Creative nonfiction deals with memories, but in an unique way. Since memory isn’t perfect, cnf allows the writer to relate a memory that they may not remember completely or not at all. It also allows the writer to bring in different point of views to make a whole memory or idea.

Sarah Dessen, in her novel Just Listen, describes this aspect through the reflection of her main character, Annabel: “So many versions of just one memory, and yet none of them were right or wrong. Instead, they were all pieces. Only when fitted together, edge to edge, could they even begin to tell the whole story.”

While the majority of creative nonfiction conveys at least one version of the truth, fiction does not. Fiction may be based on a conversation you had or heard, a dream remembered, or a person you passed on the street, but it is not the truth. And from a reader’s perspective, fiction is what you read when you want to travel the globe or even to another world.

As my readers have most likely figured out, I love creative nonfiction and I mainly write in the genre. This semester, however, I am taking an intermediate fiction class. I like writing fiction, but I don’t feel quite comfortable with it.

It’s taken me a while to realize why that is the case. I figured it out quite recently: I haven’t discovered my fiction voice even though I started writing fiction before anything else. To contrast, I easily discovered my creative nonfiction voice. Of course, I’ve been assuming that those voices are as different as the styles are.

But, what if they aren’t?

What if I applied my concise, sometimes blunt style of writing to my fictional stories? And conversely, what if I tried introducing more exposition and detail to my cnf?

What if?

I am always ready to challenge myself as a writer. This might be one of the biggest challenges that I’m going to face: figuring out my voice in each style. And it might be one keeps on pushing me.

As always, thank you for reading. Please comment your thoughts.