Creative Nonfiction Out Loud: This American Life & The Moth

Creating Your Own Creative Nonfiction

Your task is to create a five to ten minutes story in the style of This American Life or The Moth.

Moth-style stories will be performed in class starting Wednesday, March 18.

This American Life-style stories will be shared in class starting Monday, March 23.

Option 1: This American Life

“This American Life is a weekly public radio show broadcast on more than 500 stations to about 2.1 million listeners. There's a theme to each episode, and a variety of stories on that theme. It's mostly true stories of everyday people, though not always. There's lots more to the show, but it's sort of hard to describe.” [text from thisamericanlife.org]

• If you choose this option you will create a five to ten minutes nonfiction story on a topic of your choice.
• This story will be told in first person but will need to include at least two speakers other than yourself.
• The story should follow the advice that Ira Glass gives in his lecture on making radio better. Click here for Ira Glass's advice about This American Life-style creative nonfiction.
• The story can be submitted in the form of an audio file or script. (An example script is attached. If you choose a script you have to read it to the class.) Click here to see the format of a This American Life script. Click here for a resource to help create a This American Life style audio file.
• You may work with a partner (or two) on this story.

Option 2: The Moth

The Moth is an acclaimed not-for-profit organization dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. It is a celebration of both the raconteur, who breathes fire into true tales of ordinary life, and the storytelling novice, who has lived through something extraordinary and yearns to share it. At the center of each performance is, of course, the story – and The Moth’s directors work with each storyteller to find, shape and present it. [text from themoth.org]

• If you choose this option you will create a five to ten minute nonfiction story on a topic of your choice.
• This story will be told in first person.
• This story should follow the storytelling tips on The Moth website. (The tips are here.)
• The story will be crafted, revised, and practiced ahead of time but delivered live in class. There a lots of examples at themoth.org.