When approached to discuss what I look for in a creative nonfiction submission, my immediate response was: \u201cAre they writing about cats? If not, then Bye, Felicia<\/i>.\u201d Seriously, you have no idea how indescribably happy I would be reading all about your crazy cat lady ways and the beautiful felines that illuminate your lives. Sadly for me (although maybe not-so-sadly for you), I know that\u2019s an unrealistic expectation.<\/p>\n
So what do I really look for when I\u2019m reading creative nonfiction? Well, first things first: Did you get my attention? Not unlike my hopeful attempt to catch your attention through my crazy cat lady anecdote, a label I proudly wear, starting your own piece with a well-crafted beginning is a surefire way to make sure that I make it all the way through your narrative. Like I tell my college freshmen in our composition class, the set-up to their piece is one of the most important ways to ensure that your audience reads the whole thing. An effective opening, I think, catches its audience\u2019s attention and hints at what I\u2019m going to read about later in the piece. Sure, that sounds easy enough. And yet, you\u2019d be surprised at how often my students resort to cliches: \u201cFrom the beginning of time,\u201d \u201cToday\u2019s society,\u201d or \u201cOxford English Dictionary defines X as\u2026\u201d These ineffective hooks exist in creative writing, too: \u201c\u2018Twas a dark and stormy night,\u201d for example, or \u201cMy mama always told me, \u2018Life\u2019s like a box of chocolates.\u2019\u201d I\u2019d rather read about a cat that has absolutely nothing to do with the story than dialogue from characters I don\u2019t even know or the weather happening during the moment you\u2019re introducing us to. What I\u2019m trying to get at is the more finessed the set-up is, the more likely I\u2019ll be able to get deeper and deeper into your narrative.<\/p>\n
In terms of content, I need to be able to believe what you\u2019re telling me. Not only should I be engaged through your compelling set-up, then, but I should also be reading about something nontrivial that doesn\u2019t fall flat as the narrative progresses. Defining significance is obviously subjective, but if the moment was one of importance, I need to feel and understand why. The submission doesn\u2019t have to be out-of-this-world strange, which isn\u2019t to say that it can\u2019t be, but it should be compelling and engaging. Most of all, it should be believable. I want a glimpse at a moment that made you uncomfortable, that made you grow, that made you struggle, that actually happened. A story about becoming a cat, for example: Cool, bro. I really hope that happened to you (and let\u2019s face it, I\u2019d be super envious if it did), but there\u2019s a fine line between a dream about being a cat and literally becoming a cat.<\/p>\n
What isn\u2019t believable is your impeccable memory for entire conversations that happened among the characters. Not to throw shade or anything, but creative nonfiction, to me, requires a certain amount of introspection and relies more heavily on the events that drive the plot forward. Passive dialogue is your friend. \u201c\u2018Meow,\u2019 the cat said,\u201d versus, \u201cThe cat meowed.\u201d While I hate to take agency away from your cat, or whoever else is making an appearance in your submission, I get a little suspicious when I read long conversations or directly quoted monologues. I\u2019m more concerned about what actually happened and how it affected the characters in the midst of these things.<\/p>\n
Of course, these are all merely guidelines: I realize and acknowledge that there isn\u2019t an exact formula we can use to create the perfect piece of creative nonfiction. And honestly, I trust your judgment to write something that works and your skill to craft an engaging text, but I also trust my ability to culturally situate your text. That\u2019s my job as a literary critic. (I know, I\u2019m saddened by the inability to be a professional crazy cat lady, too.) Ultimately, I think what I\u2019m trying to say is: \u201cAre you writing about cats? If not, then Bye, Felicia<\/i>.\u201d I just want to know all of the cats.<\/p>\n
-Joshua B. Jones<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When approached to discuss what I look for in a creative nonfiction submission, my immediate response was: \u201cAre they writing about cats? If not, then Bye, Felicia.\u201d Seriously, you have no idea how indescribably happy I would be reading all about your crazy cat lady ways and the beautiful felines that illuminate your lives. Sadly … <\/p>\n