| I recently wrote an article, Writing Naturally wherein | | | | story to a particular viewpoint. You want to provide |
| someone commented that they liked the article for | | | | your readers as much as possible with a 360-degree |
| fiction, but how could one apply these same | | | | view of what you're writing about. |
| techniques to nonfiction. | | | | Use your viewpoint characters creatively. |
| Creative nonfiction is a compilation of facts about a | | | | If your nonfiction piece involves interviews - let your |
| particular subject or event and may include interviews | | | | interviewees or characters describe the scenes for |
| and more than one side or viewpoint of the subject or | | | | you. Get them to tell you in their own words, what |
| event. The writing down of facts can be particularly | | | | they saw, what they felt, what they touched with their |
| boring. You surely cannot input your personal opinion | | | | five senses and bring it into your piece. |
| into this type of piece if you're not writing an op-ed | | | | People, when they talk naturally, can be quite eloquent |
| piece. So how to you keep you readers involved and | | | | sometimes. Use it. Use it all. |
| moving through the story? | | | | In the mountain ranges along the Merced River on the |
| A nonfiction piece is written in much the same manner | | | | way to Yosemite, one year we had one hell of a fire. |
| as a fiction piece, only the facts are not made up. So | | | | This fire called for the use of the big bombers, |
| how do you bring in the creativity? | | | | helicopters, walking fire crews and teams from the |
| Good nonfiction writing incorporates vivid imagery and | | | | Youth Authority. Firefighters make good use of words |
| description. | | | | in their descriptions, which add the depth and the |
| One of the most boring news pieces in a weekly | | | | intensity that you would need in this kind of story. |
| newspaper setting involves reporting Planning | | | | I could feel the hair on the back of my neck sizzle, said |
| Department business or events; yet growth, new | | | | firefighter Joe Blow, and I knew something bad was |
| development and the building of a large new shopping | | | | about to happen. Sure enough, not 100 feet from |
| center in town, was definitely of interest to the locals. | | | | where my crew was cutting a fire line, all the trees |
| One reporter that worked at the Mariposa Gazette | | | | along the top ridge exploded. |
| and Miner used this as a lead into a story about new | | | | And you don't necessarily want to clean up your |
| development: | | | | quotes from these type of interviewees. Their |
| "The Sugar Tree Shopping Center crossed a paper | | | | particular syntax adds color and flavor to your piece |
| bridge today and moved closer to its initial | | | | and puts the reader right into the story. |
| groundbreaking. The Planning Commission, in a 5-0 | | | | Use your own viewpoint for description |
| vote..." | | | | One mistake that writers make is that they think that |
| Without having to repeat the boring stuff said in one of | | | | their own creative description of the scene is not |
| these meetings, the reporter let everyone know up | | | | allowed in nonfiction writing. Not true. Remember earlier |
| front that movement was occurring on this project as | | | | where we discussed that you were the eyes, ears, |
| well as informing them that some of the processes | | | | and etc., of your reader? This is a fact. Your |
| were being accomplished. | | | | experience at the scene is valid to print. |
| As a reporter, you are the eyes, the ears, the nose, | | | | The burnt timbers cast skeleton shadows in the early |
| the mouth and the hands and feet of the people who | | | | morning sun. Earlene and Bill Jones woke up to nothing |
| are reading your stories. You are the one to provide | | | | more than smoke and ash. Firefighters from four |
| them with an awareness of your subject through | | | | precincts were called out on this 3-alarm blaze just |
| these senses. You tell them what you see, hear, smell, | | | | past midnight, but by then, according to eye witnesses, |
| taste and touch. This will bring more creativity into your | | | | the house was already lost. . . |
| nonfiction article without taking away from the factual | | | | This is just an example of using the visual sense in |
| basis or the truth of it. | | | | describing the event of a house burning. Use |
| Nonfiction simply means that the events as written are | | | | metaphors, allegories and whatever else strikes your |
| real. The piece is totally fact-based. But it doesn't mean | | | | fancy when writing nonfiction. |
| you can't be creative in your description of these facts. | | | | Remember - just because you're not creating the |
| You just can't be creative with the facts, nor slant the | | | | facts doesn't mean you can't be creative. |