1. Non-Fiction An Introduction

2. What is non-fiction? Non fiction is the opposite of fiction Fictional literature is writing that is the product of an author’s imagination and invention Non-fiction is based on actual experience, research or observations. Non-fiction claims to convey or represent some truth.

3. There are many types of non-fiction: • Essay • Biography • Autobiography • Memoir • Journalistic writing • Newspaper articles • Magazine articles • News reports

4. Different types of non-fiction have different purposes: Entertain: Some pieces of writing merely exist to entertain readers and provide a source of enjoyment, such as humorous essays Inform: Share objective information such as news articles Explain: Provide direction or explanation of a certain situation Persuade: Change or form a reader’s opinion regarding a certain topic. This type of writing is subjective.

5. What’s the difference between subjective and objective? • Objective: Writing that attempts to present facts and figures that are not tainted by opinion. • Example: There is a 90 percent chance of rain with a likely high temperature of 90 degrees. • Subjective: Writing that conveys personal opinions and stances. • Example: Today is going to be disgustingly humid and gross.

6. Within the different purposes, authors use different types of writing: Description: creating a picture of a subject and communicating sensory details Narration: telling a series of events Exposition: presenting information to explain a subject Argumentation/Persuasion: Attempting to influence or change people’s ideas or actions The act of writing persuasively is called Rhetoric.

7. Aristotle’s Rhetoric Aristotle literally wrote the book on Rhetoric. According to Aristotle, excellent rhetoricians utilize 1) Ethos: ethical appeals 2) Pathos: emotional appeals 3) Logos: logical appeals Many essay writers incorporate these appeals into their work in order to gain sympathy from the reader

8. The Essay The English word “Essay” comes from the French word “J’essaie” which means “I try” A French writer by the name of Michel de Montaigne coined the word and wrote the first modern essay in the sixteenth century An essay “tries” to convey a personal perspective in a short amount of space

9. There are two types of essay: Formal Informal Serious in tone Tightly organized Tries to be objective Like essays that you write for class and on tests Often light-hearted in tone Moves from topic to topic in a less organized manner Contain personal viewpoints and showcase the author’s personality

10. Title? • Author? • Writer’s position? • Does the writer reveal his/her personality? • What is the tone? Serious? Funny? • Characterize the diction? Formal? Slang? • What is the purpose? • Who is the intended audience? • What factual information is conveyed? • What literary devices are used? (Figurative language, Imagery, Symbolism etc.) When we read an essay we should look at certain elements and ask ourselves certain questions…

11. Go to SharePoint and click on the “NPR This I Believe” link • Browse through the essays and choose one to read in it’s entirety. • Complete the Non-Fiction Essay form as you read (be thorough and specific in your responses in order to gain full credit) • On the back of the worksheet, write a two paragraph synopsis of the article you chose and why • This is due next class period. Let’s read and analyze an essay…