Assignment
In addition to reading, discussing, and writing about the work of other American
nature/environmental writers, you will each produce your own creative/creative nonfiction piece.
Working off of the ideas and techniques that you have been developing in your field
observations, as well as through our reading and class discussion, you will produce a creative
nonfiction essay of 4-6 pages. Some approaches you may wish to consider:
- a personal essay relating an experience you had in nature or the outdoors, exploring the
topic through the lens of your own personal experiences, reflections, ideas, and reactions.
Remember that in writing creative nonfiction, you should attempt to observe, record, and
thus shape a moment from real life. Writers thus extract meaning through factual
details—they combine the fact of detail with the literary extrapolation necessary in
rendering meaning from an observed scene. - imitate the style of one of the authors we have read and write an essay based on your own
close, personal observations of a specific animal, plant, or natural physical object or of a
particular landscape or biotic environment, drawing connections between your physical
observations and insights you gain - develop a lyric essay based on one of the Field Observations that you conducted in class
(or on a new, original observation that you conduct for this assignment). A lyric essay
relies heavily on descriptions and imagery. Lyrical suggests something poetic, musical, or
flowing (in a sense). This type of piece uses a heavily descriptive, flowing tone in order
to tell a story. - Is there something we read or something you observed that has left you wanting to know
more? Write a journalistic piece investigating something that you read about in one of our
assigned texts or that you observed or speculated about in one of your Field
Observations. Creative nonfiction should (1) include accurate and well-researched
information, (2) hold the interest of the reader, and (3) potentially blur the realms of fact
and fiction in a pleasing, literary style (while remaining grounded in fact).
As one of the three formal writing assignments for this class, your creative nonfiction essay
should reflect a great deal of thought, revision, and care.
Please take some time to carefully read through all of the information below so that you have a
complete and detailed understanding of the assignment expectations and requirements.
Requirements: - Length: 4-6 pages (typed, double-spaced, 12-point font)
- Grammar, Usage & Mechanics: as a formal piece of writing, your essay should show
evidence of careful revision and have few if any errors in expression, usage, or mechanics - Writing Center or Smarthinking tutorial: You are required to make an appointment
for a tutorial session at either Caldwell University’s Writing Center or through
Smarthinking, the free online tutoring service available on Blackboard. You should bring
a rough draft with you for this session and/or upload it.
o You can access the Writing Center a variety of ways, including on the Portal:
https://my.caldwell.edu/ICS/Students/Online_Writing_Lab.jnz
o You can access Smarthinking on Blackboard
o Please make sure that your tutor sends me a confirmation that you met with
them
Due Dates:
o Writing Center or Smarthinking Tutorial: must complete by end of Unit 11
(11:59 PM on Friday)
o Final Draft: Due Unit 12 by Sunday at 11:59 PM
Resources: While you should use the texts that we have read in class as a model for this type of
writing, you may also wish to consult a reference on creative nonfiction. There are many useful
guides available in print or online (check with a librarian if you would like help in locating a
guide).
One online source that I would recommend is the UVM Writing Center’s page on creative
nonfiction (https://www.uvm.edu/wid/writingcenter/tutortips/nonfiction.html). Here are some
excerpts from this site:
What “is” creative non-fiction? - Sometimes called literary journalism or the literature of fact, creative nonfiction merges
the boundaries between literary art (fiction, poetry) and research nonfiction (statistical,
fact-filled, run of the mill journalism). It is writing composed of the real, or of facts, that
employs the same literary devices as fiction, such as setting, voice/tone, character
development, etc. This makes if different (more “creative”) than standard nonfiction
writing. - Creative nonfiction should (1) include accurate and well-researched information, (2) hold
the interest of the reader, and (3) potentially blur the realms of fact and fiction in a
pleasing, literary style (while remaining grounded in fact). - In the end, creative nonfiction can be as experimental as fiction—it just needs to be based
in the real.
Content of creative nonfiction: - It’s important to clarify that the content of creative nonfiction does not necessarily have to
come from the life or the experience of the writer. Say, for instance, the writer is using
techniques from literary journalism to create a portrait of a person interviewed. The
writer may choose to write a portrait of the interviewee through an omniscient
perspective, meaning the writer wouldn’t be in the piece at all. - On the other hand, nonfiction writers often choose to write about topics or people close to
them (including themselves). As long as the piece deals with something real, or
something based on the real, the writer is allowed to take the piece in any direction he or
she wishes. - In creative nonfiction, writers attempt to observe, record, and thus shape a moment(s)
from real life. Writers thus extract meaning through factual details—they combine the
fact of detail with the literary extrapolation necessary in rendering meaning from an
observed scene. - At the same time, successful creative nonfiction attempts to overlay fact with traditional
conceptions of dramatic structure. While rendering meaning from an observed scene, a
piece should suggest a beginning, middle and end that clearly conveys the conflict and
the characters and pushes the action toward some sort of closure. - In effect, creative nonfiction attempts to project a dramatic, literary framework upon
everyday existence, rendering it enjoyable, enlightening and potentially meaningful. - While writing creative nonfiction, writers should dwell on sensory details and “show
show show.” - A piece should never just tell the reader something or summarize—this is what research
non-fiction does.
Different “types” of creative non-fiction writing:
The Personal Essay:
A piece of writing, usually in the first person, that focuses on a topic through the lens of the
personal experience of the narrator. It can be narrative or non-narrative-it can tell a story in a
traditional way or improvise a new way for doing so. Ultimately, it should always be based on
true, personal experience.
Literary Journalism:
Literary journalism uses the techniques of journalism (such as interviews and reviews) in order
to look outside of the straightforward, objective world that journalism creates. It uses literary
practices to capture the scene/setting of the assignment or the persona of the person being
interviewed. It can often be narrative or heavily imagistic. Another important aspect of literary
journalism is that it often stretches the idea of “objective facts” in order to better reflect real life
and real people. In other words, while journalism is about being completely objective, literary
journalism says that people can’t be objective because they already have their own subjective
views about the world. Therefore, by taking the “objectiveness” out of the journalistic process,
the writer is being more truthful.
The Lyric Essay:
The lyric essay is similar to the personal essay in that it also deals with a topic that affects the
reader. However, the lyric essay relies heavily on descriptions and imagery. Lyrical suggests
something poetic, musical, or flowing (in a sense). This type of piece uses a heavily descriptive,
flowing tone in order to tell a story.
