![]() ![]() ![]() If you are writing an opinion essay, there is nothing wrong with including only facts that support your argument, ignoring the opposing argument. What Can be Included and OmittedĪ writer of creative nonfiction will often include certain facts and omit others. Many writers of creative nonfiction also believe that they be allowed to interpret the facts of the experience as they see them, so long as the intention is to tell the truth-not lie, not deceive, not distort, and not fabricate significant details or events. Many writers believe that it is acceptable to drill into the imagination, withdrawing insignificant details of an event, providing that important aspects of the event are not changed, or that lies are not told. Otherwise, the writer would be unable to write the narrative. Often our imagination plays a role in filling in the forgotten details of memory.Īnd so, the writer relies on his imagination to invent details of an experience or event that actually happened. What I believe is true, and you believe is true might not be the same. We cannot recall every single detail of an event or experience that happened, far back in our past.Īs well, the truth is often a matter of perspective. I mourned the loss for years…” Memory and Imagination For instance, the writer of creative nonfiction might respond to a job loss by writing: “Losing my job was like a death. You would include the facts of the experience and also the emotional truth of the experience. Then emotional truth dictates that you can write about how the experience felt to you. Emotional truth answers the question: How did you feel? For instance, suppose you lost your job, and it felt like the world was coming to an end. What is emotional truth? It refers to the writer’s “felt experience” in dealing with a person, place, thing, adversity, setback, and so forth. Other writers believe that it is acceptable to write about “emotional truth” in a personal essay, memoir, or literary journalism. In other words, there is no room for fabrication, even by adding insignificant details. These writers believe that “no” detail can be added unless you are absolutely sure. In other words, ” probable details”, such as what you probably ate, or wore, or thought the street name was, must be omitted. Some writers believe that if minor details of things or events cannot remembered, such as the colour of the shirt, the name of a street, the food eaten, cannot be remembered, then they cannot be included. That is why conducting interviews is a often a required form of research for some creative nonfiction, such as literary journalism and writing a memoir. For instance, if someone is alive who can enlighten you about some experience, you are required to listen to their point of view. ![]() Telling the truth also means fact checking. It is writing fiction–not creative nonfiction, which is based on fact and truth. For instance, the write cannot write that he/she visited some place and experienced some setback, obstacle, or adversity-when it never happened. This implies that significant events must have happened. Most writers believe that when writing creative nonfiction, the writer has an ethical responsibility to “tell the truth” the best he/she can. How can you fill in the details of things that have been forgotten? Conversations between people cannot be remembered verbatim. Insignificant details cannot be recalled. Other details are filed in your unconscious mind. Yet, much of the detail is lost, forgotten with the passage of time. When writing a personal narrative essay or memoir, you are required to mine your memory for details of a past event or experience. In this article, I’ll discuss the ethics of writing creative nonfiction. As well, the writer must not fabricate events or experiences. And so, when writing creative nonfiction, such as a personal essay, memoir, or literary journalistic essay, the writer must strive to tell the truth the best he/she can. And if readers discovers that they have been deceived, the writer will lose credibility and a reading audience. Changing a story by adding significant, false details or events that never happened is writing fiction, not creative nonfiction. The writer must not change facts, distort facts, fabricate facts, tell lies, or mislead the reader. What are the ethics of creative nonfiction? The intent of the writer must be to write honestly and truthfully. ![]()
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