Creative Nonfiction with Nick O'Connell

Creative Nonfiction is one of the most popular and influential genres of writing today. Tom Wolfe, Joan Didion, Barry Lopez, Annie Dillard, John McPhee, Frank McCourt, and Tobias Wolff are just a few of the authors who compose nonfiction creative with the authenticity of journalism but the drama and imaginative reach of fiction. Creative nonfiction borrows the techniques of realistic fiction such as scene, characterization, dialogue, point of view and concrete detail to enrich and dramatize factual writing. Narrative nonfiction doesn’t fictionalize or invent events and people as a short story or novel would do. Instead, it relies on accurate observations, careful quoting and extensive research, much like conventional journalism. It differs from conventional journalism in its organization, using scenes to create suspense and hold reader interest, one of the most effective ways of telling a story. This two-hour course will provide an introduction to the techniques of Creative Nonfictio…