EMERGING

LITERATURE
● Emerging literature is an integration of a
traditional and technological driven form of
literature. This chapter will tackle about the
different emerging genres of literature in the 21st
century, the issues and challenges in emerging
literature and the interrelationship of
contemporary, popular and emergent literature.
I. CREATIVE NON-FICTION
● The New Emerging Genres of Literature
● I. Creative Nonfiction
● Also known as literary non-fiction or narrative non-fiction. It is a genre of writing
that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives.
Contrasts with other non-fiction, such as technical writing or journalism, which is
also rooted in accurate fact, but is not primarily written in service to its craft. As
a genre, creative non-fiction is still relatively young, and is only beginning to be
scrutinized with the same critical analysis given to fiction and poetry. It is a rich
mix of flavors, ideas and techniques, some of which are newly invented and
others as old as writing itself. Creative nonfiction can be an essay, a journal
article, a research paper, a memoir, or a poem; it can be personal or not. The
creative nonfiction writer produces a personal essay, memoir, travel piece, and so
forth, with a variety of techniques, writing tools, and methods. He/she is required
to use the elements of nonfiction, literary devices of fiction, and what Lee
Gutkind called “the 5 Rs of Creative nonfiction.”
Characteristics of Creative Nonfiction

● The creative nonfiction writer often

incorporates several elements of
nonfiction when writing a memoir,
personal essay, travel writing, and so on.
The following is a brief explanation of the
most common elements of nonfiction:
● 1. Fact. The writing must be based on fact, rather than fiction. It
cannot be made up. 2. Extensive research. The piece of writing is
based on primary research, such as an interview or personal
experience, and often secondary research, such as gathering
information from books, magazines, and newspapers. 104 3.
Reportage/reporting. The writer must be able to document events
or personal experiences. 4. Personal experience and personal
opinion. Often, the writer includes personal experience, feelings,
thoughts, and opinions. For instance, when writing a personal
essay or memoir. 5. Explanation/Exposition. The writer is required
to explain the personal experience or topic to the reader. 6. Essay
format. Creative nonfiction is often written in essay format.
Example: Personal Essay, Literary Journalistic essay, brief essay.
Elements of Creative Non-fiction
● The main elements of creative nonfiction are setting,
descriptive imagery, figurative language, plot, and
character. The overarching element or requirement that
distinguishes creative nonfiction from any other genre of
writing is that while other literary genres can spring from
the imagination, creative nonfiction is, by definition, true. As
you complete the assigned readings in this chapter, keep
track of the following elements as they arise in your
readings: see if you can identify each of them. Learning
these elements now will form a solid foundation for the rest
of the class.
Setting
● Each story has a setting. The setting is the place where the story takes place. Usually, an effective
story establishes its setting early in the story: otherwise readers will have a difficult time visualizing
the action of the story. Below is an example of how a writer might establish setting in a way which
immerses the reader: by showing rather than telling. Example: I went to the lake. It was cool. My
breath escaped in ragged bursts, my quadriceps burning as I crested the summit. The lake stretched
before me, aquamarine, glistening in the hot August afternoon sun. Ponderosa pines lined its shores,
dropping their spicy-scented needles into the clear water. Despite the heat, the Montana mountain
air tasted crisp. Which of the above lakes would you want to visit? Which one paints a more
immersive picture, making you feel like you are there? When writing a story, our initial instinct is
usually to make a list of chronological moments: first I did this, then I did this, then I did that, it was
neat-o. That might be factual, but it does not engage the reader or invite them into your world. It
bores the reader. Ever been stuck listening to someone tell a story that seems like it will never end?
It probably was someone telling you a story rather than using the five senses to immerse you. In the
example above, the writer uses visual (sight), auditory (sound), olfactory (smell), tactile 105 (touch),
or gustatory (taste) imagery to help the reader picture the setting in their mind. By the final draft,
the entire story should be compelling and richly detailed. While it's fine to have an outline or first
draft that recounts the events of the story, the final draft should include dialogue, immersive
description, plot twists, and metaphors to capture your reader's attention as you write.
Descriptive Imagery

● You have probably encountered descriptive imagery before.

Basically, it is the way the writer paints the scene, or image,
in the mind of the reader. It usually involves descriptions of
one or more of the five senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, or
taste. For example, how would you describe a lemon to a
person who has never seen one before?
● One might describe a lemon as yellow, sour-smelling and
tasting, and with a smooth, bumpy skin. They might describe
the sound of the lemon as a thump on the table if it is
dropped, or squelching if it is squished underfoot. By
painting a picture in the reader's mind, it immerses them in
the story so that they feel they are actually there.
Figurative. Figurative language can also take the form of
simile: "aunt Becky's attitude was as sour as a lemon." By
comparing an abstract concept (attitude) to an object
(lemon), it imparts a feeling/meaning in a more interesting
way.
● Figurative. Figurative language can also take the
form of simile: "aunt Becky's attitude was as sour
as a lemon." By comparing an abstract concept
(attitude) to an object (lemon), it imparts a
feeling/meaning in a more interesting way.
Plot

● Plot is one of the basic elements of every story:

put simply, plot refers to the actual events that
take place within the bounds of your narrative.
Using our rhetorical situation vocabulary, we can
identify “plot” as the primary subject of a
descriptive personal narrative. Three related
elements to consider are scope, sequence, and
pacing
Scope
● The term scope refers to the boundaries of plot. Where and when
does the story begins and ends? What is its focus? What
background information and details does the story requires? I
often think about narrative scope as the edges of a photograph: a
photo, whether of a vast landscape or a microscopic organism, has
boundaries. Those boundaries inform the viewer’s perception.

● ption. The way we determine scope varies based on rhetorical

situation, but I can say generally that many developing writers
struggle with a scope that is too broad: writers often find it
challenging to zero in on the events that drive a story and prune
out extraneous information.
● Consider, as an example, how you might respond if your friend asked what
you did last weekend. If you began with, “I woke up on Saturday morning,
rolled over, checked my phone, fell back asleep, woke up, pulled my feet out
from under the covers, put my feet on the floor, stood up, stretched…” then
your friend might have stopped listening by the time you get to the really
good stuff. Your scope is too broad, so you’re including details that distract
or bore your reader. Instead, focus on the most exciting or meaningful
moment(s) of your day: "I woke up face-down to the crunch of shattered
glass underneath me. When I wobbled to my feet, I realized I was in a large,
marble room with large windows overlooking the flashing neon lights of the
Las Vegas strip. I had no idea how I got there!" Readers can expect this
story will focus on how the storyteller arrived in Las Vegas, and it is much
more interesting than including every single detail of the day
5. Sequence

● The sequence of your plot—the order of the events—will

determine your reader’s experience. There are an infinite
number of ways you might structure your story, and the
shape of your story is worth deep consideration. Although
the traditional forms for a narrative sequence are not your
only options, let’s take a look at a few tried-and-true shapes
your plot might take.
Freytag's Pyramid: Chronological
● A. Exposition: Here, you’re setting the scene, introducing characters, and
preparing the reader for the journey
● B. Rising action: In this part, things start to happen. You (or your
characters) encounter conflict, set out on a journey, meet people, etc.
● C. Climax: This is the peak of the action, the main showdown, the central
event toward which your story has been building.
● D. Falling action: Now things start to wind down. You (or your characters)
come away from the climactic experience changed—at the very least, you
are wiser for having had that experience.
● E. Resolution: Also known as dénouement, this is where all the loose ends
get tied up. The central conflict has been resolved, and everything is back
to normal, but perhaps a bit different.
Nonlinear Narrative

● A nonlinear narrative may be told in a series of flashbacks or

vignettes. It might jump back and forth in time. Stories
about trauma are often told in this fashion. If using this plot
form, be sure to make clear to readers how/why the jumps
in time are occurring. A writer might clarify jumps in time
by adding time-stamps or dates or by using symbolic images
to connect different vignettes
Pacing
● While scope determines the boundaries of plot, and sequencing determines
where the plot goes, pacing determines how quickly readers move through
the story. In short, it is the amount of time you dedicate to describing each
event in the story
● I include pacing with sequence because a change to one often influences
the other. Put simply, pacing refers to the speed and fluidity with which a
reader moves through your story. You can play with pacing by moving
more quickly through events, or even by experimenting with sentence and
paragraph length. Consider how the “flow” of the following examples differ:
● The train screeched to a halt. A flock of pigeons took flight as the
conductor announced, “We’ll be stuck here for a few minutes.” Lost in my
thoughts, I shuddered as the train ground to a full stop in the middle of an
intersection. I was surprised, jarred by the unannounced and abrupt jerking
of the car. I sought clues for our stop outside the window. All I saw were
pigeons as startled and clueless as I.
Characters
● A major requirement of any story is the use of
characters. Characters bring life to the story.
Keep in mind that while human characters are
most frequently featured in stories, sometimes
there are non-human characters in a story such as
animals or even the environment itself. Consider,
for example, the ways in which the desert itself
might be considered a character in "Bajadas" by
Francisco Cantú.
Characterization

● Whether a story is fiction or nonfiction, writers

should spend some time thinking about
characterization: the development of characters
through actions, descriptions, and dialogue. Your
audience will be more engaged with and
sympathetic toward your narrative if they can
vividly imagine the characters as real people.
Types of Characters:

● Round characters – are very detailed, requiring attentive

description of their traits and behaviors
● Your most important characters should be round: the added detail
will help your reader better visualize, understand, and care about
them.

● Flat characters – are minimally detailed, only briefly sketched or

named. Less important characters should take up less space and
will therefore have less detailed characterization.
● Static characters – remain the same throughout the narrative.
Even though all of us are always changing, some people will behave
and appear the same throughout the course of your story. Static
characters can serve as a reference point for dynamic characters
to show the latter’s growth.

● Dynamic characters – noticeably change within the narrative,

typically as a result of the events. Most likely, you will be a dynamic
character in your personal narrative because such stories are
centered around an impactful experience, relationship, or place.
Dynamic characters learn and grow over time, either gradually or
with an epiphany.
Point of View
● The position from which your story is told will help shape your
reader’s experience, the language your narrator and characters
use, and even the plot itself. You might recognize this from Dear
White People Volume 1 or Arrested Development Season 4, both
Netflix TV series. Typically, each episode in these seasons explores
similar plot events, but from a different character’s perspective.
Because of their unique vantage points, characters can tell
different stories about the same realities.
● This is, of course, true for our lives more generally. In addition to
our differences in knowledge and experiences, we also interpret
and understand events differently. In our writing, 109 narrative
position is informed by point-of-view and the emotional valences I
refer to here as tone and mood.
FIRST PERSON POINT OF VIEW

● Narrator uses 1st person pronouns (I/me/mine or

us/we/ours)
● Can include internal monologue (motives, thoughts,
feelings) of the narrator. Limited certainty of motives,
thoughts, or feelings of other characters.

● Example: I tripped on the last stair, preoccupied by what

my sister had said, and felt my stomach drop
SECOND PERSON POINT OF VIEW
● Narrator uses 2nd person pronouns
(you/you/your).
● Speaks to the reader, as if the reader is the
protagonist OR uses apostrophe to speak to an
absent or unidentified person

● Example: Your breath catches as you feel the

phantom step.
● O, staircase, how you keep me awake at night.
THIRD PERSON LIMITED

● Narrator uses 3rd person pronouns (he/him/his,

she/her/hers, they/they/theirs).
● Sometimes called “close” third person. Observes and
narrates but sticks near one or two characters, in contrast
with 3rd person omniscient.

● Example: He was visibly frustrated by his sister’s

nonchalance and wasn’t watching his step.
THIRD PERSON OMNISCIENT

● Narrator uses 3rd person pronouns (he/him/his,

she/her/hers, they/they/theirs).

● Observes and narrates from an all-knowing perspective. Can

include internal monologue (motives, thoughts, feelings) of
all characters.
● Example: Beneath the surface, his sister felt regretful. Why
did I tell him that? she wondered.
. Dialogue

● The communication between two or more

characters. For example: "Hate to break it to you,
but your story is boring." "What? Why do you say
that?" he stuttered as his face reddened. "Because
you did not include any dialogue," she laughed
● Think of the different conversations you’ve had today, with
family, friends, or even classmates. Within each of those
conversations, there were likely pre-established
relationships that determined how you talked to each other:
each is its own rhetorical situation. A dialogue with your
friends, for example, may be far different from one with
your family. These relationships can influence tone of voice,
word choice (such as using slang, jargon, or lingo), what
details we share, and even what language we speak.
● Good dialogue often demonstrates the traits of a character
or the relationship of characters. From reading or listening
to how people talk to one another, we often infer the
relationships they have. We can tell if they’re having an
argument or conflict, if one is experiencing some internal
conflict or trauma, if they’re friendly acquaintances or cold
strangers, even how their emotional or professional
attributes align or create opposition.
● Often, dialogue does more than just one thing, which makes it a challenging
tool to master. When dialogue isn’t doing more than one thing, it can feel
flat or expositional, like a bad movie or TV show where everyone is saying
their feelings or explaining what just happened. For example, there is a
difference between “No thanks, I’m not hungry” and “I’ve told you, I’m not
hungry.” The latter shows frustration, and hints at a previous conversation.
Exposition can have a place in dialogue, but we should use it deliberately,
with an awareness of how natural or unnatural it may sound. We should be
aware how dialogue impacts the pacing of the narrative. Dialogue can be
musical and create tempo, with either quick back and forth, or long drawn
out pauses between two characters. Rhythm of a dialogue can also tell us
about the characters’ relationship and emotions.
The 5’Rs of Creative Nonfiction

● Lee Gutkind, who is a writer, professor, and expert

on creative nonfiction, wrote an essay called “The
Five R’s of Creative Nonfiction.” In this essay, he
identified five essential elements of creative
nonfiction. These include:
● 1. Creative nonfiction has a “real life” aspect. The writer constructs a personal essay, memoir, and so
forth, that is based on personal experience. He also writes about real people and true events.
● Creative nonfiction is based on the writer engaging in personal “reflection” about what he/she is writing
about. After gathering information, the writer needs to analyze and assess what he/she has collected. He
then must evaluate it and expression his thoughts, views, opinions. Personal opinion is permissible and
encouraged.
● Creative nonfiction requires that the writer complete research. The writer needs to conduct research to
learn about the topic. The writer also needs to complete research to discover what has been written about
the topic. Even if a writer is crafting a personal essay, he will need to complete secondary research, such
as reviewing a personal journal, or primary research, such as interviewing a friend or family member, to
ensure that the information is truthful and factual.
● The fourth aspect of creative nonfiction is reading. Reading while conducting research is not sufficient.
The writer must read the work of the masters of his profession.
● The final element of creative nonfiction is writing. Writing creative nonfiction is both an art and craft.
The art of creative nonfiction requires that the writer uses his talents, instincts, creative abilities, and
imagination to write memorable creative nonfiction. The craft of creative nonfiction requires that the
writer learn and deploy the style and techniques of creative nonfiction in his/her work.
Types of Creative Nonfiction

● Creative nonfiction is about fact and truth. The truth can be

about a personal experience, event, or issue in the public
eye. There are many categories or genres to choose from,
such as the personal essay, memoir, and autobiography. The
following is a list of the most popular types of creative
nonfiction:
● Personal Essay. The writer crafts and essay that is based on personal experience or a
single event, which results in significant personal meaning or a lesson learned. The
writer uses the first person “I.”
● Memoir. The writer constructs a true story about a time or period in his/life, one that
had significant personal meaning and a universal truth. The writer composes the story
using the first person “I.”
● Literary journalism essay. The writer crafts an essay about an issue or topic using
literary devices, such as the elements of fiction and figurative language.
● . Autobiography. The writer composes his/her life story, from birth to the present,
using the first person “I.” Travel Writing. The writer crafts articles or essays about
travel using literary devices.
● Food writing. The
● Profiles. The writer constructs biographies or essays on real people using literary
devices. writer crafts stories about food and cuisine using literary devices