Creative Non-Fiction

Module 8
 Target

Getting constructive criticism of your writing is one of the best ways to

improve and learn your craft. However, giving critique to other writers isn't
just a way of paying people back for the critique they've given you - you can
also learn a great deal from analyzing other people's writing to find out what
works and what doesn't.

In your previous lesson, you are done with presenting a

commentary/critique on a chosen creative nonfictional text representing a
particular type or form.

This learner material will provide you with guides and tips on how you
write a mini critique of your peer’s work based on coherence and
organization of paragraphs, development of literary elements use of factual
information, and other qualities concerning form and content.

After going through this learner material, you are expected to:
1. create own process or steps in making a critique;
2. construct an essay employing coherence and organization of
paragraphs, development of literary elements use of factual information, and
other qualities concerning form and content; and
3. write a clear and coherent critique of your peer’s work.
(HUMSS_CNF11/12-IId-e-18)

Be reminded that you should use a separate sheet of paper for all of your
answers in each activity. Please do not write anything on this module.

Before going on, check how much you know about this topic.
Have fun!

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 Module

8 Peer Critique

In learner material 7, you have learned about presenting a

commentary/critique on a chosen creative nonfictional text representing a
particular type or form. In this module, you will learn how to write a mini
critique of your peer’s work based on coherence and organization of
paragraphs, development of literary elements use of factual information, and
other qualities concerning form and content.

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 Jumpstart

For you to understand the lesson well, do the following activities.

Have fun and good luck!

Activity 1: Brainstorm it!

What do you know about the word, “CRITIQUE”?
A. Directions: Brainstorm and provide ten (10) words/terms you can
think that is connected or relative to the word Critique. Copy this graphic
organizer on a separate sheet and start brainstorming.

CRITIQUE

B. Directions: Now, make a complete statement as your own

definition of Critique using the brainstormed pool of words. Write your
answer on a separate sheet of paper.

Definition of CRITIQUE:

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Activity 2: Free Essay
What are your experiences with peer review? Are they positive or
negative? Why? What made peer review work or not work for you? What’s
your biggest pet peeve? What do you wish it would be like?
Directions: Answer these questions in not more than five (5) sentences.
Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

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 Discover

You are done with the jumpstart activities. Now, here is the discussion
of the topic.
Enjoy reading while understanding it!

Good creative nonfiction writing must have coherence and

organization of paragraphs, development of literary elements use of factual
information, and other qualities concerning form and content.

Organization is said that ideas are well-developed when there is a

clear statement of purpose, position, facts, examples, specific details,
definitions, explanation, justifications, or opposing viewpoints. Organization
is achieved when these ideas are logically and accurately arranged.
Organization means that your argument flows logically from one point to the
next.

If there is a
clear statement
of purpose,
position, facts, IDEAS are formed
examples,
and well- And if there is there is
specific details,
definitions, developed called organization, COHERENCE
explanation, ORGANIZATION
justifications, or
opposing
viewpoints,

Coherence means that sentences are arranged in a logical manner,

making them easily understood by the reader. Cohesion is the connection of
ideas at sentence level. Cohesion means that the elements of your paper
work together smoothly and naturally.

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 Your topic will suggest the Structure of your text. Structure is the
arrangement or organization of the text.
a. Chronological structure- an arrangement of events in a linear
fashion as they occurred in time.
b. Flashback structure- beginning in a certain point of the story then
moving back in the past.
c. Parallel structure- a type of structure that has several stories,
running side by side with occasional cross-cutting or convergence.
d. Collage or Mosaic structure- it involves pasting together of small
fragments, which all together build up the total picture of what happened.
e. Question and Answer structure- it allows the reader to hear the
subject’s voice without awkwardness of having to repeat “he said” or “she
said” before or after every direct quotation.
f. Frame or The story-within-a-story- it is a good structure to use
when you want to say two stories- say, a travel narrative, where the actual
physical journey is paralleled by an inner journey.

Creative Nonfiction writing must have 3 parts: Introduction, Body,

and Ending/Conclusion.

The purpose of introduction is to grab the readers’ attention and

compel them to read further. It should have a strong and dramatic
beginning.

a. Title
It is not necessarily written before the piece is written, but it is good to
have a working title to help you focus.

b. The first paragraph

First paragraphs lead the reader to reading the whole text. Thus, it
must catch attention, give the reader a hint of what the subject is, set the
tone, and guide the reader to what comes next.
The key to good creative nonfiction is dramatic writing and the key to
good dramatic writing is action.
Ways of beginning:

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 - plunge right into the middle of the action

In the body, highly effective use of sensory details and different

literary devices bring the story to life.
Literary Elements refer to particular identifiable characteristics of a
whole text. They are not “used”, per se, by authors; they represent the
elements of storytelling which are common to all literary and narrative
forms. For example, every story has a theme, every story has a setting, every
story has a conflict, every story is written from a particular point of view,
etc. In order to be discussed legitimately as part of a textual analysis,
literary elements must be specifically identified for that particular text.

But, why use factual information?

Creative nonfiction is about fact and truth. The truth can be about a
personal experience, event, or issue in the public eye. You can research on
your topic: primary (interview, personal experience, or participant
observation) and secondary research (books, magazines, newspaper, Web)
  Never invent or change facts.
  An invented story is fiction.
  Provide accurate information.
  Write honestly and truthfully.
  Information should be verifiable.
  Provide concrete evidence.
  Use facts, examples, and quotations.
  Use literary devices to tell the story.
  Choose language that stimulates and entertains the reader, such
as simile, metaphor, imagery.

Ending a creative nonfiction piece must be the logical conclusion of

the flow of your text or of the development of your ideas. The reader must be
left with the impression that the subject was adequately discussed or
presented.
Ways of ending:
Dramatic denouement
Note of quiet lyricism
Moral lesson
Anecdote
Point made at the beginning of the essay

You are done with the content knowledge in writing good creative
nonfiction piece.
Now, can you give a feedback on your peer’s written piece?
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 Critique is a critical discussion or review that describes, summarizes,
analyzes, and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of a work. It is
written in paragraph form.

Peer critique or peer review is the practice of writers to review and

provide constructive criticism of each other’s works.

Peer Critique Guidelines

1. Be kind: Always treat others with dignity and respect. This means we
never use words that are hurtful, including sarcasm.
2. Be specific: Focus on particular strengths and weaknesses, rather than
making general comments like “It’s good” or “I like it.” Provide insight into
why it is good or what, specifically, you like about it.
3. Be helpful: The goal is to positively contribute to the individual or the
group, not to simply be heard. Echoing the thoughts of others or cleverly
pointing out details that are irrelevant wastes time.
4. Participate: Peer critique is a process to support each other, and your
feedback is valued!

How to Write a Critique: Suggested Critique Format

1. Summarize and interpret. At this first stage, you are not judging
the piece or offering suggestions. You are just telling the author what you
think it is about, and what you think it is trying to do. This is important
because it tells the author how well he or she has succeeded in
communicating. It also tells the author if you have understood the piece
correctly.
2. Say what you think is working well. Positive feedback can be as
useful as criticism. Point out the best parts of the piece and the strengths of
the author's writing. This can help the author write more "best parts" in the
future and develop his or her individual talent.
3. Give constructive criticism. Make sure that criticism is respectful
and delivered in a form that allows the author to make specific
improvements. Give examples from the piece whenever possible to show
your points.

How to Write a Critique: Do's and Don'ts

DO:
  Read the piece several times ahead of time
  Try to experience the piece as an "ordinary reader" before you
consider it as an author or editor
  Try to understand the author's goals
  Be specific in your feedback and provide relevant examples

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 DON'T:
  Impose your own aesthetics, tastes, or world view
  Rewrite the story the way you would have written it
  Discourage the author
  Offer criticisms that are too general to help the author make
specific improvements

NOTE: Don't expect your first critique to be perfect. Do expect your ability to
critique it will improve with practice over time, just like your writing.

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 Explore

Here are some enrichment activities for you to work on to master and
strengthen the basic concepts you have learned from this lesson.

Enrichment Activity 1: My Critique Process!

Directions: From what you have understood in the lesson, construct your
own process or steps in making a critique paper. Write your answer on a
separate sheet of paper.

1
• f

• f

• .

4
• .

5
•

Assessment 1: Check your Understanding

Directions: Answer each question in not more than three (3) sentences.
Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. What are the things you considered to come up with your 5 steps in
critiquing a peer’s literary work?
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2. Why is there a need to create your own 5-step process or a cheat sheet
before doing the peer critique?
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3. How does the use of peer critique improve student writing?

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4. Is this statement true? Critique the writing, not the writer. Why or why
not?
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5. What does the lines, “Allow yourself to fail at this in the beginning. Just as
writing takes practice, so does the art of critique.” mean?
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6. When you write your critique, do you still need to apply proper
organization, coherence, structure and form? Why?
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Great job! You have understood the lesson.

Are you now ready to apply what you have learned?

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 Gauge

Directions: Read carefully each item. Use a separate sheet for your
answers. Write only the letter of the best answer for each test item.

1. What property of a well-developed writing is achieved when ideas are

logically and accurately arranged?
A. Coherence C. Organization
B. Cohesion D. Unity
2. What part of an essay arguments are summed up and provide a final
perspective on a topic?
A. Body C. Introduction
B. Conclusion D. Plot
3. What part of an essay does writer builds up his paper paragraph by
paragraph according to the topics and sections that he has identified in his
outline?
A. Body C. Introduction
B. Conclusion D. Plot
4. Which of the following statements is NOT included in the critique writing
format?
A. Write the synopsis.
B. Make a summary outline.
C. Evaluate the purpose of the paper.
D. Suggest on how to improve the essay.
5. Which of the following activities is NOT a part of interpreting and
evaluating creative nonfiction?
A. Discussion of the work’s style.
B. Statement of topic and purpose.
C. See the effectiveness of the work.
D. Discussion of appeal to a particular audience.
6. Which of the following actions do you need to do before you write?
A. Take a test. C. Eat a good lunch.
B. Read a good book. D. Research your topic.
7. What will you do to analyze a text?
A. Read the text. C. Ask essential questions.
B. Rewrite the text. D. Highlight all highfalutin words.
8. How do you interpret a certain passage?
A. Read the text many times.
B. Paraphrase the whole text.
C. Search for the theme of the passage.
D. Examine the literary elements that the author includes.

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9. How will you comment on a given text?
A. Summarize the plot.
B. Annotate on the important events.
C. Construct an outline of the whole text.
D. Give your judgement and reaction on the text.
10. Why should a text have both cohesion and coherence?
A. It creates a balanced and structured organization in a text.
B. It is actually fine for a text to just have one without the other.
C. Without the other, a text will still be confusing for the readers.
D. The readers will not be convinced to agree with the writer’s point.
11. In what way can one distinguishes a critical reader to a non-critical
reader?
A. They simply think.
B. They assume things.
C. They examine the book.
D. They distinguish the errors in a literary piece.
12. What is/are the way/s that you can do to make a mini critique?
I. Examine how the structure and language of the text convey
its meaning.
II. Give the reader a sense of the writer’s overall purpose and
intent.
III. Make a judgement of the work’s worth or value.
IV. State the significance or importance of each part of the text.
A. I only B. I & II C. II, III, & IV D. I, II, III, & IV
13. What is/are the pro/s of writing a mini critique?
I. Knowledge of the work's subject area or related works.
II. Recognition of the strengths and weaknesses of the work.
III. Understanding of the work's purpose, intended audience,
development of argument, structure of evidence or creative style.
A. I only B. II & III C. I, II, & III D. none of the above
14. As a reader, how will you perform analyzing and summarizing in a piece
of writing?
A. Write a description.
B. Consult a dictionary.
C. Focus on what the author has written.
D. Analyze the structure of the passage by identifying all main ideas.
15. Which of the following statements is a proof that peer critiquing is
important to students?
A. Guides in creating a better relationship to peers.
B. Develops good understanding on the part of the learners.
C. Develops critical thinking skills and make evaluative judgements.
D. Transforms learners to differentiate denotation from connotation.

Great job! You are almost done with this module.

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