"Your memory, after all, is only one person's opinion, and if you can get some evidence to support that opinion, it will make it more cogent, probably more specific and more complex, as well." --Michael Pearson, page 46 of Writing Creative Nonfiction
In this piece, Pearson is talking about the importance of backing up memory with facts and concrete images. Our memories are the truth, to us, but most people want more than that in a story. Researching adds so much to stories of our past. When I interviewed my older sister for a piece about my childhood last semester, I realized how confused most of the details were in my head. Hearing her account of the same incidents made them become more clear in my mind and helped me create a more complete story and setting. Anything that you can do to clarify a memory and make it speak to more people is crucial to good creative nonfiction.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment