CNF

L1. Autobiography/ Biography and Literary

Journalism/Reportage

Autobiography
● a true story of a person's life written by
that person, told in a way that is both
factual and engaging, often using
literary techniques similar to those in
fiction.
● a true-life story told with storytelling
techniques it's factual, reflective, vivid,
and engaging.
● It's like reading a story about
someone's life, but that someone is the
7
author themselves.
6
5
4
Elements of Autobiography
3
. First-Person Perspective
2
. True Events
1
. Narrative Structure
. Reflection and Insight
. Vivid Descriptions and Imagery
. Dialogue and Scenes
7
. Voice and Personality
6
5
4
How to write an Autobiography:
3
. Decide your focus
2
. Brainstorm life events
1
. Create an Outline
. Write in First-Person
. Use Narrative Techniques
. Reflect and Give Meaning
. Revise and Edit

Biography
● is a detailed account of someone else's
life written by another person, but told
in a way that is engaging, vivid, and
sometimes literary in style.
● a nonfictional narrative that
reconstructs a person's life,
interpreting events and choices in a
meaningful way, often revealing
broader historical, social, or cultural
contexts.

Elements of Biography:
 2
1
. Subject (the person)
. Lite Events
. Setting
. Characterization
. Plot / Narrative Structure
. Conflict or Challenges
. Theme or Message
. Research / Factual Accuracy

How to write a Biography:

. Choose your subject
. Conduct Research
. Identity a Theme or Angle
. Outline the Story
. Add Narrative Elements
. Write the draft
. Revise and Fact-check
. Add conclusion

AUTOBIOGRAPHY
● Written by the person themselves
● Usually, first-person point of view (I,
me, my)
● More subjective, it reflects the
author's personal experiences,
thoughts, and feelings
● Relies on the author's memory and
personal documents
● Focuses on personal experiences,
thoughts, emotions, and self-reflection
Written by someone else about a
person's life

BIOGRAPHY
● Usually third-person point of view (he,
she, they)
● Can be more objective, includes
research, interviews, and multiple
sources
● Requires extensive research to ensure
accuracy
● Focuses on life events, achievements,
challenges, and impact on society

BOTH:
● Both tell the life story of a person,
including achievements, struggles, and
personal growth.

LITERARY JOURNALISM
 ● a form of creative nonfiction that
combines journalistic reporting with the
techniques of literature.
● It tells true stories about real events,
people, or situations, but does so using
narrative strategies commonly found in
fiction, such as scene-setting,
character development, dialogue, and
plot structure.
● "truth told like a story."

Elements of Literary Journalism

. Factual Accuracy
. Narrative Structure
. Characterization
. Scene and Setting
. Dialogue
. Point of View / Author's Voice
. Theme or Deeper Meaning
. Literary Techniques

How to write literary Journalism:

Step 1: Choose Your Subject
Step 2: Research and Collect Facts
Step 3: Identify the Story Angle
Step 4: Plan Your Structure
Step 5: Develop Characters and Scenes
Step 6: Include Dialogue
Step 7: Use Literary Techniques
Step 8: Write the Draft
Step 9: Revise and Fact-Check
Step 10: Finalize

LITERARY REPORTAGE
● is very closely related to literary
journalism, and sometimes the terms
are used interchangeably, but there's a
subtle difference in focus and style.
● a form of creative nonfiction that
reports real events or issues with
literary techniques, but it often
emphasizes the author's observation
and interpretation more than strict
narrative storytelling.
● Think of it as fact-based reporting
elevated by literary expression.

Elements of Literary Reportage

. Factual Accuracy
 . Observational Detail
. Author's Presence / Perspective
. Social and Cultural Context
. Narrative Flow
. Literary Techniques
. Insight and Analysis
. Scene-Building

How to write literary Reportage:

Step 1: Choose Your Subject
Step 2: Research and Observe
Step 3: Identify the Story Angle
Step 4: Organize Your Material
Step 5: Build Scenes
Step 6: Include Author's Voice
Step 7: Use Literary Techniques
Step 8: Write the Draft
Step 9: Revise and Fact-Check
Step 10: Finalize

JOURNALISM
● Tells a true story using narrative
techniques to engage the reader.
● Characters and story - readers are
drawn into personal experiences.
● Uses scene, dialogue, description, and
pacing to tell a story.
● Immerse the reader in a human story.

REPORTAGE
● Reports real events or social issues
using literary style, with emphasis on
observation and analysis.
● Events, context, and broader issues -
emphasizes significance and insight.
● Uses description, imagery,
metaphors, and reflection to interpret
reality.
● Inform, analyze, and provide insight
into social, cultural, or political
realities.

BOTH:
● Both are fact-based and use literary
techniques

L2-3. Personal Narratives, Travelogue,

Reflection Essay and True Narratives
Personal Narratives
● A narrative essay about a true story of
something that happened to someone,
usually told to illustrate an insight, is
based on autobiographical events.
● type of writing where the author tells a
true story from their own life. It focuses
on a personal experience that has
meaning and usually teaches a lesson,
shows personal growth, or reveals an
insight about life.

Elements of Personal Narratives

. Point of View
. Setting
. Characters
. Plot (Sequence of Events"
. Conflict or Problem
. Sensory Details
. Reflection

How to write Personal Narratives:

. Choose a Meaningful Experience
. Plan Your Story
. Write the Draft
. Reflect
. Revise and Edit

Travelogue
● A story of the experiences encountered
by someone while touring a place for
the pleasure of travel.
● a form of creative nonfiction that
narrates a real travel experience of the
writer. It combines storytelling,
description, and reflection to share
what the writer saw, felt, learned, and
experienced while traveling to a place.

Elements of Travelogue
. First-Person Point of View
. Setting
. Purpose of Travel
. Vivid Descriptions (Sensory Details)
. Cultural Observations
. Personal Reflection
. Tone and Mood

How to write a Travelogue:

. Choose a Meaningful Trip
 . Recall Important Details
. Organize Your Travelogue
. Write Creatively but Truthfully
. Revise and Edit

Reflection Essay
● A form of writing that examines and
observes the progress and meaning of
a writer's individual experiences, like a
journal about the thoughts on a certain
topic.
● It goes beyond simply narrating what
happened it focuses on what you
learned, how it affected you, and why it
matters.

Elements of Reflection Essay

. Experience or Topic
. Personal Response
. Insight and Analysis
. Realization or Learning
. Organization

How to write Reflection Essay:

. Choose a Focus
. Write the Introduction
. Develop the Body Paragraphs
. Write the Conclusion

True Narratives
● is an objective account of something
(e.g. journalistic report)
● recounts a real experience in a
narrative (story) form. The goal is not
just to inform, but to show what
happened, how it happened, and why it
mattered to the writer.

How to write True Narratives:

. Choose a Meaningful Experience
. Plan Your Story
. Use Storytelling Techniques
. Reflect
. Revise and Edit

L4. Blogs and Testimonio

Blogs
● A web log: a website containing short
 ●

articles called posts that are changed

regularly. Some blogs are written by
one person, containing his/her own
opinion, interests, and experiences,
while others are written by many
different people.

Elements of Blogs
. Title (Headline)
. Introduction (Hook)
. Main Content (Body)
. Voice and Tone
. Visuals (Optional but Important
. Conclusion
. Call to Action (CTA)

How to write a Blog

. Choose a topic
. Know your audience
. Create a Catchy Title
. Write an engaging Introduction
. Develop the Body
. End with strong Conclusion
. Add call to action

Testimonio
● literally, a solemn attestation as to the
truth of a matter. In literature, it is an
oral or written autobiographical
narrative referred to as "testimonial
literature. " The term "testimonio"
refers to a kind of writing which comes
from Latin America dealing with
experiences of human rights abuse.

Elements of Testimonio
. First-Person Voice
. Lived Experience
. Collective Perspective
. Social or Political Context
. Emotional Honesty
. Purposeful Storytelling
. Simple and Direct Language

How to write a Testimonio

. Identify a Meaningful Experience
. Reflect on the Bigger Issue
. Write in First Person
. Describe Key Moments
. Show Emotional Truth
 . Emphasize Collective Meaning
. End with Reflection or Call for
Awareness

L5-6. Analysis, Interpretation, Commentary

and Mini Critique

Reading Creative Nonfiction

● Reading creative nonfiction requires
critical and reflective thinking. Readers
must pay attention to how the writer
presents real-life experiences and how
literary elements enhance the truth of
the story. This process involves
analysis, interpretation, and
commentary.

Analysis
● Analysis means breaking down the text
into parts to understand how it is
written and how meaning is created.

When analyzing creative nonfiction, leaders

examine:
. Purpose of the writer (to inform,
persuade, reflect, or reveal truth)
. Theme or central idea
. Structure of the text
. Tone and mood
. Literary devices (imagery, symbolism,
metaphors, dialogue)
. Point of view (first person, reflective
voice)

Interpretation
● focuses on making meaning from the
text. It goes beyond what is stated
directly and explores what the text
suggests or implies.

In interpretation, readers:
. Connect the text to human experiences
. Identify underlying messages or
lessons
. Infer the writer's beliefs, values, or
emotions
. Relate the text to social, cultural, or
personal contexts
Commentary
● is the reader's personal response and
evaluation of the text, supported by
evidence from the reading.

In commentary, readers:
. Express opinions or insights about the
text
. React emotionally or intellectually
. Agree or disagree with the writer's
perspective
. Relate the text to social, cultural, or
personal contexts

MINI CRITIQUE
● A mini critique in creative nonfiction is
a short analytical and reflective
response to a text, experience, or
narrative.
● It evaluates how meaning is created not
just what the text says, but how it says
it-using a thoughtful, reader-centered
voice.

A mini critique is:

. Short (1-2 paragraphs)
. Focused on strengths and weaknesses
of a text
. Reflective rather than purely academic
Written in clear, thoughtful language.

Key Elements of a Mini Critique

. Brief Context
. Evaluation
. Reflection
. Evidence