I’m attracted to creative non-fiction because it allows me to write about subjects normally found in books written by academics with letters after their name. My writing often touches on historical events or the way life was in the past. It’s a lived experience, why not write about it?
Adding the personal touch moves the story away from something that looks like writing from a text book. The writing becomes a personal account, with real-life history as the backdrop. The events and the people involved are real. The emotions and experiences come from life as it was lived.
At its heart, creative non-fiction writing is about telling true stories using the techniques of good storytelling. But the writer looks to shape the story with care, using a narrative structure to make the story engaging and meaningful for the reader.
It can be one of the most personal forms of writing.
Unlike fiction, where characters and situations are typically invented, creative non-fiction requires the writer to work with reality. Memory becomes an important source of material, as do personal observations. Everyday experiences, and the moments that may have seemed insignificant at the time, can reveal something deeper when revisited.
There is something to be said for the quality of how ordinary life can be. Putting it into words in a story that means something is the difficult bit. It could be anything. A walk through an unfamiliar neighbourhood, a childhood memory, or even a conversation overheard on the bus. All of these might seem ordinary at the time but can become the foundation of a piece of creative non-fiction.
One story can, and I find frequently does, lead to another. They are stories within stories. It is essential that good creative non-fiction does more than simply recount events.
When I was at school, writing about historical events was presented in order, one after another. I think it was called ‘learning by rota’. It refers to a type of learning through repetition and often involves memorisation of dates and facts.
After a while, my mind was full of them, many dates and facts; I could recount them all: 1066 — The Norman Conquest and Battle of Hastings. 1086 — The Domesday Book. 1348 — The Black Death, etc. I was very good when it came to remembering the dates of wars — I suppose it was a boy thing.
But what did it all mean? What was the real story behind the dates?
Creative non-fiction is one way of exploring the meaning behind them. The writer steps back from the experience and asks questions. Why did this moment stay with me? What really happened, and what followed. What does it reveal about the way we live and the choices we make? And what does it tell us about the way people connect with one another?
Cause and effect.
Creative non-fiction is a process that requires honesty, as writing about real life can at times be revealing. There is often a sense that the writer is not just writing about a historical event, but also sharing a piece of their own life. For the reader, the memory written on a page can trigger memories of their own, a reminder of their own life experiences.
It can lead to that moment when you say, “I remember that!” Or “Yes, it was just like that!” Alternatively, “I don’t remember that at all!”
Fortunately, stories are everywhere. They don’t have to be major turning points in history or front-page news, just part of daily living. Everyday experience becomes important.
That, perhaps, is the real art of writing creative non-fiction. It is not about inventing something new, but remembering honestly and adding meaning. It all adds up to stories of real experiences that invite others to recognise something of their own lives within the words.
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