What Is Creative Nonfiction?

The picture above is exactly what might be the motivation for a creative nonfiction story. This picture was taken a few years ago in South Africa at a game reserve farm. Samantha and Jonathan are grandchildren of a close friend of mine and the baby elephant was born on the property. The children live on the game reserve farm and have access to many animals that we would not think of being so close to. Here's another one of Sam holding a new tiger cub.

You could write a factual article about life on a game reserve farm or you could add something to it to make the story more interesting to the reader. Certain topics would work best in the factual nonfiction category but many can be done in this more creative style.

How does creative nonfiction differ from plain, ordinary nonfiction? It tells us a story that is true. Nothing in it can be made up. It really happened. The writer must take all the facts and weave them into a story that reads

like fiction. It should have a beginning, middle and ending. It should use the techniques of writing fiction, like sensory details and showing rather than only telling or 'reporting' what occurred.

There has been an increasing interest in creative nonfiction. Look at the many anthology series that have become popular, Chicken Soup for the Soul is one of the best known. All the stories in its multiple books are classified as creative nonfiction. If they had a book theme on Unusual Pets, the children and animals in these two pictures would qualify as a great true but unusual story. The writer could tell about the children waiting for the birth of the baby elephant whose mother is named Three. And how about that tiger cub Sam is holding the same as most girls might hold a new puppy? There has to be a good story to be related in that scene.

Creative nonfiction can often be found in magazines and even some newspapers. Memoirs might also be classified as creative nonfiction. 

Have you tried your hand at writing creative nonfiction? If you've written a family story about someone or something that happened in your family, whether present day or long ago, you're writing in this genre. List a bunch of facts and figures and leave out the story line, and you're writing strictly nonfiction. A report on a country or an economic situation would qualify here. But if you give us that report on a country by telling a true story about someone who traveled there and what happened, it's creative nonfiction. 

Use a search engine to find detailed articles on writing good creative nonfiction. I probably write more of this type of story than any other. Have you tried it? If not, give it whirl. You may find a whole new category for your writing skills. The important thing to remember is that it must actually have happened. No make-believe.

The Waiting Game

Several weeks ago, the publishers of the Not Your Mother's Book... series sent out a call that more stories were needed for their book about being a mom. The deadline for submissions had passed but they were not pleased with the number of stories that fit their specifications for the book. They needed more to select from. 

I admire a publisher who will extend a deadline so that they can have a certain quality story in the book from cover to cover. It's been a long time since I was raising kids but I started pondering on those earlier years to see if I had anything that might be turned into a piece of creative nonfiction to submit. Sure enough, I thought about a time in my son's life when I thought he needed to learn about how babies are created. You know what I mean---sex! It was a rather amusing story and definitely shed light on being a mom.

So, I wrote the story, let it simmer a few days, then rewrote and polished it up. I sent it to the publisher and began the inevitable waiting game. But in less than a month I received word that my story and 15 others that were sent in on that late call had made the finals. It does mean more waiting to see if the story makes that final leap into the book or not, but even so, this is far shorter a period of waiting than is usually the case.

It's that seemingly endless waiting that drives most writers crazy. They've worked hard on the story and they want to know if it is going to be published or returned with a So sorry but your story does not work for us letter or even never hearing one way or the other. I much prefer receiving that rejection letter than to be left hanging--not knowing. For one thing, the writer has no idea when the publisher has acquired the set number of stories to use. It could be 2 months, 6 months or close to a year. I'd rather know that my story didn't make it so that I can send it somewhere else. This has always been a gripe of mine. Editors will always say that they just don't have time to send out the rejections. 

I know that time is often our enemy, but it seems to me that they could have a form letter that needs only the address put in before sending. Would that be so hard? For some, it apparently is because they continue the practice of notifying only those writers whose story they plan to use.

You who read this blog regularly know that patience is one of my keywords for writers. Use patience when an extended period of waiting to hear about the precious jewel you submitted is part of your life. I must admit that I have learned to be more patient than I was in the early years of my writing. It was that or go cuckoo.

One other thing I learned early-on was to send the story, then move on to the next story you want to write. Work on it, send it in and start the process all over again. You can't sit and wait to hear about that first one. Keep the ferris wheel of submissions moving at all times. On those occasions when you receive an acceptance, it will be a wonderful surprise. So be a writer but know that you must play the waiting game.

Why You Should Hug A Writer

I saw a quote by Winston Churchill at The Writers Circle this morning that runs in the same vein as the poster above. Sir Winston once said:

“Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with it is a toy and an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, then it becomes a master, then it becomes a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster and fling him to the public.” 
- Winston Churchill

Anyone who has ever tried to write a book would probably be able to relate to what the famed British statesman said. Even short stories, essays, articles, creative nonfiction--whatever needs a writer to be born--is proof of what American author, Nathaniel Hawthorne said. Interesting sidelight that they printed his rather significant birthdate on the poster. 

The EASY reading part caught my eye first and the thought came that most readers who have that easy reading in a well-written novel or any other piece of writing most likely never give a thought to the writing. I do, but that's because I am a writer and I admire anyone who can hone the skill well enough to give me, the reader, an easy read. I'd bet that most other writers also have a deeper appreciation of something they read that is a good read. They know what it takes to achieve that smooth flowing piece of prose. They know the proverbial 'blood, sweat, and tears' that go into the writing that can be assessed as GOOD.

Next time you read a novel you truly enjoy, give some thought to the writer. He/she may have lain awake many nights working on a plot, might have agonized over a decision as to what should happen to a beloved character, could have spent hours researching something that has only a minor place in the book but is monumental in the story itself. 

Readers may love a book but writers admire he/she who wrote the book even more. If you see a writer today, you might consider giving him/her a hug. 

Stress or Dessert--Which One Do You Choose?

From the Mad Hatter Tea Room

I loved this poster, for what better remedy for stress can there be than having some dessert? No matter how we'd all like that to be true, we know it's not the best way to treat our stress. Still, I do love desserts!

Writers deal with stress on a regular basis. Deadlines, writers block, lack of motivation, running out of story ideas, rejections, the exceedingly long wait between submission and hearing from an editor--the list goes on and on. 

I think that there are times when we create our own stress, or when we take a seedling of stress and nourish it with our fears until it grows like Jack's beanstalk. That long waiting period after a submission? There's where we can invent more scenarios than fans at a football game. We invent reasons when we haven't heard about our submission. We don't practice one of my keywords in the writing world--patience. If you're an impatient person--and I speak from great experience here--work on acquiring a more patient nature. If you don't, you're going to dish up more stress than you might be able to handle. 

How about those deadlines? Fritter away your time and suddenly the date looms far too close. The next thing you know, you're lying awake nights thinking about it, your mind goes blank when you try to do the project in too little time, your stomach hurts every time you look at the calendar. The easy cure here is to start working on a project soon after you receive an assignment or a call for submissions. Give yourself time to write a first draft, make revisions, then polish before you must send it flying through cyberspace to an editor's desk.

Lack of motivation can bring stress into a writer's life along with running out of story ideas. I've found the best way to address those things is to get away from writing for a short period. Go for a long walk. Go to the mall and window shop. Fix a picnic lunch and visit a scenic area nearby. And when you do those things, use your writer's eye. Before you know it, you'll see something that will spark an idea for an article, essay or story. It's more helpful than sitting in front of a computer screen with a blank Word document and staring at it in hopes that the words will magically appear. 

How about the stress that comes with those rotten rejections? Who creates that stress? We do, of course. Instead of dwelling on the negative side here, start checking for another editor to send your submission to. Don't forget that there are many reasons a piece is rejected. Only one reason is a poorly written story. Others are out of the writer's control. So, ditch the dessert and the stress and move on.

How do you handle the stress in your writing life? You don't have any? Sure you do. We all do. Take a step back and assess you and stress. Ask yourself if you create some of it yourself. Next question to put to yourself is What do I do when stress moves into my writing life? If you answer honestly, you may gain some insight in how to handle it with or without eating that extra dessert. 

Writing Conferences Are Inspiring

Those who are serious about being a writer should consider attending a writers’ conference. It’s a place to learn more about the craft of writing and to network with other writers. These meetings are open to anyone who is willing to pay the fee. A few are even free. There is no ‘good writer, published writer’ qualification in most of these conferences. They are for all who are interested, no matter whether beginner or pro.

Some are one day and others last a full week. Enter keywords like Writers’ Conference into a search engine and see what you come up with. Refine the search by limiting it to your own geographical area which would keep cost down. Many community colleges, junior colleges and universities sponsor writing workshops, seminars, or conferences. State author conventions offer workshops and often being  published is not a prerequisite to becoming a member and/or attendee. 

I’ve attended a retreat/conference that my online writers critique group sponsored several times but that first one is memorable, mostly because it was filled with treasures for this writer. I’ve known many of the women in the group for years but had never met them in person. Plans for the event went on for close to a year, and we all had to commit early on as a down payment was necessary to hold the meeting site. This one required airfare, lodging and food cost. A regional park near Washington, D.C. proved the most affordable and also offered a lovely wooded area with furnished cabins on the banks of the Potomac River. Regular readers of this blog have heard about the various conferences I've attended here.

That first time, twenty-five women from around the globe traveled to the conference site. Most were from around the USA, a few from Canada, one from Shanghai, one from Belgium, and yet another from Italy. Several in the group gave presentations on various aspects of writing, and we had three outside professionals speak to us, as well. One was a freelance writer who publishes in top magazines around the world. The owner of a literary agency spoke, and then she sat back and listened as one of our members gave a pitch on a nonfiction book she’s written. The agent liked what she heard and invited the writer to send a written proposal and the first three chapters. The third professional speaker opened the door to the world of poetry. She left many of us eager to try our hand at more poems.

Over lunches and dinners, all prepared by a marvelous cook from Mississippi, who also happened to be a Microsoft specialist and one of our presenters, we networked, compared stories of publishing nightmares and successes, and encouraged one another in whatever way we could. Besides all that, we just plain had fun.

I came home so inspired and eager to write all the things I’d thought about as I heard one speaker after another. The bond we had created over the years in our online group was cemented for good after our face to face meeting.

I highly recommend that each and every one of you look for a writers’ conference of some kind. Start with a one day meeting, then move on to one that meets two or three days. Spread your wings and consider a full week somewhere. If you attend one, I think you’ll want a second helping. So start looking in your area or farther away. It’s up to you to reach for this particular star. Start a fund, save your loose change, put it on your Christmas list so you’ll be ready when conference time rolls around.

College Application Essays

First Day of School

Years ago, the day after Labor Day brought a new beginning for children. It was the standard day for schools to start the new year. With that day, we considered summer to be officially over. Not so today, since many schools begin anywhere from the first week of August clear up to the first week in September. What do you remember about those first days of school? I did a post earlier last month about adding to your memory books, recalling what those first days of school were like as you moved from the kindergarten class all the way through your senior year in high school.

Late in my senior year, I applied for college. I think I had to fill out a form with name and address and checked a box saying I'd like a state scholarship. Surely there was a bit more on that paper but not a lot. I asked my husband, who went to a private college as opposed to the state school I attended, whether he had a big application form, including writing an essay. His application was little more than what mine had been. I asked a friend yesterday afternoon what hers had been like and all she remembered was the line where it said Send money. 

We had been discussing it because our oldest granddaughter, Alexis, is applying for colleges now. She is just beginning her senior year of high school. She's applying to four schools but has her heart set on one. She's got her back-up plan with the other three in case the favorite doesn't work out. It's a whole different game today. She's a very good student, ranking #11 in a class of over 900. Even so, the admissions person she interviewed with at the #1 choice told her that may not be good enough. Scary! 

It didn't deter Alexis. She spent this past weekend working on the application form. Part of it was an essay to be written from a prompt given that would show the applicant's character traits. She wrote the essay, then emailed to me and her other grandmother, who is a school librarian. "Would you look at this and edit it for me?" It goes without saying as to what our response was.

Only two weeks earlier, I'd read an article in the Wall Street Journal about the essays sent with college applications. Apparently, there are parents who pay big bucks to have someone write the essay their child sends in as their own. Hope it was not on the same subject as the one Alexis had to write. Character traits, indeed! One man reportedly paid $10,000 for his daughter's essay. It made me wonder whether, even if she gets into that school, she'd last very long.

I became curious enough to google guidelines for college application essays and I was totally amazed at the number of articles that popped up. This is now big business. I read several to get a feel for what they want and what they don't want before I edited my granddaughter's essay. Many of the articles suggested that the student ask two or three people to edit their work. To be honest, that kind of surprised me as I would have thought they want the student's work without having any help. That might happen, I suppose, in a perfect world and we all know there is no such place. 

Yesterday afternoon, I did a second reading of the essay and then proceeded to write a list of things I hoped my granddaughter would take into consideration. Next, I did a critique in the same manner as I would for a submission from a member of my online critique group. I did let Alexis know that these were only suggestions and that she was the one to decide whether to use them or not. I also explained that it was not being critical but to help her grow as a writer, the same as in my crit group. 

As for the essay she wrote--this grandmother is very proud of what she chose to write about and the way she wrote it. It was quite well done, and the suggestions I made for changes were actually very minor things. A polishing rather than major revisions. 

And next comes the wait. Alexis won't be waiting alone, her entire family will wait with her. She's a very sensible, mature young woman, and if this doesn't work out, she'll swallow her disappointment and move on. 

Have any of you had experiences with the college application essay process in today's world? 

One Powerful Word for Writers

I saw this poster on facebook this morning, placed there by Dave's Words of Wisdom. It's a great place to check for inspirational, motivational poster quotes. 

This one seemed made for Writer Granny's World because I have so many posts that address exactly what it says, sometimes parts of it and other times pretty much all of what it says. Those who read this blog regularly know that my two keywords for writers are patience and perseverance. I've mentioned them about a gazillion times in the 4+ years of my blog's existence. 

You've heard me talk about the last two parts of this quote many a time, but today, let's look at the first section. Believe--one simple word that holds a great deal of power. If you are looking for success as a writer, and nearly all writers are, the very first thing you must do is believe in yourself. 

It's a rare bird that would be an outstanding writer in beginning days. Even so, you must believe that you can be a good writer with time by practicing and perfecting your skill. If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will either. Trash the negative thoughts that accompany those rejections you get. You get them, I get them, my other writer friends get them, but we don't dare let them take precedence in our goal to be a published writer. Believe that you can grow as a writer and you will. No, not by sitting on the sofa and waiting for it to happen but by working at it.

A writer must sell him/herself to not only editors and publishers but to their readers. Any salesman will tell you it's a whole lot easier to sell a product that you believe in. You might be thinking But I'm a writer, not a salesman. In the writing world, you have to be both a writer and a salesman of sorts. Believe that you can do it and most likely, you will. 

Believe--a word filled with power to help you soar to new heights.