Can Non-Fiction be Creative?

There are different forms of writing, every one of them focusing on something else. And some combine more than one form. Creative Non-Fiction is a combination of a couple forms. It is not limited to a form of writing; Creative Non-Fiction is an idea that describes everything including the least significant detail. Its focus is facts. True information is crucial when gaining the reader’s trust. Creative Non-Fiction is a “hybrid” (just like gas-electric vehicles) which combines both literature and non-fiction; a perfect example of Creative Non-Fiction is “The Curve of Binding Energy,” written by John McPhee.

Creative Non-Fiction very frequently incorporates multiple characteristics of literature. Literature is probably the most universally accessible genre of writing. Literature gives us the basis, the fundamentals for writing. Setting, Characterization, and Mood are only some examples of literary elements. Each story needs to have a setting, a place where the characters will coexist and confront. It can be a real place as well as an imaginary one. Any form of literature has to have characters: Heroes and villains, protagonists and antagonists. Mood is another literary element. Mood is the feeling that the author creates when introducing characters, setting, images, or objects. It is the way they are described.
Likewise, Creative Non-Fiction makes use of many characteristics of Non-Fiction. Non-Fiction is also a popular genre of writing, and just like literature it has characteristics that are present in Creative Non-Fiction. Information, Lay out, and Tone. Information are the facts and ideas provided by the author, their role is to spark curiosity and create mystery among the readers; it has to interest the reader to the level where he or she will want to find out more about the topic. Lay out is just another way of describing format, the organization of the writing. The clearer it is the more attracted the reader will become. And finally, the Tone; it is a style of writing, the facts and ideas have to be presented in a way that will be understandable to the reader, there has to be an aim.

One book that combines the above genres is “The Curve of Binding Energy” by John McPhee. The book fulfils the requirements of both literature and non-fiction. We have a setting, we have characters (Theodore Taylor), and there is certainly a mood. The mood is not too optimistic, it assumes that nuclear explosions are unavoidable and that we will have to live with them, but it also gives us hope that we can still fix things that will preserve the materials necessary for the construction of the nuclear bomb. The book is, without a doubt, a great source of information. We have to remember that it does not just throw information at us; it carefully describes the different terminologies and ideas. It has a practical lay out that acts like a magnet for the reader. Even for somebody who is not interested in nuclear energy, the book speaks to us and constantly refers to us. The style is simplistic and understandable. We are easily able to distinguish between facts, opinions, and theories. The complexity of the information increases at an appropriate rate, the reader is not lost in the amount of information provided to him or her.

“The Curve of Binding Energy” by John McPhee is a perfect example of Creative Non-Fiction genre; it includes both literature and non-fiction elements in its composition. Creative Non-Fiction is an intriguing way of presenting gathered information or ideas to the reader. It is an effective way of communicating with people who share similar interests. It is a way of transferring knowledge through more understandable means.