Creative Nonfiction Unit Vocabulary (25-26)

Creative Nonfiction

a genre of writing that uses literary/narrative techniques and styles to create a factually accurate account based on the personal experiences of the author

Memoir

an account of the author's memory of the past which focuses on the author's relationship with him/herself, a person, a place, an event, or an object; it describes how the relationship impacted or changed the author in a significant way

Personal Narrative

an account that focuses on one meaningful event or experience from the author's life and is usually written like a story; it can include the thoughts, emotions, reflections, and reactions of the author

Context

anything beyond the specific words of a literary work that may be relevant to understand the meaning of the text

Inference

a conclusion or opinion that is formed based on known facts or evidence

Central Idea

a statement which clearly expresses the main point, argument, and/or idea related to a topic in an informational text

Author's Purpose

the specific reason why an author writes a text

Author's Point of View

the position or perspective conveyed or represented by an author or speaker (in nonfiction) and which is influenced by the author's/speaker's own beliefs, experiences, attitudes, and personal values

Diction

the author's choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing

Imagery

the use of words and phrases to create "mental pictures," or visuals in a reader's mind; the descriptions usually appeal to the five senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, smell)

External Conflict

a struggle between a character/person and an outside force. These outside forces could include another character/person, nature, and/or society.

Internal Conflict

a struggle between a character/person and him/herself. This could include making difficult decisions or dealing with mixed emotions.

Figurative Language

language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation in order to achieve a special effect/meaning

Metaphor

a comparison between two unlike things that does not use "like" or "as" in order to suggest a resemblance; a metaphor states that something is something else

Simile

a comparison between two unlike things that does use "like" or "as" in order to suggest a resemblance; a simile states that something is like something else

Personification

the act of attributing human characteristics or qualities to non-human things (animals, objects, things, etc.)

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally that are used to emphasize a particular point or idea

Concrete Language

language that is precise, specific, and used to refer to things we know through our senses of sight, sound, touch, smell and taste

Repetition

purposeful, deliberate repeating of words or phrases; often used by speakers/writers to emphasize a point and achieve a touch of stylistic power

Parallel Structure

when similar words or ideas are phrased in a similar structure to emphasize the connection between them