ENC 3310 Fall 2023 Sutter

This course is for upper-level undergraduate students interested in writing creative nonfiction. Creative nonfiction exists on a spectrum that stretches between researched, journalistic articles on the one hand, and lyrical personal essays on the other. The genre is "nonfiction," and as such, it tries to be true, with the recognition that truth is sometimes various, not always objective, and exists within a contract established between the writer and the reader. At the same time, the genre is "creative," and uses many of the techniques of fiction, such as scenes, dialogue, characters, setting, sensory detail, narrative, point of view, conflict, etc. The genre has a vast history, and we can learn from great writers if we learn to read as writers. In this course, we will explore and practice a wide range of styles within the genre of creative nonfiction. The core tenet of the course is this: writing is an ongoing process as well as expression, and so it requires time, revision, and artful attention to craft.