HOW TO WRITE CREATIVE NON-FICTION with Samples

WELCOME TO
CREATIVE WRITING
Sarah O’Neill
Chester County

8-WEEK WORKSHOP: WRITING A MEMOIR

Today’s Agenda
Discuss what constitutes as
Creative Writing as both
Personal and Usable
Genre: Writing the Self:
PERSONAL ESSAYS (memoirs)
Your Assignment: Write one
personal essay.

Defining Creative Writing
Creative writing is the process of crafting original and imaginative works of literature, poetry, prose, or
scripts. It transcends conventional writing, encouraging individuals to explore language, structure, and
narrative. Whether it's a heartfelt poem, a captivating short story, or a thought-provoking novel, creative
writing allows us to communicate our unique perspectives and experiences with the world.
Creative Writing is a catalyst that sparks
our creativity and empowers us to breathe
life into our ideas on the page.
Teleport readers to distant lands, realms of
fantasy and creation, introduce them to
captivating characters and craft new worlds
through the transformative art of
storytelling.

What Are the Different
Types of Creative
Writing?
Creative Writing comes in many forms,
encompassing a range of genres and styles.
There are many different types of Creative
Writing, which can be categorized as fiction
or non-fiction. Some of the most popular
are:
• Biographies
• Fiction: novels, novellas, short stories,
etc.
• Speeches
• Poetry and Spoken word
• Playwriting/Scriptwriting
• Personal essays

Creative writing goes to the
heart of the individual
expressiveness of the writer. It
has to do with style and
art. It breaks the boundaries of
the typical. That’s an exercise of
artistic skill that can happen in
any topic, toward almost any
goal. And it’s the heart of what it
is to be a writer, no matter what
you write about.

Technical Writing versus Creative

Technical Writing-
focuses on factual
and
straightforward
content. Technical
papers are
published to
inform, instruct,
and educate the
user about a
specific topic.

HOW TO WRITE CREATIVE NON-FICTION with Samples

Self-writing (memoir,
reflective essay, etc.)
■ All involve YOU – the human behind the
writer – as the protagonist and/or narrator
of the piece you will produce .
■ Stories in this genre come from YOU, your
point of view, not a fictional character you
can hide behind
■ Our assignment later today will entail
drawing exclusively from your life
experience and not the rabbit hole into a
wonderland of fantastical subject matter
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

“Write what
you Know”
■ The myth of this phrase doesn’t
necessarily have to be first-hand
knowledge; it can be “what you
know” from second or third-hand
experience, sensory stimulation,
subjective memory, lies, or
knowledge from imagination. Can
you think of any examples from your
life where this would be applicable?
■ In this session today, I will ask you to
dig deeper into some of the
knowledge you have begun to
identify and frame that knowledge
into a short, self-contained piece of
prose.

More of Writing the Self
■ Work from reminiscences
■ Infusing subjective memories with elementary research
in the development of a short autobiographical work
■ Choose parts of your life to write about which will
engage your readers and to write honestly about your
experiences
■ Today, we will consider techniques for using REAL LIFE
as raw material for compelling work.

–E.L. Doctorow
Memoir writing? "It's like driving a car at
night. You never see further than your
headlights, but you can make the whole
trip that way."—

SOMETIMES
MEMOIR WRITING
IS CALLED A SLICE
OF LIFE, BECAUSE
IT’S EXACTLY THAT.
Memoir writing is a snapshot of a
single event in your life.

What is a Memoir?
• A memoir is a nonfiction work that presents a
firsthand retelling of a part of the author’s own
life.
• It does not document the memoirist’s entire
life story but rather a selected part or a
specific journey.
For a piece of writing to be called a memoir, it has
to be:
• Nonfictional
• Based on the raw material of your life and your
memories
• Written from your personal perspective
Have you read any famous memoirs?

Memoir: Key Elements
Theme: Memoir writing should focus on a specific theme or lesson, and every
compelling story included in a good memoir should support that theme. When people
read your memoir, what do you want them to take away? What’s the overarching lesson
that you want to relay?
An assertion or statement about a UNIVERSAL idea
Obstacles: What obstacles have you faced?
Emotional Beats: The best memoirs take the reader on an emotional journey. Writing in the first-
person point of view allows you to not only tell your story but to relay the emotional impact of
each specific memory. What was the most emotionally devastating moment of your story?
What were the important events that made you feel hopeful or joyful? When were you the most
frightened? Readers want to experience your emotional arc alongside your narrative arc.
Supporting Stories: When writing your memoir, supporting stories may help with honesty and
transparency. Interview your friends and family members who are around you often. You may
find they remember your story differently than you do or have additional viewpoints you could
explore.

Personal Style: Writing a memoir is an opportunity to tell your story in a way no one else can. Your writing
should reflect your personal style, personality, and point of view.
Honesty and Authenticity: Remember, readers pick up a memoir expecting a true story. Readers are
smart. They can tell if something in your memoir feels untrue. If they suspect that the events in the
memoir are false, it can permanently damage the relationship between the author and the reader.
That’s why you must be willing to tell your story in an unflinching and honest way.

It all begins with a
memory…
Memory can be about anything you find interesting.
Write about…
• A specific event that happened to you
• A specific aspect of your life (relationships with family
members, travels, struggles to overcome something.
• A particular time period of your life
• The impact of your own life of an outside event

You don’t have to have a perfect sense of what comes in
between, as long as you know where you want to end up.
Often, memoirists bite off more than
they can chew for a single memoir and
end up paring back and creating a
tighter container around their story.
This is okay, but you want to create
these bookends around your writing to
guide you.
Knowing the scope of your story means knowing
where it starts and where it ends.

How to Write a Memoir
Writing a memoir requires a good overarching story, and crafting a
powerful opening is essential. Begin with a dramatic hook that makes
your reader want to read more!
Choose a dramatic moment to begin with. Liven your writing
with vivid details and specifics. Share an exciting moment
and a powerful opening.
INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH –
5 SENTENCES – one sentence the first sentence
Heighten the drama by SHOWING,
not just telling. Think about your
five senses when telling your story.

HOOK EXAMPLES:
What do you notice about these hooks?
What makes these beginnings engaging?

Vary it up!
Readers need short and
long sentences, sentences
with and without adjectives
that describe nouns, and
sentences with different
kinds of patterns.
Keep it fresh!

Don’t be afraid to use dialogue in your memoir.
Dialogue allows you to showcase your
characters without having to get in their
heads while you write.

Examples of Dialogue in a Memoir

Transitions are the spaces between scenes. They are usually time indicators that hold the reader as
you transition them from one space to the next.
Example:
When I opened the door to my bedroom, everything was in its
usual cluttered arrangement. A plate of half-eaten pancakes sat
on my desk, soggy with syrup from the morning. My bikini hung
lifelessly from my doorknob, dripping pool water. My heavy
covers lay crumpled and cold across my bed, molded by the
twists and turns of the previous night. Piles of dirty clothes sat
unsorted, collecting dust.
I stood in the middle of the cluttered room, breathing in the filthy
air that I had become so used to. In the silence of that moment, I
began to hear the clock ticking. I became aware of the moldy
smell. I noticed that a spider had spun a shimmering line from
Did this writer provide
a smooth transition?
Why or why not?

Reflections are places where you pause to ponder, connect, and consider the
ways in which your story is universal, human, and relevant to your reader.
Without reflection, your memoir may be a
great story: with it, it can become
transformative. It’s a window into your soul.
• Think about what you learned from your experience.
• Can you identify personal growth?
• How do you use what you learned from your
experience in your life today?

■ Is the reflection supposed to be a part of the essay, like it can be combined with
other paragraphs?

EXAMPLE
REFLECTIO
N FROM
THE END OF
A MEMOIR
Silver Linings by Chloe Chang
Teen Ink Memoir Winner- Bronze

How to Write a Memoir
Build trust with the reader. A memoir is deeply personal and non-fiction. Tell YOUR story with honesty
and authenticity. A reader can tell when the details are stretched or made up.
Think like a fiction writer. A memoir is a true story of your life, but it should incorporate the structural
elements that make fiction compelling. Create a story structure with a strong opening, middle, and
end.
Keep it relevant. Memoirs have a narrower scope, centered around a time period or events in the
writer’s life. Many details and life experiences might be interesting on their own, but if they do not
support the story, you should exclude them.

Planning
Start by thinking of some
important event in your life –
try to think of something
memorable; something
you’ll never forget,
something that changed you
or taught you something.
Need an idea?

MEMOIR PRE-
WRITING ACTIVITY
Choose one of the questions
to answer. Jot down your
ideas. Can anyone share an
idea?

Reflect on your life. Brainstorm a list of 5 events
that you have found particularly meaningful,
powerful, or impactful.
What life lesson did you glean from these events?
Which lesson was the most important for you to
learn?

Memoirs can be put into
categories
What type of memoir are you interested in writing?

NYT Teen Tiny
Memoirs:
Winners
READ:

• How did the writer create interest and build
background?
• How is the memoir organized?
• How does the writer help readers see and hear the
events they describe?
Author’s Craft
Author’s Voice
• Why is it important to establish a clear, consistent,
and interesting voice in a piece of writing?
• What type of voice does the writer have? What
words or phrases help you see their unique voice
and style of writing?
Language and Style
• Why is it important to use language that “shows”
instead of, “tells”?
• Identify examples of the writer’s use of language
that shows instead of tells.
Dialogue
• What purpose does dialogue serve within a
memoir?
• How does dialogue affect the story?
Tone
• What is the overall tone of the memoir?
• How does the writer create this tone?
Purpose/Theme/Message
• What was the writer’s purpose in writing this
memoir?
• What message can the reader walk away with
after reading this?

READ: AN EXCERPT FROM MICHELLE
OBAMA’S MEMOIR- BECOMING

ACTIVITY
Think about your life
and then sum it up in
two or three sentences.
Don’t rush; let your
mind wander in all
directions. You may
focus on particular
years or precise points
of your life, or you may
choose to encompass a
wide range of
experiences.

Here are some examples of two and three-sentence
summaries:
I was blessed with good genes. I’ve had good
luck. There are no regrets.
Dance, aerobics, tennis, and yoga. That’s my
life.
I struggled when we came to America. It was
worth it. I have a fabulous family and friends.

Activity
Look at the following list of words and
write one to two sentences about each.
Write whatever thoughts, memories, or
ideas come into your mind.
This list is meant to evoke emotional
memories.
Please do not reread what you have
written until you are finished with the
entire list.

Word List
■ Disappointment
■ Accomplishments
■ Conflicts
■ Fears
■ Luck (or lack thereof)
■ Enemies
■ Gratitude

Now…
■ Choose whichever topics seem most relevant to you and your life
■ There’s no need to write about a topic that has little meaning to you. The
list above may have just a few topics that resonate with you. That’s fine!
■ Simply write a few paragraphs, or more if you wish, expanding your
thoughts. If you see a connection between today’s writing and yesterday’s
summary of your life, please indicate what that connection is…sample…

Sample
I was criticized a lot when I was a kid. Not only by my mother
and my grandmother but also by the very strict teachers at
school. Any little mistake got a punishment. Eventually, I
figured out that if I did nothing and never tried, I wouldn’t
get in trouble for making a mistake. That’s when I shut up
and did not speak in class. So today, I am a grown up, and I
don’t really know how to participate in life.

Choosing a Topic
■ When choosing a topic, please give the reader
plenty of details. Think of several examples of how
that topic shaped you. Let the topic help you decide
what you want the reader to know about your life.
■ It’s important that you write whatever is on your
mind.
■ Do not censor yourself.
■ Do not worry about your ability as a writer!
■ You are the only one who can write your memoir,
and techniques such as dialogue will be taken care
of as you proceed through these activities

SCHOLASTIC
WRITING
COMPETITIO
N

Breakdown:
1. Choose your MOMENT/EXPERIENCE
2. Create a HOOK (percentage)
3. Emotional Beat (sad, hopeful = lesson)
4. YOU as the protagonist (main character)
5. OBSTACLE (internal vs. external or BOTH)
6. Dialogue optional
7. CREATE A THEMATIC STATEMENT = ASSERTION ABOUT THE IDEA
8. THINK ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL NARRATIVE IN PERCENTAGES – how much do you
treat the intro, body, and conclusion (FLASHBACKS)
9. SENSORY DETAILS AND VARYING SENTENCE STRUCTURES
10. Include a TITLE

Important!
WORKSHOP SERIES
■ Follow the weekly instructions in
each workshop session, and in eight
weeks, you will have the start of a
short memoir!
■ Write one personal narrative
that could be part of a bigger
series of a memoir

YOUR PERSONAL NARRATIVE
STRUCTURE (5-10 SENTENCES)
#1 choose a memory that MATTERED (ONE story from your life)
#2: THEME (ASSERTION ABOUT THE LESSON)
#3: CREATE AN EMOTIONAL BEAT WITH VARYING SENTENCE STRUCTURES
First Paragraph: ATTENTION GRABBER - quote, startling statement, sensory details, setting
Second Paragraph: CONTEXT start telling your story word by word, image by image, tell us all the
details in CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER (the details that you know)
Third and Fourth paragraphs: continue your story to the SCOPE towards the end, and what
happened as a result
Fifth: REFLECTION about why it mattered to you

HOW TO WRITE CREATIVE NON-FICTION with Samples

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