Six Elements of Literary Nonfiction Write this LABEL & 9/19 READING SECTION. Six Elements of Literary Nonfiction Write this definition on the top of your next blank page in your READING SECTION. Notes/ Literary nonfiction (also known as creative nonfiction or narrative nonfiction) is a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives.

Warm-Up: Draw the following chart in your Reading Six Elements of Literary Nonfiction Element Notes Character (skip 3-5 lines between each label for you to add notes) Dramatization Style Audience Tone Sensory Language

Group Activity: Teach the class Each group will be given one of the nonfiction element to review Together as a group, review the nonfiction element, and take notes over it Create a poster or Google Slides presentation that you will use to teach the class about your nonfiction element Your poster or Slides must include a title, notes for your peers, and an example You have 30 minutes to collaborate and 3 minutes to present For presentation, pick a speaker(s) When one group presents, the other groups take notes on the chart in your journal.

Character Non-fiction contains characters within the story. Though these characters are real people in non-fiction, they still are represented in writing with the same tools and techniques as fictional characters. Non- fiction stories rely on the same reader empathy as fiction stories, so they must also contain sympathetic or interesting characters for the reader to follow. Because a reader may not know the real-life person in the story, an author must introduce and characterize the person just as a fiction writer would, including physical details and descriptions of their behavior.

Dramatization For a nonfiction story to be compelling, it must not only be true but also interesting enough to be worth the read. Non- fiction stories can center around conflicts and dramatic moments to create literary works with the same emotional beats of fiction. Even journalistic nonfiction focused solely on reporting, works most effectively with a conflict or dramatic event established in the article’s lead paragraphs. Adding drama to a nonfiction helps engage the reader and makes the text more compelling.

Style Style is the expression of the writer’s personality on the page. There are many components of a writing style. In a general sense, style is everything the writer brings to the experience of writing–views, prejudices, biases, expertise, wisdom, knowledge, and so on. Most instructors of creative writing will tell you that writing style includes: Word choice or diction. Each word that the writer selects has a dictionary meaning (denotation). Most words also have a connotation (implied meaning.) They use language in a fresh and original way, which means that clichés should not be used. They are worn-out words or phrases that have become dull like old paint on a wall. A clichés just makes for dull writing. Author’s Presence. Literary nonfiction usually features a strong sense of the author's presence. Doing this requires you to craft a unique voice that reveals your personality and attitudes. Voice. The writer’s voice is revealed in the thoughts, feelings, reflections shared on the page with the reader. This is especially true for literary nonfiction, which relies on the building blocks of scene, summary, and personal reflection, to tell a true story, whether a personal essay or memoir or literary journalism. Voice plays a key role in attracting and holding readers, regardless of their subject.

Audience In writing, audience is who you are writing for. If you know who you are writing for, you can make good decisions about what information to include, as well as your tone and language in conveying it. Knowing your audience helps you to make decisions about how you should arrange that information, and what kind of supporting details will be necessary for the reader to understand what you are presenting. As a writer, your audience is not whoever reads your work. Instead, the audience is the group of people you want to educate or communicate with.

Tone Tone can be defined as the writer’s attitude toward the subject, reader, or himself/herself. In dialogue it is indicated by the inflection in a person’s voice. The speaker may be the author, a narrator, a character, or even an inanimate object personified. All stylistic elements-the way the speaker speaks-contribute to the tone. To identify the tone in the material you are reading, imagine how the speaker would have spoken aloud. Looking for tone means deciding how to perform this utterance in it’s context, and a performance demonstrates how the speaker is thinking, feeling, and acting. Look for the speaker’s attitudes toward the audience, subject, or himself. Remember there is not one attitude or tone of voice in a text, but multiple tones and attitudes. Because tone gives us the emotional content of a work, the words we use to describe tone out to be words that help us identify emotions.

Sensory Language Sensory language is the use of details from the five senses to add color and depth to writing. It helps readers visualize the scene a writer is setting. Sensory writing is a means of making writing more realistic and descriptive. VIVID imagery appeals to the reader’s five senses (sight, hearing, feeling, tasting, and smelling). This creates a feeling of first-hand experience, which leads to a more engaging experience for readers. Most authors use sensory language to create an emotional connection between the reader and the characters in the story or the subject matter of the article.

Final Chart should be similar to the one below. Six Elements of Literary Nonfiction Element Notes Character Literary nonfiction characters are REAL PEOPLE They are represented in writing with the same tools and techniques as fictional characters. The author must introduce and characterize the person including physical details and descriptions of their behavior. Dramatization The literary nonfiction must not only be true but also interesting enough to be worth the read Should be centered around conflicts and dramatic moments Has the the same emotional beats of fiction Style Style is the expression of the writer’s personality on the page The writer brings their–views, prejudices, biases, expertise, wisdom, knowledge, etc Writing style includes: word choice and diction, sensory language, and tone. Audience Knowing your audience helps you to make decisions about how you should arrange information, The audience is the group of people you want to educate or communicate with. Knowing your audience helps you know which supporting details will be necessary for the reader to understand what you are presenting Tone writer’s attitude toward the subject, reader, or himself/herself there is not one attitude or tone of voice in a text, but multiple the words we use to describe tone out to be words that help us identify emotions. Sensory Language The use of details from the five senses to add color and depth to writing Creates a feeling of first-hand experience, which leads to a more engaging experience for readers. Most authors use sensory language to create an emotional connection between the reader and the characters in the story

Warm-Up: Draw the following chart in your Reading Six Elements of CREATIVE Nonfiction STRATEGIES Notes Narration (skip 3-5 lines between each label for you to add notes) Description Definition Compare & Contrast Classification Cause & Effect