CNF tip of the day: personal essay
Rooted in personal experience and often written in an intimate voice, it is also a record of a mind at work, a way of thinking on the page.
CNF tip of the day: memoir
Memoir A memoir is an attempt to make artful sense of some aspect or period of the author’s life. The facts may be unusual or traumatic, or they may be ordinary and unremarkable. “What happened” is less important in memoir than the clarity, grace, or originality of the writer’s style and the honest pursuit of self-knowledge. As V.S. Pritchett said, “It’s all in the art. You get no credit for living.” A few examples Joan Didion: “Goodbye to All That.”…
CNF tip of the day: literary journalism
Writing that combines the stylistic techniques of fiction, such as dialogue, character development, and scene-setting, with the nitty-gritty accuracy of reporting and research
Miss the 2017 conference? Watch exclusive video footage of our two morning sessions
Deborah Campbell delivered the keynote presentation on May 6, 2017. Following that, Joy Kogawa was in conversation with Hal Wake.
Listen to “Who’s Afraid of the Personal Essay” workshop with Andreas Schroeder
On May 6, 2017, CNFC founding member Andreas Schroeder gave a much-anticipated workshop about the personal essay as part of the organization’s annual conference. An audio recording of this workshop is now available for all CNFC members. Workshop description: The personal essay is one of the most flexible forms in creative nonfiction. It can include elements of every other genre there is. It can be lyrical, rhetorical, formal, or informal. Its apparent looseness (“a sally through a mazy mind,” as…
And the 2017 CNFC/carte blanche contest winner is…
Congrats to Joshua Levy on being selected as this year’s winner of the CNFC/carte blanche creative nonfiction contest. Joshua’s piece, “A Chaotic Jumble of Infinite Possibility,” will be published in an upcoming issue of carte blanche. Below is a clip of the author reading an excerpt from it.
Who doesn’t love a little CNF on a Saturday morning?
A limited number of tickets are available to members and non-members wishing to attend JUST the Saturday morning of this year’s conference in Vancouver on May 6. Contact admin@creativenonfictioncollective.ca to reserve a spot!
CNFC member Janet Wilson takes a stand
At the 2016 CNFC conference in Banff, our sponsor Fitneff generously donated an adjustable standing desk to be given away to one lucky member at the annual general meeting — something they’ve agreed to do again this year in Vancouver. Janet Wilson tells us more. I pumped my fist into the air and yelled, “Yes!” I had won the prize at the 2016 Creative Nonfiction Collective Conference — a brand new Fitneff Sit Stand Desk. At the end of a great weekend…
CNFC/carte blanche 2017 contest shortlist revealed!
The CNFC and carte blanche are pleased to announce their 2016–2017 creative nonfiction contest shortlist.
The winner will be announced on May 5 in Vancouver, BC at the 13th annual CNFC conference.
The shortlist was selected by contest judge, Andreas Schroeder.
Announcing the judge for the 2017 carte blanche/CNFC contest
“This year’s longlist was so impressive, and its three finalists so totally neck-and-neck, I may have to consult King Solomon for a few suggestions.” – Andreas Schroeder