Literary nonfiction tells factual stories using creative language without embellishment. It includes travel writing, memoirs, true crime, essays, and nature writing. Four elements must be present: documented facts, subject familiarity, a sense of place, and literary prose. Ann Rule and Joseph Wambaugh set the standard for crime writing.
Literary nonfiction is a type of writing that tells the story of an actual event using creative language without embellishment of the facts. Documented facts, familiarity with the subject matter, a well-crafted sense of place, and literary prose must be present to make up the form. The genre includes such varied subjects as travel writing, memoirs, some true crimes, essays, and nature writing.
The subject matter of literary fiction can be anything as long as it is factual. Memoirs are narratives of a significant moment in a person’s life and are the best known of this type of writing. As in journalism, the ethics of factual reporting are the same. Several memoirists in the mid-2000s were vilified for fabricating their works.
Travel is a subject that lends itself well to the literary nonfiction genre, with rich topics such as geographical wonders and adventures. A great deal of factual information can be conveyed in a fictional style about a particular destination. If the journey has unusual elements, these can be dramatized using fictional techniques. A travel story has a built-in story arc that the writer can follow easily.
Four essential elements of literary nonfiction should be present in the finished piece. First, the writer must start with documented facts, which can be verified by independent sources. Second, the writer must know the subject intimately to enlighten the reader, so a great deal of research is required. The intent is to inform readers about a topic they may want to learn about. Further research enriches the narrative by bringing little-known elements to the fore.
Third, the scenes should be well-crafted and establish a sense of place to draw the reader into the story. Fourth, the piece should employ a literary prose style using figurative language and fictional techniques, such as dialogue and character development. Exploring themes of human experience brings to life a universal subject far better than a mere account can.
Writers who produce literary nonfiction may spend hours interviewing and learning about their subjects or traveling to the places they are writing about. Crime writers, for example, can participate in trials and hearings, do interviews in prison and talk to victims. Americans Ann Rule and Joseph Wambaugh, in particular, set the standard for literary non-fiction in the crime genre. They use vivid language and comprehensive characterizations, along with extensive research, to bring the stories of killers and victims to life.
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