growing and marketable genre with the successful rise of memoir writing. But how does creative nonfiction differ from standard non-fiction? And is creative nonfiction still writing based upon the truth for writers?





How Does Creative Nonfiction Differ From Nonfiction?

Most readers encounter non-fiction on a daily basis via traditional journalistic outlets, such as newspapers. In essence, non-fiction is any writing which uses real-world facts as its material, and non-fiction's focus is to clearly present such facts. Traditional journalism, technical textbooks, and academic works of any subject are good examples of non-fiction in its standard form.
Creative nonfiction, in contrast, places its focus on literary constructions and storytelling elements. Like a