Writer’s Memo

To: Peer Reviewers of my CNF piece

From: J. [name omitted]

Date: 20 February 2007

Re: CNF 1 Draft 1

This piece fulfills our assignment to create a first draft of creative nonfiction. The piece is a short conversation I had with a cashier and my immediate reflection afterward. I wanted to convey in this piece that the human condition is universal and that our beliefs can be shaken with exposure. It begins with my initial contact with the cashier and continues through our entire exchange. The real-life time span of the piece is less than five minutes. I am hoping the reader will find heart in the story.

I did not write this piece immediately after the event took place, so I tried my best to revisit the conversation and how I felt based entirely upon memory. I didn’t want to include too much detail because I did not want that to take away from the main flow of the piece. I am not sure if the balance between dialogue and narrative is too overwhelming or lacking in personality.

What I like so far is the vagueness of my piece. I am not used to writing with such a small amount of detail and it was certainly a challenge for me to fight that urge to be more precise. For example, I have a crisp picture of what the cashier looks like in my mind, but I resisted the urge to respond to that in my piece. I am hoping that my lack of description will give my story more of a universal appeal.

At this point, I am open to changing a lot or a little of this piece as needed. I like the main idea I have, but as far as structure and organization, I would certainly be prepared to make a lot of changes.

I am not sure if this piece needs more substance in it to make it work. Does it seemed rushed or like you don’t receive some closure from it? I know that length shouldn’t matter as much as the actual quality of the work, but is there enough text in the piece for you to become invested in it as a reader? Please refer to specific lines or sections that you think improvement is needed.

I’m not sure if I can derive a specific tone from this piece at this point. Did you take notice of a particular tone or style in this story? Is it something you can relate to or do you find yourself bored and looking for something deeper? Where specifically in the piece do you find needs more (or less) substance?

I have never really created a piece made up almost exclusively of dialogue, but I wanted to try something new. I’m unhappy with my conclusion at this point, because I want it to reflect nicely on the initial dialogue of the piece. That is something I definitely plan on trying to improve.

I would really appreciate a written or typed response to my questions. Any feedback you are able to give me will be sincerely appreciated. Thank you.