In class, we did an assignment that surprisingly really exercised my mind. The readings that were assigned all had to deal with creating and developing characters, and how to turn yourself into an actual character. I'll be completely honest-I found it very difficult to make a list about myself, pointing out my likes and dislikes, my quirks and flaws. The actual facts themselves-i.e. my age, sex, ethnicity, etc-were obviously not difficult to list. However, when I had to look deeper into myself, I realized that I need to learn more about who am I. I suppose these were things that I never really had to actually sit and ponder about.
Kidder and Lopate place a strong emphasis on the fact that the writer's persona has a strong hold on their creative nonfiction writing. It is much easier for a writer to create characters when they know themselves, and are able to identify their flaws, as well as other aspects of their personalities.
Lott also discusses the importance of knowing oneself, and claims, "The self as continent, and you its first explorer: another definition of creative nonfiction" (196). This quote really stands out to me, because one would think it would be easy to get to know and explore the self. But, like I stated, the in class journal writing really proved to me how difficult it actually is to pin point every aspect of your personality.
All in all, I do not think that there is just one perfect definition to what creative nonfiction is. There are so many realms to it. So many important ideas and creativity go into writing. However, I do find it extremely important to get to know who you are and to create a character in and of yourself before the writer in you takes over.
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