Creative Nonfiction Writing Ideas

Ms Davis Hanna
4 min readJul 27, 2017

It can sometimes be more challenging for use to come up with ideas for writing non-fiction. We are mining our own memories rather than creating new things, and that is a different process.

First — Choose either a topic or a type

Sparklers. “Sparks” by jennnycleary is licensed under CC BY 2.0

For some of us, choosing the type helps enormously.

Once we’ve decided on a narrative, or a compilation, or another style of essay, we can choose which memories would work best.

For others, you know which experience you want to record and need to decide which type is the best fit.

Then — Decide what you’re writing

Once you have the topic and type, I’d recommend re-reading an essay of the same type, and re-reading this article about the form of creative nonfiction.

Narrative Prompts and Ideas

  1. Tell the story from your high school years you’d never want your mother to read. You know the one.
  2. Draw a map of a neighborhood you used to live in — include the names of neighbors and places you can remember. Note places where you have memories — a corner where you played kickball, the driveway where you fell and broke your arm. See what stories you remember and choose one you want to tell.
  3. Think of holiday celebrations that stand out in your memory and choose one that has impacted you. Put your readers into the living room or dining room — or wherever it took place and show us the traditions, the family, the meaning.
  4. Think of a time you didn’t get what you expected.
  5. Write about an experience that taught you what it means to be mature.
  6. Tell us about a time you had to just… let something go.
Pink and blue holiday bells with lights in background. “holidays….” by Jim Lukach is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Personal Account Ideas

Think about which culturally, socially, or historically significant things you are personally associated with. Write about your own experiences and add your voice to the cultural conversation on the topic or event. (A great example of this is “Blood and Water”)

Everyone is in a way associated with one or more of these. Here are some ideas:

Cancer

Healthcare

Veterans

Protests / Political Actions

Racism in America

Community and police interactions

LGBTQ Experiences in America

Feminism

Mental Health

Environmental concerns

Education gaps

Socio-economic inequality

Mass incarceration

Immigration

Ocean waves. “Ocean and climate change” by Climate and Ecosystems Change Adaptation Research University Network is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Compilation

Writing about a set of memories can make for an interesting essay. Read an example of one to get some ideas about the form.

  1. Birthday parties — compile two or three memories that sharply contrast
  2. Strong emotion — two or three memories you associate with a strong emotion.
  3. Celebrity crushes — your experiences with celebrity crushes, as a kid or adult, or comparing the two.
  4. Two cities you’ve lived in and loved
  5. Two days you’ve had that seem like opposites
  6. Holiday traditions as they’ve changed in your family over time

Topical Examination

Keep in mind that this type of essay requires both a personal narrative or account and research on the topic. It’s not something I recommend for an introductory course (it’s not something I ever wrote, even in my graduate program for creative nonfiction), but it’s a valid and interesting type of personal essay. For these, consider experiences you’ve had that are culturally relevant (consult that list above for ideas), and read up on the topic — news or academic sources only — no blogs, no Wikipedia.

Remembrance

Sometimes, this type is thought of as loosely related memories in honor of a specific person or event. The essay “Ten Times I Knew I Loved You” is a pretty solid example. It could also be in honor of an anniversary, or for parents, or memories of five members of a group of friends. Remember that there must be a common thread — something that links the memories and creates a sense of meaning for the reader. No one wants to read a self-indulgent diary entry — give use something we can relate to!

Source:

Some prompts were modified from those found at “50 Creative Nonfiction Prompts Guaranteed to Inspire” by BookFox. http://thejohnfox.com/2016/06/creative-nonfiction-prompts/

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Ms Davis Hanna

community college english teacher | reader | writer | also: wife, mom, aunt, dog person, pun enthusiast, sarcasm expert, smoothie queen.