Style and Form

‘Using a timely, narrative approach to write about actual people, events and issues for a broad audience produces works that lodge deep in the reader’s gut and resonates in their mind.’ (Ricketson, M. Telling True Stories: 2014)

When considering the choice of the style and form of my creative piece, there is one specific and important aspect to think about, what will be the most engaging narrative to readers?  Whilst reading The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, what stood out to me the most was the perspective that Summerscale chose to write in, she wrote in a third person narrative which in turn made it easier for her to jump from each of the character’s stories.

Lee Gutkind states in the Art of Creative Nonfiction, ‘as writers, we must learn to read the products we produce through the eyes of the people we are trying to reach.’ Evidently, what Gutkind is trying to establish is that when writers are choosing the style and form of their work, there should be heavy consideration on the target audience and what they will find engaging, rather than just what the writer thinks is interesting to read.

Gutkind also goes on to say that ‘the writer should visualise the structural elements of essays, chapters, books, and so forth, in order to achieve intellectual harmony with the work, specifically, and the reader, generally.’ Moreover, I have decided to use a third person narrative for my work as, although I have one character in mind that I am going to focus on, I still would like to discuss additional figures, as Summerscale did in The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. I would also like to include additional information in my work in terms of the history of the Winchester family, their business, and also Sarah Winchester’s life before she married; it will be easier for me to do this if I write in a third person narrative. 

In terms of form, I will be writing my story mainly through scenes as ‘scenes are the building blocks of creative nonfiction.  Scenes specifically and creative nonfiction generally are action orientated’ (Gutkind, L. 1997). Without the action of scenes and the imagery that they bring, there is nothing engaging for the reader.

Overall, as I now know from the research I have undertaken, there is nothing more important than making sure that the style and form of my work both, engages the reader, and brings across my story in the best way possible.