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This particular blogger is wondering whether or not readers will choose to comment on this particular blog post because it doesn't contain images of celebrities or bash questionable things in American culture. She is also attempting to write a well-worded blog entry, but is finding it rather difficult, kudos to the many dramatically loud people on her dorm floor. It's almost as though they WANT everyone to hear their pointless conversations about what he said, that she said, that he said, that they said, that we all said.
Actually, I lied.
I'm actually typing up this entry in the university's music students' computer lab and I'm actually surrounded by a bunch of quiet music students working on composition projects.
So do you feel deceived, even by something as minute as a false detail about my location? Can you trust anything else I'm going to write here?
Or maybe I'm even lying about being in the music computer lab, however, this fact remains the same: I am writing this blog post and I found this particular way of opening my topic on the controversy over creative nonfiction could prove to be interesting. Or entertaining. Maybe both. That being said, I will continue to elaborate further upon this subject.
Or will I?
...Okay, okay...I will.
WHAT IS IT? :
Actually, prior to taking a Contemporary Issues course that had us attempt to write something in the genre of creative nonfiction, I would have probably told you there was no such thing if you suggested it to me. Creative nonfiction? Now that cannot be right. How can you even combine those two words into a sentence or genre name? Real stuff isn't any fun, so what's going on here? Are YOU the liar?
As Lee Gutkind suggests in his book "Keep It Real", creative nonfiction is the controversial genre of writing that can be defined as "the practice of writing nonfiction in a dramatic and imaginative way...[it is] to gather and present information, to teach readers about a person, place, idea, or situation, combining the creativity of the artistic experience..." (Gutkind 18-19).
The reason why this type of writing is so controversial, as I suggested above, is because a reader cannot be entirely sure if what they're reading is entirely true. Yes, in creative nonfiction you need to be honest and as true to the core, but you are also given the freedom to cross between the boundaries of such constricted writing like journalism and fiction writing. With this freedom, writers are allowed to relay their feelings and responses about a subject, well, just as long as they aren't being narcissistic.Writers are also allowed to use various fiction techniques in their nonfiction pieces.
JESSICA SAYS :
In the Issues class, I honestly despised the assignment on this genre. I don't even remember what I wrote about. I could not grasp nor appreciate the concept of combining nonfiction with fiction-like qualities. Now in my Advanced Composition class, I seem to hate it infinitely less. Perhaps it is because it is controversial and I like that. It is like cheating, but you can't really get in trouble unless you majorly screw up or stretch the truth to an unrealistic degree. I never liked the box I was ensnared in when it came to journalistic writing, but I did understand that with that, it was about what had to be done, had to be done. Actually, I seem to have done rather well on such emotionless articles because I didn't have to care. (I am a good student, I promise...!). I didn't have to pour my heart into a piece. It wasn't about me. It wasn't about how I felt. I was just a robotic fact-regurgitating machine whose feelings were not a requirement on the syllabus.
And although I enjoy scraping out the fictional ideas from the corners of my mind, I will say that I don't entirely hate writing about things that actually happened. Now is actually my opportunity to be able to blur the two genres together. This could prove to be fun, what with weaving my own style of fiction writing into a story of mostly-reality.
But would you believe me? Have you even believed a word I have written here ever since I lied within the first few seconds of your time reading this post?
TO THE READERS :
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Actually, prior to taking a Contemporary Issues course that had us attempt to write something in the genre of creative nonfiction, I would have probably told you there was no such thing if you suggested it to me. Creative nonfiction? Now that cannot be right. How can you even combine those two words into a sentence or genre name? Real stuff isn't any fun, so what's going on here? Are YOU the liar?
As Lee Gutkind suggests in his book "Keep It Real", creative nonfiction is the controversial genre of writing that can be defined as "the practice of writing nonfiction in a dramatic and imaginative way...[it is] to gather and present information, to teach readers about a person, place, idea, or situation, combining the creativity of the artistic experience..." (Gutkind 18-19).
The reason why this type of writing is so controversial, as I suggested above, is because a reader cannot be entirely sure if what they're reading is entirely true. Yes, in creative nonfiction you need to be honest and as true to the core, but you are also given the freedom to cross between the boundaries of such constricted writing like journalism and fiction writing. With this freedom, writers are allowed to relay their feelings and responses about a subject, well, just as long as they aren't being narcissistic.Writers are also allowed to use various fiction techniques in their nonfiction pieces.
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In the Issues class, I honestly despised the assignment on this genre. I don't even remember what I wrote about. I could not grasp nor appreciate the concept of combining nonfiction with fiction-like qualities. Now in my Advanced Composition class, I seem to hate it infinitely less. Perhaps it is because it is controversial and I like that. It is like cheating, but you can't really get in trouble unless you majorly screw up or stretch the truth to an unrealistic degree. I never liked the box I was ensnared in when it came to journalistic writing, but I did understand that with that, it was about what had to be done, had to be done. Actually, I seem to have done rather well on such emotionless articles because I didn't have to care. (I am a good student, I promise...!). I didn't have to pour my heart into a piece. It wasn't about me. It wasn't about how I felt. I was just a robotic fact-regurgitating machine whose feelings were not a requirement on the syllabus.
And although I enjoy scraping out the fictional ideas from the corners of my mind, I will say that I don't entirely hate writing about things that actually happened. Now is actually my opportunity to be able to blur the two genres together. This could prove to be fun, what with weaving my own style of fiction writing into a story of mostly-reality.
But would you believe me? Have you even believed a word I have written here ever since I lied within the first few seconds of your time reading this post?
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- Can you believe any writer who may fabricate a few things in his or her story for an effect without damaging the core of truth within?
- If you found out that the author of a book about his troubled life made up the majority of what supposedly happened, how would you react?
- What would happen if those on the polar opposites of the spectrum here all decided to gather in the gray area? Would anyone be able to trust any source entirely?
~xxj
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9 comments:
Very interesting. The first two paragraphs really got my attention and made me wonder about the validity of the things I read. I belive that facts should be presented as so, nothing more nothing less. Not everything has to be made more interesting for the reader in order to sell more copies.
By the way, nice use of the troll face.
Gables,
I'm happy that my intro really got your attention. And although I'm still learning about these writers and their genre, I'm not entirely sure if the reader would not be informed if they are or aren't writers of this genre. So I don't know if we aren't being told if some things are exaggerated or fabricated, but I'm sure I'll learn that soon. And very interesting perspective, in regards to things being made more interesting to sell copies. I didn't even write about that perspective here.
And thank you kindly. The first picture is actually an animated GIF that's rather funny.
I think you just volunteered to lead discussion today. :)
So I might be sick and may have to skip! :P just kidding. I will do my best! :)
~xxj
I've never been a fan of writing creative non-fiction. There's too many risks and for a writer it would be easy to wreck one's career with a simple mistake. It's easy for authors to exaggerate experiences and/or blatantly lie to their readers; I don't feel there's any justification for making something up.
This form is like saying the writing is based on a piece of work having little to nothing dealing with the source material. Movies do it all time, look at "Harry Potter," but is it right to mess with the accuracy of a story? Definitely not.
I feel that creative non-fiction is a dangerous form of writing. If someone wants to write about an experience, then he or she should stick to the facts. There are other ways to make one's work stand out without resorting to this form.
Actually, Mike, the genre does ideally represent the facts accurately, but with the narrative flourishes and tools of the fiction writer. However, the genre gets a bad rap because of its boundary-crossing ways. (And because writers like James Frey make stuff up and claim it's true when it isn't.) You should try reading some delightfully true and compelling CNF essays - for instance, those found in The New Kings of Nonfiction - or the collection of essays we're reading in our class, In Fact - great stories, wonderfully written, all true. ;)
Mike Rolland,
I was actually going to respond with something similar to what Dr. Morris said. I was more or less poking fun at this genre for the irony and sarcasm. I think you may get more of an understanding of CNF writings if you looked into some other publications. Some are actually very good. They make factual information an interesting read.
Dr. Morris,
I like the essays in In Fact! ;P
~xxj
As somebody who has been on the internet for more then ten minutes and has a functioning brain, I can say that no, I trust nothing I read on the internet at first.
It's not a matter of having trust issues, it's knowing what the internet is. A place where everyone in the world is able to say whatever they want, however they want, and most will stop at nothing to say the most absurd thing to get their time in the light.
Anonymous,
All right, well I don't think you understand this blog post, either. Creative nonfiction isn't just a form of internet writing. It's more than that. Perhaps research what it is and you will understand this post and my humor within it.
However, good for you to not trust everything you read on the internet. I do the same.
~xxj
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