Principles, Elements,

Techniques, and Devices of

Creative Non-Fiction
Plot Defined
- sequence of events
- with beginning, middle, and ending
- a pattern of actions, events, and situations showing the
development of the narrative

A creative nonfiction writer must have the ability to:

✓research facts and understand them
✓tell the truth to the readers
Writing techniques and strategies can be used in
every component of your plot:

A. The Title
B. The First Paragraph
C. The Ending
Writing Techniques and Strategies

A. THE TITLE
[Qualities of a good title (4C’s)]

1.Catchy – attention grabber

2.Clever – easy to read and understand
3.Concise – short
4.Cultivating – informative and encouraging
When You Are Engulfed in Flames
By David Sedaris
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
By Mark Mason

The Crime of the Tooth: Dentistry in the Chair

By Peter Freunlich Naked
By David Sedaris

Why Don’t We Complain The Death of the Moth

By William F. Buckley, Jr. By Virginia Woolf
Writing Techniques and Strategies

B. THE FIRST PARAGRAPH

▪ Passage of Vivid Description
▪ Quotation
▪ Dialogue
▪ Little Scene
▪ Anecdote
▪ Question
▪ Striking Statement
▪ Reference to a Current Event
Passage of Vivid Description
Quotation
 Dialogue

“Track 7 Saturn Return” from

Analogue Souls, Doy Petralba
Little Scene
Anecdote
Question
Striking Statement
Reference to a Current Event
Writing Techniques and Strategies

C. THE ENDING
Ideas to a good story ending:
1. The “right” ending
2. The unpredictable element/Plot twist
3. The dark moment
4. The emotional epiphany
5. The “open-ended” ending
Character Defined

- is a person, animal, being, creature, or thing in a story

- performs the action for the development of the story
- in creative nonfiction, you, as a writer, can be in your
own story
We are able to know the characteristics of a character based on the following
strategies:
1. Direct Description - how did the author describe the
character?
2. Action and Reaction - how does the character act and react
to certain situations?
3. Other Character’s Opinions - what do other characters say
about the other character?
4. Dialogue - how do the characters express their thoughts?
5. Monologue - how do the characters think?
6. Focusing on a Character’s Idiosyncratic Behavior - how is that
character different/unique from anyone?
 Writing Tip:

Always remember that in creative nonfiction,

you are describing a REAL person and not a
character that is a product of imagination.
Point of View Defined

• Refers to the narrator of the story

• The vantage point from where readers observe the events of the story

According to Hidalgo, a good piece of creative nonfiction

has a personal voice, a clearly defined point of view, which
will reveal itself in the tone, and be presented through the
scene, summary and description, as it is in fiction.
Point of View
a. First Person POV – I, me, my, mine, myself, we, our, ours, ourselves
b.Second Person POV - You, your, yours, yourself
c. Third Person POV - She, her, hers, herself, he, him, his, himself,
they, them, themselves, their, theirs

POV Approaches
a.Objective – driven by real events and facts
b.Subjective – done with the author’s emotions, opinions,
and feelings
A. Objective Approach
On July 26, OLPS conducted its first day of Pre-Opening Activities.

Sr. Anabel clarified that every person has his version and understanding of the word
PEACE. However, for OLPS, it is an acronym for Personhood, Environment, ASEAN,
Community, and Education. The school is aiming to continue Christ’s mission by changing
its strategies to cope with the new challenges through Transformative Education. She
mentioned that being afraid is a natural reaction to change, but she also comforted
everyone that it will, fortunately, lead to a new beginning. Changes include trying and
learning new things, creating habits, and grabbing opportunities.

Transformative Education involves hands-on activities or direct experiences. Its purpose is

to empower the learners to see the social world from a different perspective and to
activate and practice their critical thinking skills. Just like a butterfly’s metamorphosis, the
school is targeting a ‘transformation,’ that will lead to the more enhanced learning of the
students. She concluded by leaving a motivational message on how the teachers’ endless
sacrifices will be forever remembered by their students.
B. Subjective Approach
Just a short moment before his unexpected death, I was playing Mobile Legends with Hailey.
The boredom of looking at the game's loading screen made me casually glance at my papa's
direction across our poky living room: he was sitting on the couch, with his head leaning
backwards on the palm of his hands against the wall. My eyes witnessed how he stared at the
ceiling. I knew he was thinking deeply.
He was now talking to me about how he desperately wanted to ride again his decade-old
Barako tricycle for his full-time work—to continue paying kitchen-table bills and giving us thrice-
a-day meals. Being restless is just in his nature, and it’s hard for him to stay idle for almost a
week already. I reminded him not to worry too much, because I was helping mama. He didn't
respond to my willingness, as expected of him, who didn't like his grown-up children to inherit
his burden and responsibilities.
"Kaya ko naman na. Malakas na ulit ako.“
I saw him drew a thin smile on his face after those self-motivating words. He then lifted himself
from the contemplation and went his way to the bathroom. At his absence in front of me, I
resumed getting absorbed by the virtual world with my younger sister, oblivious that it would be
the last conversation with my father.
Writing Tips:
1.Use the First Person POV if you are relating an event
that you yourself witnessed or experienced.
2.The Second POV is you are actually talking or
addressing another person or “you” is actually the
writer, or something abstract
3.The Third Person POV may be used when you quote
what a real person has said. “he said/she said”
Setting and Atmosphere​
• Setting refers to the place and time where and when an event
happens.​

• In Creative Nonfiction, a writer should stick to places that actually

exist.​

• An effective CNF writer is able to incorporate physical, sociological,

and psychological environment in depicting setting.​

• Atmosphere is the element that evokes certain feelings or emotions.

✓Bare facts are never enough.​

✓Details should be accurate and informative first.​

✓Then, must be suggestive or evocative.​

✓The right details will arouse emotions and evoke memories.​

✓Sense of time and location are expected to be seen in your setting.

 Two Approaches in Writing a Setting

LITERAL DESCRIPTION​ EXPERIENTIAL DESCRIPTION

Literal description is Experiential
the foundation, and description moves
it depends on beyond the literal
intently observing
details, especially
and helps the
those the casual reader know what
observer would a place feels like.​
miss.
Telling Showing

My breath escaped in ragged bursts,

my quadriceps burning as I crested
the summit. The lake stretched
before me, aquamarine, glistening in
I went to the lake. It
the hot August afternoon sun. Ponderosa
was cool.
pines lined its shores, dropping their spicy-
scented needles into the clear
water. Despite the heat, the Montana
mountain air tasted crisp.
You may ask yourself while writing your setting:​

• What does the place represent?​

• What is the symbolism of the place?​
• What is the significance for you?​
• What are the physical characteristics of the place?
What does it look like? Describe the place?​
• What memories are evoked by a particular place?​
• How do you feel about the place? Do you like it? Why
or why not?
PLACES YOU CAN SHOW TO YOUR READERS
PLACES YOU CAN SHOW TO YOUR READERS
PLACES YOU CAN SHOW TO YOUR READERS