76-261 Introduction to Writing Creative Nonfiction

9 units, Carnegie Mellon University

According to The National Endowment for the Arts, creative nonfiction is "factual prose that is also literary." Memoir, the essay, and literary journalism are just three kinds of work that fit into this broad, vital genre. While creative nonfiction often borrows techniques from fiction, such as narrative, scene, dialogue, and point of view, creative nonfiction is based on actual events, characters and places. What distinguishes creative nonfiction from journalism is that it conveys more than bare-bones facts: language, analysis and narrative voice are an integral part of each piece. Journalists seek the truth by attempting to be objective. Writers of creative nonfiction understand that truth is often the biased, subjective "truth" as experienced by the author.

Prerequisites: none listed

Offered: Fall 2026, Spring 2026

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