The techniques of fiction can be used in non-fiction to bring the truth alive, and in today's article, Antony M. Brown from ColdCaseJury.com outlines some tips.
When Capote refers to his book as a novel, Lee is perplexed, telling him a book is either fiction or non-fiction. Capote disagrees – he wants to reveal the intentions, emotions and thoughts of the real-life characters he portrays, giving it the depth of a novel.
His book In Cold Blood was subsequently recognised as an exemplar of a new genre – creative non-fiction.
Creative non-fiction is based on a true story, but a writer uses his subjective vantage point to tell it, or interpolates imagined conversations and thoughts of real characters into the true story.
The latter is also called a non-fictional novel and some distinguish it from creative non-fiction, although In Cold Blood is cited as an example of both. In this article, I will list my five rules for using creative techniques in historical non-fiction.
#1 Never contradict fact
The golden rule is that a fictional element is always understudy to truth, used only when there are gaps in the historical record and a particular fact is unknown or open to interpretation. Creative non-fiction always hugs facts and never lets go.
The task of the writer is to join the factual dots with plausible lines of narrative or dialogue, but always leaving the dots where they are.
The danger for the creative non-fiction writer is that the imagination becomes the driving force and historical fact is distorted or ignored.
Two examples.
- The screenplay writer of the movie U-571 showed American marines boarding a German U-boat to capture Enigma code machines, which were vital in defeating the Nazis and ending WWII. In actual fact, the Enigma machines and codebooks were seized six months before America entered the war. Fiction replaced fact.
- In one of her books about an unsolved murder, a true crime writer (now deceased) changed the known statement of a key witness to support her theory. Again, fiction replaced fact.
Both are egregious violations of the golden rule.
#2 Research is key
You can never do enough. A writer can only decide to employ creative non-fiction techniques from a position of thorough knowledge, never before.
The best research not only includes secondary sources, such as books, but primary sources. For example, in my genre, historical true crime, this entails looking at the original police files, including police reports, witness statements, inquest testimony, and other documentary evidence.
This invaluable, first-hand history provides the most sought after commodity for any non-fiction writer: detail.
Where can you find primary sources? If a book has already been written on the topic in which you are interested, it will usually list both secondary and primary sources.
If not, a good start is a national or local records office. National archives often a wealth of documents, including de-classified police and prosecution files, although these tend to be released only decades after the event. Sometimes historical police files are held regionally.
#3 Outline the story
The point of creative non-fiction is to tell a true story in a compelling way and engage the reader like a novel. The best stories always have a clear structure and objective, exploring or highlighting issues.
Creative non-fiction is the same. The skeleton of the story should be developed with the known facts and fleshed out with the detail from first-hand research.
Only where there are gaps in the historical record should a writer consider using imagined constructs, such as dialogue between the real characters.
For my Cold Case Jury books, I take a historical true crime mystery – typically an unsolved murder from many decades ago – and reconstruct how the crime might have unfolded according to the different theories that have been advanced over the years to solve the case.
If there are, say, three major theories to account for what might have happened then typically they are contraries – they cannot all be true. Some must be false and, therefore, there is an intrinsic element of fiction to this type of true crime, regardless of the style in which it is written.
Further, different theories have arisen by different writers precisely because we do not know all the facts of the case; if we did, it would not be unsolved. This is ideal territory for creative non-fiction.
#4 Write in scenes
When outlining the story, think in scenes. Indeed, this is the essence of both creative fiction and non-fiction.
Scenes have characters, events and dialogue to advance the story and highlight points. Where the entire dialogue is known, from a trial transcript for example, there is no need for imagination. This is rare, however.
Dialogue is usually where the creative is put into creative non-fiction. If an entire story cannot be told in scenes, then you will have to change focus and augment the scenes with traditional prose, in which case the reconstructions should be clearly highlighted.
#5 Be honest
Always. In Did She Kill Him? (2014), Kate Colquhoun italicizes the dialogue that has been taken verbatim from historical documents and assiduously uses endnotes to cite sources for important facts. This is a sound approach, but not the only one.
Other than personal memoirs, sources should always be listed in any non-fiction book. Even better, transcribe some of the original primary research in an evidence file.
This is the approach I adopt in the Cold Case Jury books. For example, in my book The Green Bicycle Mystery, there is an important conversation between a police superintendent and the prime suspect. The conversation is dramatically reconstructed based on a police document that was only recently released to the public. It is not a full transcript, but detailed nonetheless. I also include the text of the original document in my book.
The purpose of the reconstructed conversation is to add more detail and provide insight.
For example, the conversation occurred when the suspect returned to the police station to collect his personal effects. From another document, taken from the original prosecution file, I unearthed a list of the suspect's sequestrated possessions, so was able to be authentic in describing which objects were handed back. Further, by attributing thoughts to the superintendent, it was possible to highlight important points of the conversation in an arresting way.
Conclusion
Creative non-fiction blurs the distinction between fiction and non-fiction but only at the periphery of knowledge, where fact and truth are unavailable or obscured. It is most definitely not a dramatic license to change what we know. That would be ‘fake history’, to coin a phrase.
Creative non-fiction is not without controversy. What has been your reaction when reading it? Have you tried writing it? Please leave your thoughts below and join the conversation.
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1 2 Next »Excellent tips that I will surely put to use! Having been a freelance writer for more than two years now, this is the first time I've seen tips like these. Thank you!
What's notable about creative nonfiction isn't a blurring of the distinction between fiction and nonfiction, but the use of voice, characterization, setting, and narrative structures (among other literary elements) to tell factual stories. I think you would agree with this, but I was confused by your advice to use "plausible" narrative and dialogue to connect facts. The standard should be higher -- "factual" rather than "plausible."
The author's talking about key scenes or moments when what was said is not or cannot be known, Jack. That's where the "creative" part comes in. I've written some historical screenplays where this comes into play, from the need to "dramatize" an important moment (i.e., play it out in real time, as it were.) Otherwise, it's a documentary where you just report on what is known, and let people surmise, like you did.
Oftentimes, no one knows what two famous historical characters actually said to each at a key moment, for ex, but you can glean essentials from their letters to others afterwards, or from what transpired in the aftermath. Among other examples.
This resonates with me so much as a creative nonfiction writer. It's a tricky business indeed. But a beautiful one, I think. True tales are made more digestible, more delicious. Not only for the reader, but the writer. The one sticky spot is, of course, the subject. My tactic has been to show them the work prior to publishing. If they like it, we go ahead. If not, we do not. If I love the story and they do not, and aliases aren't an option, I let it inspire pure fiction. Thanks for this piece, Antony :)
I am responding to this article as a request for help. I realize that I have really set the bar high for myself, because I am trying to meld two story lines that I am passionate about into either a piece of creative non-fiction or historical fiction, but I don't know which to write. I have facts that I am working with in both cases from the the 1940's just post World War II. The first story line is of an actual event, an enigma of sorts, and the second is, what I will call plausible historical fiction. Together I know they would make a heck of a book as there is much historical controversy and possible conspiracy associated with both story lines. To top it all off, I would like to use the names of the actual people and would need to come up with supplementary fictional characters as well as dialogue. Where do I start? - Thank you.
You have to start by making a decision. Read some historical non-fiction and also some fiction. Find an author to model and then progress from there. No one else can make that decision for you.
Hello.
Please forgive me but as a novice, I'm really needing some solid advice here.
My intended book (first time author if published) is based, in part, on fact regarding my experiences of workplace and domestic bullying as outlined in my book. Even some dialogue is word from word so it's a combination of fiction and non-fiction. I want such to be known to prospective readers.
How do I approach this? How do I, for example, get around the fact that I DO know these people although I've changed their names for obvious reasons?
Any assistance very much appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
Nancy
Hi Nancy, I cover that here: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/legal-issues-using-real-people-quotes-lyrics-images-and-citing-sources/
and I'd also suggest checking out The Self-Publisher's Legal Handbook by Helen Sedwick as that goes into this issue - and she is a lawyer :)
I just wanted to reply first, because it might help Kevin M. above because my decision was a similar one. I am telling a real story and very well could make it historical fiction; however (for me) going that route, since I am also a family historian, felt really inauthentic to the real people- despite the fact they’ve been dead for 260ish years! So I decided I wanted to do non-fiction. I’m expanding the little that is known of the story by deeply researching the real people in it. I’m researching their genealogies/families/roots to give accuracy to character descriptions and dialogue, their ties to community: neighbors, church, friends, and obviously needing to use a large part of what we knew about the culture during the 18th century when my story took place. Because I would have to make up about 80% of the story if I did not go this route, I thought really getting to the meat of the matter and describing the undercurrents of their society and the expectations of the people and the probable likelihood of the story happening one way or another would hash itself out by truly knowing all the players involved and the content of their character.
So to my second reason for posting, I’d be open to any advice on techniques I can use when I’m “investigating” and writing on a crime that occurred so very long ago and transcripts were not kept. I have considered consulting with criminal investigation experts to help me consider things I have not already since they have a forensic mindset. What other advice can you offer when there are no case files, nor conversations, nor primary sources for the case?
I’m currently researching the other characters and will outline the crime in detail and do my interviews after that.
I appreciate any advice!
Thanks and all the best!
Beth Hollman
Meriden, CT
Is it okay for fiction to have elements of "real" events. Is it acceptable for a non-fiction writer to create moments that never occurred to help expand or explain the story? Are the standards for "truthfulness" in fiction different from those for nonfiction? Why or why not?
On Labor Day weekend 2018 I launched my first book as a "historical non-fiction", "Frankie - A Life Cut Short", about the 55 year-old unsolved murder mystery of Frances S. Bullock. I had no prior knowledge of your 5 golden rules for writing "creative non-fiction"; however, after reading your tips it appears that I had unknowingly followed those rules , especially my 12 years of research into the cold case. I am currently doing research for another non-fiction manuscript, and I will definitely stay aware of those rules as I progress from research to writing the narrative. Thanks for the tips.
Ronald C. Evans
Franklin, NC
Hi do you think my essay on pearl harbour would be considered creative non fiction. Its for a competition and is purely a researched essay. I am puzzled by creative non fiction. Would my article on Oscar Wilde's ancestry qualify as cnf for instance or do I need to write a story on either with characters and the true facts to qualify. Sorry if this sounds silly but I find the subject confusing.
Lee, it's simple: is it 100 percent true, or is any part of it - even one word - made up?
I would say the word "true" is an issue when it comes to creative non-fiction.
Is it the deep truth in which case different words can be used to explain that?
If you listen to any of my discussions on memoir, 'truth' is a malleable concept, since one person's experience is never the same as anyone else's!