Creative Nonfiction: A Personal Essay Sequence

Abstract

I wrote ten-fifteen pages of creative nonfiction, which have become the start of a sequence of essays about my life. I focused in particular on the theme of "difference" and the "creation of identity through difference." I wanted to share my stories about growing up in a small town, being labeled "different," and what that does to a person's self-esteem and learning to enjoy being "different." I wanted to share my story and encourage others to embrace themselves and be able to live their lives to the absolute best of their capabilities, regardless of societal labels. In addition, this has served as a learning experience for writing in the genre of creative nonfiction, which I have little experience in, and learning further craft when it comes to the writing process regarding exploration, editing, and refinement.