What does ‘Creative’ mean in Creative Non-fiction?

A Place Writing Craft Note

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Place Writing sits comfortably in the genre of creative non-fiction. And, simply put, the creative part isn’t about making things up, it’s about how you tell the truth.

Research

Let’s start with research. Comprehensive research is conducted by a variety of methods: from time spent in the archives or in the library to online desk research; from getting out to see and experience place for yourself to visiting galleries and museums; and, attending lectures and seminars. For every piece you write there’ll be a different methodology, all of which builds a skeleton for your narrative.

Now you’ll want to show your research, allow it to be visible in your work. You don’t need to present it all, because that could make your writing come across as an academic paper which is not what we want. With creative non-fiction you’ll be able to show some of your research by illustrating how, when, and why you learned what you did, by incorporating passages of memoir-style first person accounts into your text.