The course introduction describes the second major paper in the course as "a nonfiction paper in which students use fictional strategies and techniques to report on historical or contemporary figures and/or events, to be workshopped in class and revised before handing in."

In class we will have spent some time experimenting with impromptus that explore ways the nonfiction writers in the course—Karr in The Liar’s Club, Winchester in The Professor and the Madman, and Galvin in The Meadow—have used elements from fiction and poetry in their nonfiction. With Karr we will have experimented with the use of real-life characters and situations treated with the development and drama of a novel; with Winchester we will have attempted to use narrative and dramatic elements to portray historical or factual events; with Galvin we will have located an actual scene or story and used metaphor and rhythm in the language to heighten the appreciation of the moment, arranging the book like stanzas in a poem or songs in a cycle. These experiments are intended to provide a leg up on this assignment.

Imagine an event or sequence of events out of your own life or family history, or imagine an historical or factual subject you know something about and would like to explain or report on, or imagine a location that you know intimately, not only as geography or topography but also as the site of personal narratives among people you know or know about. That is, pick something out of your experience and background that you could make the focus of your efforts to write a piece of nonfiction—either a work complete in itself like an essay or a portion of a potentially larger work—to which you could apply the characteristics of narrative (as in a novel) or lyrical (as in poetry) development. Expect to read a draft of this work in class during the nonfiction workshops on November 20, 27, and 29 and December 4. These will be occasions for feedback on your nonfiction.

Expect the essay or excerpt to run 8-10 double spaced pages. (If it’s a scene from a longer concept, you may need a paragraph of introduction or conclusion before or after the scene.)

Link to Course Description Writer's Craft