Objective

Creative nonfiction (also known as literary nonfiction or narrative nonfiction) is a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives which entertain based on writing style or florid prose. Writers utilizing this method will communicate information factually, but to shape it in a way that reads like fiction.

The Facebook Ads Prank, while ignorant to the terminology at the time, was a work of creative nonfiction. I realized the only lessons which managed to anchor in my mind and become knowledge were those tied to strong stories—glorious failures or the byproduct of an Idiot Savant. The story was constructed to be an entertaining narrative of history so as to anchor the core lesson into the mind of its readers—to influence your audience, you must know them intimately.

Information conveys the concept, but story anchors it into the mind of the reader. When knowledge delivery is the objective, you'd be doing your reader a disservice to not use some element of creative nonfiction. In the event of a fire, an extinguisher won't help if you've forgotten that you have it.

Contexts

• #writing-style