1. How did you experience the tension between telling a story and telling the truth?
The title of my blog was probably the most prophetic and accurate description of my creative nonfiction writing. "Exaggerated Lies," I thought, "and other adventures in nonfiction". I have no way of knowing if my memories are fact. Actually, I'm not sure many of them are. So, we'll go back. Let's call it "Exaggerated Truths..." Ethically, it would be irresponsible for me to knowingly lie. If I call it the truth straight away, it could be the truth as I remember it, and the audience could forgive my willingness to bend the truth for the adventure.
2. What feaetures of the "craft" of CNF were you most interested in as you wrote your drafts?
I guess I have stories that I want to tell, but find them outwardly boring or directionless. (Not boring to me, of course, but potentially boring to a stranger.) Nobody cares about what I did when I was four, I'd tell myself, while filing the beginning of what could be an excellent story in the back of my brain, in the file called "pointless anecdotes". I've found it interesting to take those stories and expand them in a way that is more approachable and can be worked into something that is meaningful to others.
3. Describe any changes in your investment in/use of your writing process as part of your creativity?
I have never been mch of a drafty writer. I'm a "wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am" writer, generally. But lately (due to incessant bullying from Dr. Chandler,) I've done one or more drafts for every essay and have found that it has definitely improved the quality of my writing. I guess I thought that if I had something to say, it would just come out. Drafting made me realize how many details I forget and how many things I left out because they were so familiar to me, but wouldn't be familiar to the audience.
You are funny- that's such good quality in a writer. I am glad that you found it helpful to revise. :)
ReplyDelete