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.
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.
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
fictionit just needs to be based in the real.
 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 detailsthey 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 summarizethis is what research
non-fiction does.
Form
Forms of Creative Nonfiction

Does not need to follow the standard

thesis-conclusion format of an essay
Can borrow from any form you choose:
story, monologue, lesson, list, collage,
etc.
Find the right shape for the idea you
wish to present.
Techniques
Simplicity

Clutter is the disease of American writing. -

William Zinsser
Americans have short attention spans.
Strip sentences to their cleanest components.
Clear thinking becomes clear writing.
Ask yourself: What am I trying to say?
Research

Internet, books
People
Interviews
Observation
Detective work
My biggest point

You never want your reader to ask So

What?
Write creative nonfiction with a purpose.
 Story of a persons
life, written by that
person.
1st person point of
view
Usually book length
Includes journals,
diaries, letters, and
memoirs
 She felt she was ugly
That made her timid
She was very dutiful
She wanted the
approval of others
Uses the I subject
pronoun!!
Autobiograhpy
Tells the story of the writers own life. Authors of
autobiographies often want to make sense of events in
their lives and to communicate an important personal
statement about life. They may also want to give credit
to people who influence them. Controversial individuals
often write autobiographies to explain or justify their
actions.
The Basics
Create a time line of your life events
Identify the people who made an impact in your life
Select the best stories of your life
Write it in your own voice.
Examples

The Story of My Life, first

published in 1903, is Helen
Keller's autobiography
detailing her early life,
especially her experiences
with Anne Sullivan.
The Diary of a Young Girl is a
book of the writings from the
Dutch language diary kept by
Anne Frank while she was in
hiding for two years with her
family during the Nazi
occupation of the Netherlands.
The Confessions is an
autobiographical book by
Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In
modern times, it is often
published with the title The
Confessions of Jean-Jacques
Rousseau in order to
distinguish it from Saint
Augustine's Confessions.
 2. Biography

Provides details regarding the life of a

person or a thing in an entertaining but
informative manner. By the end of a
biography, the readers fell like they are well
acquainted with the subject.
The Basics
Select a person you are interested in and find out
basic facts about him or her.
Do additional research about the person
Biography
Story of a persons life
told by someone else
In 3rd person point of
view (he/she/they)
The writer is called the
biographer
Same elements as
fiction (conflict, setting,
etc.)
-William Jay Jacobs, Eleanor Roosevelt
What do the details in the paragraph tell
you about Eleanor Roosevelts life and
background? How is this an example of
biography?
Details of her
home, family,
and life
Written by a
different person
about her
Examples
Shakespeare: A Life by Park Honan
It is the most accurate, up-to-date and
complete narrative ever written about the life of
Shakespeare. Park Honan has used rich and fresh
information about Shakespeare in order to change the
perceptions of the readers for the playwright and his role
as a poet and actor. This book completely differs from other
biographies that imagine different roles for him, commenting
on his sexual relationships and colorful intrigues. Though
detailed psychological theories and imaginative reforms
about him could be amusing, in fact, they damage credibility
of the sources. Therefore, many attempts have been made
to know about him, which is not a new thing but this one is a
unique example.
 Why this World: A Biography of Clarice Lispector by
Benjamin Moser
After perusing his own private manuscripts and
writings, this modernist writer, Benjamin Moser has
explored mystique surrounding of Clarice Lispector.
This is one of her biographies that come a little
closer to finding her true nuances. All those readers,
who are going to read her myriad work for the first
time, they would find this biography interesting, and
her life as beautiful and tragic but yet riveting.
 Arthur Miller: Attention Must Be Paid by James Campbell
This biography is written in the form of
a drama presented in just two acts. In the first act,
author shows the famous dramatist in his early success,
having love of the most beloved woman of the world
and resistance to tyranny. However, in the second act of
this biography, author shows hero was badly assaulted
and ridiculed by a rowdy mob called critics, who are
expelled from the conventional theater. He ends his
book Arthur Miller with rhetorical details related to a
revitalization in the fortunes of the playwright.
Function of Biography
The function of writing biographies is to provide details
regarding the life of a person or a thing in an
entertaining but informative manner. By the end of a
biography, the readers feel like they are well
acquainted with the subject. Biographies are often non-
fictional, but many biographers also use novel-like
format, because a story line would be become more
entertaining with the inclusion of strong exposition,
rising conflict and then climax. Besides, the most
inspirational life stories could motivate and put
confidence into the readers.
3. Memoir
Focuses on an event or series of events that evoke a
change of view or feelings in an entertaining way. It
helps the audience to understand one single person,
the author.
The Basics
Choose a topic you care about, a snapshot of your life.
Seek a deeper theme within the simple description of an
event a reader can connect to.
Use your own unique voice in writing
Examples

Girl, Interrupted is a best-

selling 1993 memoir by
American author Susanna
Kaysen, relating her
experiences as a young
woman in a psychiatric
hospital in the 1960s after
being diagnosed with
borderline personality
disorder.
The Year of Magical
Thinking, by Joan
Didion, is an account of
the year following the
death of the author's
husband John Gregory
Dunne.
Running with Scissors is a
2002 memoir by American
writer Augusten Burroughs.
The book tells the story of
Burroughs's bizarre
childhood life after his
mother, a chain-smoking
aspiring poet, sent him to
live with her psychiatrist.
Memoirs of a Geisha is a
historical novel by American
author Arthur Golden,
published in 1997. The novel,
told in first person perspective,
tells the fictional story of a
geisha working in Kyoto,
Japan, before and after
World War II.
Memoir: Tips for Writing about Your
Life
Memoirs are an often overlooked subdivision of creative writing,
and more specifically, creative non-fiction. They have the potential to
be incredibly interesting, richly developed, beautifully moving
pieces that can sometimes be confused with autobiography.
Generally, autobiographies are the life story or history of a person's
life written by that person. Though memoirs share some similarities
with autobiographies, such as first person narration, they are more
than a recounting of one's life events in chronological order. Instead,
they can be descriptions of one single event or moment in one's life,
rather than that life in its entirety, and tend to be written in a less
structured or formal manner. Memoirs have the capacity to be funny,
profound, moving, cynical, etc., and may even have resemblances to
fiction in their creativity. Memoirs can focus on one specific event,
place, person, etc. or they can be expanded to encompass a
broader range of events, snapshots, or memories in the author's
experience.
 Here are some basic things you should
know about writing a memoir:
A memoir can be about nearly anything in your personal experience/life that is
significant enough for you to want to retell it, or it can simply be a snapshot of a
moment or a description of a person, place, or thing in your life.
Choose a topic that you care about, for this will make your piece more
descriptive, emotional, and creative. Even though it is about YOUR life, if you
care about your topic then so will the reader.
Seek a deeper or underlying theme within the simple description of an event etc.
that the reader can connect to. Use a lot of description and imagery, if you can,
to make the reader feel like they know the topic intimately.
There is no specific form or style that it is necessary for a memoir to have USE
YOUR OWN UNIQUE VOICE!
Do not confuse memoirs with autobiography, they are NOT the same thing (as
noted above). You may want to find some memoirs in the library or online in
order to get a feel for the variety out there and some of the ways you might
want to go about writing yours.
Homework

Please bring in five pictures that tell the

history of your life so far. These should
be defining moments.
Write your memoir. Write it in your
writing notebook.
4.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.
The Basics
Get the facts straight by researching
Conduct interviews when necessary
Outline the story
Use literary devices in writing
Write dramatic scenes dialogue, details, action
 Literary journalism uses the techniques of journalism (such as
interviews and reviews) in order to look outside of the straight
forward, 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.
5. Personal Essay
Focuses on a topic through the lens of the personal
experience of the narrator. It can be narrative or
nonnarrative 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.
The Basics
Focus on one specific topic
Organize your ideas
Use language in expressing what you really mean to say,
show rather than tell by using imagery.
 Essay
Short piece written on ONE subject
Usually found in newspapers &
magazines (and in Language Arts!)
Purposes
To share opinions
Entertain or persuade
To describe
 3 Essay Types
EXPOSITORY PERSUASIVE
-tightly structured -develops arguments
-impersonal/formal style -tries to convince
-presents or explains readers to adopt a
information
certain perspective
PERSONAL
-looser structure
-personal/informal style
-expresses writers thoughts & feelings
 EXPOSITORY,
PERSUASIVE, or Sometimes I
think we would
PERSONAL? be better off if
The story of the Titan we forgot about
predicted exactly what would the broad
happen to the Titanic strokes and
fourteen years later. It was
concentrated on
an eerie prophecy of terrible
the details.
things to come.

The only thing that can help them is

genuine love. You must truly love us.
 Informational Article
Provides facts about a subject
Includes newspaper and magazine
articles, and feature stories
Also includes textbooks, pamphlets,
history books, gardening books, and how-
to books
The editorial or opinion page is dominated
by comment and analysis rather than
objective unbiased reporting.
Purpose of the Editorial Page
Provoke thought and discussion
Influence the actions of public officials
Campaign for reform and specific proposals
Provide background & analyze events
Serve as a community voice
Influence voters
"Don't Cut Student Days in Classroom

1. State the Problem - highlight in article

2. Provide Support Fact vs. Opinion, Pro vs.
Con (underline facts, circle opinions)
3. Solution (label) and or Call to Action (label)
4. Conclusion - label
The Personal Essay: A Few Pointers
The personal essay is one of the most popular forms of creative non-
fiction writing found in English classes, especially in high school but
also, to a certain degree and in a more complex way, college.
This kind of writing allows you to explore a topic through the lens of
your own, personal experiences, reflections, ideas, and reactions. It
can be one of the most powerful kinds of writing you get to do, both
in its direct connection to you, the writer, allowing you to engage
with material in class at a very personal, complex, and meaningful
level, and also in the amount of latitude that you as a writer are
afforded in terms of style, technique, and form.
The following are some tips and strategies to help you think as you
write and revise a personal essay, or prepare to write this kind of
assignment for the first time (the topic of the essay will always
varywe are focused on the genre as a whole here).
 Focus. In some ways, the personal essay is similar to memoir and many of the same techniques can be used
effectively. It differs in that an essay is focused on one specific topic (and here, it will be explored through
your own experiences) whereas the memoir has the capability to trace or illuminate several themes, topics,
and ideas via the authors life (or part(s) of that life) that he/she describes (and how he/she describes it).
Organization. Not to be confused with form (see below). Your essay, like other essays, should have some
kind of coherent organization to it. This is not to say that you must use thesis style (in fact, we are confident
that powerful personal essays follow that organization scheme less than 5% of the time). No matter how you
choose to organize (and what form you use), be sure that your paragraphs and ideas flow from one to the
next, connected by a common theme (trying to tackle the topic on which you are writing). It can be scattered
or fragmented (if that is a stylistic/form choice you make), but the entire paper should have a relationship,
even if it only becomes clear at the end. This allows the reader to follow your experience.
Form. One of the best parts of this kind of writing is the power given to you as the writer. There is no form,
no formula, no tried and true method that you must use to be effective. In fact, to copy something that
somebody else has done is not only rather boring, but also defeats the purpose of this being
a personal essay. Choose a form and style that suits you and is fitting for the experience that you are
describing. Try to think of the form as a part of the writing itself, not just a framework for it: the form should
actually enhance and make more poignant what it is you are taking about. Push the boundaries, but dont
go too faryou are still writing an essay (and be sure that you follow any specific requirements outlined by
your professor).
Diction/Language. Like form, in the personal essay (and creative writing generally, perhaps even, to some
extent, writing in general) the way in which you say something can mean just as much as the form into
which you place what it is you are saying. Use language to enhance what you are writing about and not just
as a means to say it. Here is where you can get really creative and appropriately use linguistic play to
explore your topic and your own relation to it in new and complex ways.
Choosing at Topic and Approach
When beginning a personal essay, you should choose a significant event in your life. This can
be almost anything, but something about it should matter to you. Many personal essays hinge
around a sad experience, but joy is just as strong an emotion, if not more so. As always in
creative writing, you should consider why you are writing this piece: what can writing about
this experience teach others? What can you learn from revisiting the memory? In a personal
essay, the importance of the word personal is not to be undervalued. Whatever you choose
to write about must be important to you, hinge around your experience, and have some impact
on you.
When writing a personal essay, it is important to remember that the main character is you. This
is challenging for a lot of people who are used to expressing themselves through a character
or through poetry. Personal essays demand more vulnerability than either of these forms. In a
personal essay, the writer should never be afraid of the word I in fact, it should be used as
often as possible. In most situations where you find yourself straying into the first person plural
(we) or even the third person, using such vague language as "one could" or one would, you
will almost always find the writing becomes stronger if you replace the subject with I. Most of
the time, drifting into vague language is a sign that you are trying to convey a message you
find too personal and are afraid of expressing. However, it is this vulnerability that fuels the
personal essay. You cannot learn from the experience unless you are honest with yourself, and
readers will not be able to understand why this experience is significant if you hide yourself
from view. Your character in the story can only develop if you claim the story as your own.
6.Tavelouge/Travel Writing
Records the experiences of travelers in some
interesting places and circumstances. It includes vivid
descriptions, illustrations, historical background, and
possibly maps and diagrams.
The Basics
Go on adventure.
Start with a clear story line.
Describe the place in great detail and use imagery.
Get the facts straight about the place, people, events,
culture, etc.
Examples
Let's look in detail at an example of
travel writing.
In this extract the writer gives his impressions of an area of Montana called the
Badlands.
Mauvaises terres. The first missionary explorers had given this
place its name, a translation of the Plains Indian term meaning
something like hard-to-travel country, for its daunting walls and
pinnacles and buttresses of eroded sandstone and sheer clay.
Where I was now, in Fallon County, Montana, close to the North
Dakota state line, the Badlands were getting better. A horseback
rider wouldn't have too much difficulty getting past the blisters
and eruptions that scarred the prairie here. But the land was still
bad enough to put one in mind of Neil Armstrong and the rest of
the Apollo astronauts: dusty, cratered, its green turning to seer
yellow under the June sun.
Breasting the regular swells of land, on a red dirt road as true as
a line of longitude, the car was like a boat at sea. The ocean was
hardly more solitary than this empty country, where in forty miles
or so I hadn't seen another vehicle.
Here's a closer look at some of the
features you should be able to spot -
The article is written in the 1st person, " Where I was
now.... the Badlands were getting better".
The article describe the places in great detail. The writer
creates a picture of the Badlands as being huge, empty and
desolate.
The writer creates this vivid picture of place by using very
descriptive, imaginative language. Did you spot the
writer's use of a simile when he described the size of the
Badlands? He said that the prairie was so big that his car
was like a "boat at sea".
Notice how the writer made his feelings about the
Badlands clear. Words like "daunting" and "solitary" give us
an idea of his reaction to his surroundings.
7. True Narratives

A true narrative essay, is a story, based on actual

events. The form of the true narrative is undefined;
the purpose in telling the story is to express a point
or observation.
The typical prompt or assignment for the narrative
essay will ask you to describe an event that
affected or changed your life. In other words, in the
narrative essay prompt, you are being asked to tell
a story.
Activity:
You are required to compose a true narrative essay
about an incident that you experienced or
observed.
You are responsible for developing one or more of
the nonfiction terms that appeared on the recent
discussions (analogy, satire, hyperbole, metaphor,
rhetoric, foreshadow) in your composition.
Write it in your writers notebook.
8. Food Writing
Focuses on communicating information about food. It
lets readers experience the relationship of food to
man, to agriculture, nature, climate, nation-building,
culture, tradition, and even religion.
The Basics
Use your five senses in describing.
Research the background or history of the topic.
Include recipes to follow.
Use your own style or writing.
Examples
1) Nigel Slater's --Toast, Eating for England, Kitchen Diaries
2) Laurie Colwin's --Home cooking series of books
3) Ruth Reichl's -- Tender at the bone, Comfort me with apples
5) MFK Fischer's --How to cook a wolf
6) Patrick Juliet's --Memoirs of a sardine lover
Most of these books tie life experiences and happenings with food.
Essays on food writing from a host of good writers:
Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant : Confessions of Cooking for
One and Dining Alone by Jenni Ferrari-Adler
Devil's Larder by Jim Crace
9. Profile
Takes us behind the scenes of familiar places and
gives a glimpse of the inner workings of a person.
The writer conveys an interpretation or perspective.
It introduces unusual professions, hobbies, and
personalities.
The Basics
Know the subject their personality and interests
Research other information about the person
Choose a theme that suits your subject
Interview the person and the people surrounding him or her
How To Write A Profile Story
Find someone you think is interesting and newsworthy (someone whos spending her
summer doing something interesting, has overcome difficulties, has an unusual job or
hobby, goes out of his way to help others, won a prestigious award, etc.).
Write about the person without stating any of your own opinions in the story. Use
third person (he said, she did), with accurate quotes in the persons own words. Try
to capture a sense of the individuals personality and mood.
Quote at least two other people who know the subject of your story well. Get an
action photo of your subject either take it yourself or get one from them. A list of
sources and contact information is required.
Your story should be between 600 and 800 words, unless otherwise specified by
your editor.
It is important that you begin work on this or any assignment immediately because it
will take you several hours to conduct interviews and write a good story.
Additionally, your sources may not be able to set aside time to interview, if you wait
until the last moment.
Examples
Learning to lead
Doctoral flute student focuses on passing knowledge to others

Story and photos by Ken PaulmanHedrick's practice sessions maintain a lighthearted atmosphere.
It is 5:30 p.m. on a Thursday, and Jasmine Hedrick is gathered with nine of her students in a classroom at the
University of Oregon School of Music. Hedrick, who is pursuing a doctorate in flute performance, teaches
private lessons to all of the flutists in the room. The Thursday night gatherings offer the students the
opportunity to perform before an audience and learn from one another's successes - and mistakes.
Hedrick, an accomplished musician by any standard, is most passionate about teaching. She is very much at
home in front of the classroom, leading students one at a time through exercises that are one part instruction,
one part standup comedy routine.
Hedrick's techniques, some of which may appear unorthodox, seem to be quite effective. One student is
instructed to stoop over backwards in a "limbo" position and lean against the door while playing in order to
open up her airway. Another plays an excerpt while Hedrick is simultaneously poking her sternum and
jabbing a flute into her abdomen.
But Hedrick is not trying to torture her students. At first, the students laugh at the awkward positions. Then,
the notes that had previously sounded airy and off-key come out crystal clear, and the method behind the
madness becomes clear. Each student receives a round of applause when she is finished, partly for being a
good sport, but primarily for showing remarkable improvement.
 "The main reason I wanted to get a doctorate was so I could teach," she said. "I like pushing people to think outside of the
normal threshold of just playing notes and think about what music really means."
Hedrick was born in Houston, lived in upstate New York as a child, and spent her teenage through college years in Flagstaff,
Ariz. She got into music at the age of 8, after getting a perfect score on a third grade musical aptitude test. Her first choice of
instrument, somewhat arbitrarily, was the flute, which she has been playing - and studying - ever since.
After completing her BA in Flute Performance at Northern Arizona University, she moved to Lawrence, Kan., with the intention
of pursuing graduate studies at the University of Kansas, but she changed her mind after meeting the instructor. A year later,
she came to Eugene after a professor in the music school was so impressed with her audition tape that he offered to give her
free lessons for a year while she became eligible for in-state tuition (on the condition she practiced three hours a day). After
completing her master's degree, she was offered a fellowship to begin the doctoral program. She is the principal flutist in the
University Orchestra, and also plays with the Eugene Symphony, the Oregon Mozart Players and the Eugene Opera.
A focus on a single instrument, however, isn't as limiting as it sounds. Hedrick can also play other woodwinds, many of which
have similar key structures to the flute, as well as percussion and string instruments.
"I can play almost every other instrument a little bit," she said. "I can even play a tiny bit of banjo."
Despite her accomplishments, Hedrick doesn't have her sights set on fame and glory.
"It's not gonna happen. Believe me - I practice constantly, but I can't imagine I'll be the next Paula Robison," she said, referring
to the renowned classical flutist.
Hedrick said she does not have a natural talent for music. She has had to work hard every step of the way to get to where she
is today, something she considers an advantage for someone who wants to use her experience to help others become better
players.
 "A really gifted and talented person who never really had to work very hard
doesn't make a very good teacher," she said. "I'm certainly not one of those gifted
and talented people. I've had to figure it all out for myself."As her tenure as a
student comes to a close, Hedrick is trying to find work, something that is never easy
for a musician. She has been sending out recordings and resumes for teaching
positions, as well as auditioning for jobs as a professional flutist. While her true
desire is to work in academia, she said she is willing to jump on whatever
opportunity presents itself.
However, a recent disappointing audition for an orchestra in Buffalo, N.Y., has
reaffirmed Hedrick's desire to teach.
"I like teaching so much better than going up there for three minutes and getting
'Thank you very much,'" she said.
She describes her ideal life as teaching at a college or university, while playing in a
local ensemble or orchestra, much as she's doing in Eugene. While this may seem
like a modest goal, it's something that will require even more work, more patience,
and more sacrifice.
"It's not a very money making career," she said. "You've got to really like it."
 10. Movie Review
Provides a short description of a film and includes the reviewers opinion about it.
It assesses the movies overall quality and determines whether or not the film is
worth recommending. A film review can be formal or informal. When talking
about an academic writing assignment, a scholarly film review should definitely
use formal language.
The Basics
Select a film and watch the film at least twice.
Read about the story behind the film. Include interesting and peculiar facts about the
production process, the basis of the story, the cast and the crew, the budget, and location.
Take note of critical scenes of the characters.
Introduction includes the basic information of the film.
Main body includes the analyses of the story as a whole. Include scenes from your notes.
State the audiences and the critics perception. Express your personal opinion and either
recommend or not the film.
 11.Interview
Conversation in which one person asks
questions of another for the purpose of
obtaining information

Q: I know you never have trouble coming

up with ideas. Walk me through your daily
inspiration and writing process.
Ray Bradbury: I just wake up with ideas every
morning from my subconscious percolating.

What info is the interviewer trying to obtain?

12. Blogging
What is a "blog"?
"Blog" is an abbreviated version of "weblog," which is
a term used to describe websites that maintain an
ongoing chronicle of information. A blog features
diary-type commentary and links to articles on other
websites, usually presented as a list of entries in reverse
chronological order. Blogs range from the personal to
the political, and can focus on one narrow subject or a
whole range of subjects.
 Writing in the Digital World
The Internet is a gold mine for writers. You can find countless resources to
improve your writing and advance your writing practice. For instance, on the
Internet, you can do the following:
Find writing prompts that inspire your creativity
Search for freelance writing jobs
Create a free blog where you can post your writing and create a writing platform
Join an online writing community/ writing groups
Find out how to submit to writing contests or literary publications such as Tin House
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13. Testimonio
Testimonio, a Spanish term understood as witness account,
embodies a narrative research methodology rooted in Latin
American history (against the backdrop of social inequality that has
plagued the region since the 1950s).
A testimonio is a first-person account by the person (narrator) who
has faced instances of social and political inequality, oppression, or
any specific form of marginalization. As opposed to other forms of
narrative research, where the researcher helps mold the narrative or
becomes a conduit to voice the stories, in testimonio it is usually the
narrator her/himself who is the research tool, with an interest in
telling the story from that individual perspective which, in turn,
represents a larger, collective story that took place in the community
that the narrator inhabits.
 The goal of testimonio as a form of narrative inquiry,
then, transcends awareness and gravitates toward
political intention, questions about institutional power,
the need to speak for justice, the creation of stronger
pockets of resistance, and the importance of solidarity
and coalition as keys to building more equitable social
frameworks.
Testimonio provides an open invitation to engage in real
dialogue with cultures and individuals that one may
otherwise just learn from second-hand accounts such as
those found in traditional ethnographic studies or
academic narratives
Activity:
Watch the movie Love in the time of cholera.
Write a movie review. When making the review,
consider the point of view of the director in making
the film and how well the audience will perceive the
movie.
Write your review in your writers notebook.
Be guided with the following criteria:
Engagement of the reader (hooks the readers and captures
attention in a way that demands to be read)
Organization (includes effective introduction, developed body, and
satisfying conclusion; functions as a whole with a clear flow and
purpose)
Grammar and mechanics (consistently free of errors in grammar and
mechanics)
Summary (provides a summary of the film without disclosing ending,
includes enough information to satisfy reader)
Opinion/Critique (thesis clearly indicates opinion with consideration
of essential questions and is supported throughout review)
Supporting details (substantial details from the movie strongly
support opinion. Quotations, scenes, and characters are specifically
referenced.