What is Narrative Nonfiction?
The books on this website are classified under the primary category of ‘Narrative Nonfiction’, with a secondary category of ‘ancient religious history’. They are true stories, based on ancient history. “But, what exactly is Narrative Nonfiction?” you might ask.
Well, a good basic definition of Narrative Nonfiction might be: ‘a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create a factually accurate narrative story’ (it is also sometimes called ‘Creative Nonfiction’ or ‘Literary Nonfiction’). Narrative Nonfiction differs from other nonfiction, such as academic/educational literature, technical writing, or journalism, in that these types of writings, although rooted in accurate fact, are not written to entertain or teach people by means of a story-based composition style or the quality of prose. For a text to be considered Narrative Nonfiction, it must be factually accurate (at least to within the limits of our knowledge), and written with attention to a literary style and technique that is meant to tell an interesting story.
The primary goal of Narrative Nonfiction is to communicate a story about true life, but to word it in such a way that it reads like a fictional account which captivates the imagination and incites further reflection.
There are five basic characteristics of the genre:
1) The people, events, and interactions penned in the story are based on verifiable documented fact. They are not invented from the writer’s mind.
2) A novel and thought-provoking perspective on the story is presented. This is usually the result of exhaustive research by the writer.
3) Gaps in our knowledge of the facts (or probability of certainty in the facts) are filled with reasonable and credible extrapolations.
4) The ‘scenes’ (or situations) in the story are ‘brought alive’ by colorful description and contextual development. This involves a literary prose style with polished language – as opposed to the typical journalistic style of objective reporting.
5) A sense of ‘believability’ and a desire for ‘reflection’ are paramount – both by the writer and by the reader. While the best Narrative Nonfiction satiates the mind with awe and wonder – inspiration and hope – the net effect must always be believability and the desire for further reflection. There should be valuable ‘take-aways’ from the story – beliefs about reality – morals, values, purpose – that just don’t hold up if it was fiction, or dry objective nonfiction. A reader reflecting on these ‘take-aways’ (e.g. “if the real-live hero could do it, then I can do it also!”) is a good sign that the Narrative Nonfiction writer has fulfilled his objective.
Finally, it must be mentioned that the issues of accuracy and ethics are forefront. The limits of creative invention are always ‘on the table’ (especially when it pertains to ancient history), and there have been some well-publicized incidents of writers who have greatly exaggerated or fabricated certain facts in their work. Nevertheless, the ethics that apply to Narrative Nonfiction are the same as those that apply to conventional nonfiction. The truth is meant to be upheld. But in Narrative Nonfiction, the truth is conveyed in a literary fashion – in a storyline that captures the imagination, the richness of the soul, and the tenderness of the heart.
Edward N Brown, 30 June 2022
