Thread: Narrative Non-Fiction

I’ve been researching “Narrative Non-Fiction” and still am unsure just what it is. I’ve seen it also called “Creative Non-Fiction.”
The reason I’m asking is that a lot of agents seem to be representing it and, as statistics show, non-fiction is easier to sell than fiction.
So, my question is” what is your interpretation of the term “narrative non-fiction?”

I have an interest in this too. A lot of the rubbish I post here on WF is real-life, dressed up. If you've been researching it, you may have come across this: Edward humes - A Brief Introduction to Narrative Nonfiction

All the best

Yep, that's one of the sources I found. It appears to be an interesting way to get into print, especially as it appears that non-fiction is far more marketable now than fiction.
(Got a whole lot of re-writing to do on my current project but think it'll be well worth it.)

The best examples can be found in The New Yorker. Narrative nonfiction takes the inverted pyramid style that most newspapers use and reinverts it. Newspaper writing, I think, has become boring and fact-fluffed. Newpaper sales would likely increase if editors would abandon the inverted pyramid style and let their writers do what they really want to do and can do well, write with more flare.

In literary journalism, or narrative nonfiction as you call it, building the story with observations and insights interwoven into the facts and figures, is key. It is how the writer develops a unique relationship with his/her readers. Even to some extent allowing the reader to pick out a particular writer's piece from among others. Too many news articles, though nonfiction, lack the creative stamp unique to every writer. The narrative nonfiction writer holds the reader's attention to the end and eventually leads them to that "aha" moment when they understand the point the writer's been building to. They may not agree with the point of view but they will at least understand it, and likely remember it and even perhaps quote from the piece in discussions on it. That's the earmark of a good piece, if the reader remembers it and talks about it when the opportunity arises.

You are right in thinking that creative nonfiction is the same as narrative nonfiction, but the word "creative" at the front of nonfiction is often mistaken for an oxymoron. Far too many people think that "creative' must necessarily mean made-up or make believe when in reality it simply means that a writer is able to construct his/her article or essay in such a way that it grabs the reader's attention at the beginning, is able to hold it throughout the entire piece, and requires the reader stay alert to the facts without becoming bored or overwhelmed by them. It also requires that the reader come away with a deeper understanding, and perhaps even be challenged to consider another viewpoint more deeply.

Literary journalism, creative nonfiction, narrative nonfiction, whatever you wish to call it, is one of the most challenging writing styles there are, and too few do it today, because the writer must stay true to the facts and must present them in a way that will build a lasting knowing writer/reader relationship. Narrative nonfiction is increasingly tough to do in today's markets where people are disinclined to read lengthy nonfiction pieces when given the opportunity to read the more shallow and fact-fluffed pieces in newspapers, or worse yet, read blurbs that seem to be saying more than they are and which incline readers to draw conclusions and make decisions based upon them. Narrative nonfiction done well is substantive writing.

E.B. White's essays are a good example of creative nonfiction. He wrote about things in his everyday life that to many would have seemed mundane, but which were endearing. Ask anyone who's read them if they couldn't pick an E.B. White essay out from someone else's. The literary journals, if you can stomach the explicit content and profanity so many seem to print today, can also be a source of good literary nonfiction. And, don't overlook the pieces you'll find on the PBS site. Good luck with your research.