Fact or Fiction?
August 17, 2026When I wrote a few blogs ago about a piece of writing that did not seem to fit anywhere, one category I had not considered was creative non-fiction. It was only when a member of Get the Word Out suggested that I did not need to turn it into a poem or use it as the basis of a story, and that it was complete as it was, that I realised I had produced a piece of creative non-fiction. In fact, if someone had asked me to define the category before, I would have struggled.
Although I mostly write fiction, poetry and plays now, I have written plenty of non-fiction in the past. It's how I earned my living. I've written advertorials and articles on everything from bricks to baby clothes, front page news stories, reviews of theatre, books and films, celebrity interviews, village guides and more. I've written essays as a student and subsequently for literary publications, and I keep a holiday diary when I'm away. These are all creative in their own way, and have their own kind of format, register and vocabulary. Usually, the main object of these kinds of non-fiction is to get facts across and inform readers, therefore the writing is direct. That said, it still has to be entertaining to catch and hold their attention, so it still needs imagination and often ingenuity.
What sets creative non-fiction apart from other forms of non-fiction is that it is more idiosyncratic, and is often more concerned with inspiring a mood and/or reflection. Among the techniques used for this are those more usually associated with fiction or poetry, such as metaphor, rhythm, narrative points of view and temporal shifts etc..
Having realised that I've unintentionally strayed into writing creative non-fiction, I've taken a look at some of the pieces I've written before, and I've found that it isn't the first time I've done it. It's opened my eyes to a new world of possible markets, readers and range of work.
Posted by K. S. Dearsley. Posted In : Inspiration
