Writing Creative Nonfiction

Overview

Explore the entire process of writing creative nonfiction, from brainstorming for the perfect idea to getting your final product noticed by literary agents and publishers.

Bringing together the imaginative strategies of fiction storytelling and new ways of narrating true, real-life events, creative nonfiction is the fastest-growing part of the creative writing world. It’s a cutting-edge genre that’s reshaping how we write (and read) everything from biographies and memoirs to blogs and public speaking scripts to personal essays and magazine articles.

Whether you’re looking to launch into a new professional career as a creative nonfiction writer, dabble in the genre as a pastime, start a personal blog, or simply get inside the mind of a creative nonfiction writer at work, these dynamic 24 lectures are a chance for you to explore the entire process of writing creative nonfiction. Filled with helpful tips and techniques, memorable examples from well-known writers, and engaging exercises, it’s a learning experience that proves that—with the right instructor—writing creative nonfiction can be mastered, practiced, and enjoyed by anyone with a desire to share his or her personal story.

Course Structure

1. Welcome to Creative Nonfiction
   Duration: 33 min
   Investigate how nonfiction can be “creative” and preview the techniques to be learned.
2. Finding the Story
   Duration: 30 min
   Discover the three essential elements of a good story: narrative arc, conflict, and character.
3. Honoring the Nonfiction Contract
   Duration: 29 min
   Explore the ethical responsibilities of writing about memories and experiences.
4. Writing Great Beginnings
   Duration: 30 min
   Learn how to craft powerful opening sentences and generate ideas for your story.
5. Show, Don’t Tell
   Duration: 32 min
   Strengthen your descriptive writing by focusing on verbs and precise word choices.
6. Launching a Narrative Arc
   Duration: 30 min
   Understand basic narrative structures to create drama and tension in your stories.
7. Cliffhangers and Page Turners
   Duration: 28 min
   Discover how effective chapters can enhance your narrative arc and keep readers engaged.
8. Building Dramatic Sentences
   Duration: 30 min
   Learn how word order and sentence types can create pacing and tension.
9. Rhetorical Devices and Emotional Impact
   Duration: 32 min
   Explore rhetorical devices that enhance the quality and impact of your writing.
10. Putting It All Together
    Duration: 31 min
    Walk through the revision process to improve your writing using learned skills.
11. Revealing Character in Words and Actions
    Duration: 31 min
    Understand how details create three-dimensional characters and explore different points of view.
12. Creating Compelling Characters
    Duration: 32 min
    Learn how to write about minor and flawed characters effectively.
13. Character Psychology
    Duration: 32 min
    Investigate how metaphor reveals the psychological motivations of characters.
14. Getting Inside the Heads of Your Characters
    Duration: 34 min
    Focus on the advantages of using free indirect discourse in your narratives.
15. Using Narrative Perspective
    Duration: 31 min
    Explore different narrative perspectives and their effects on storytelling.
16. Shaping Your Voice
    Duration: 30 min
    Learn about the concept of the implied author and the importance of narrative voice.
17. Writing the Gutter – How to Not Tell a Story
    Duration: 32 min
    Discover when not to tell something and how it can enhance your storytelling.
18. Dialogue Strategies in Creative Nonfiction
    Duration: 31 min
    Overcome challenges in writing realistic dialogue in creative nonfiction.
19. Researching Creative Nonfiction
    Duration: 31 min
    Master the art of researching for your creative nonfiction writing.
20. How to Not Have People Hate You
    Duration: 29 min
    Learn how to navigate ethical considerations when writing about real people.
21. Revising Your Work
    Duration: 31 min
    Understand the revision process and how to handle feedback effectively.
22. Building Your Audience
    Duration: 31 min
    Learn how to identify your audience and write a solid book proposal.
23. Getting Published
    Duration: 30 min
    Discover the steps to take for successfully publishing your work.
24. Being a Writer
    Duration: 31 min
    Explore habits of effective writers and how to overcome