Author: Olivia Schaap | Major: English
Olivia Schaap is an Honors College Grant recipient in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, pursuing a degree in English Creative Writing. Her thesis specializes in the genre of Creative Nonfiction, and she has been recognized nationally for her publications in the literary journals of Sigma Kappa Delta and the Sigma Tau Delta Rectangle.
Hi! I’m Olivia Schaap, an English major in Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, and I’m working on my creative writing thesis. During my first two years of college, I was captivated by every work of creative nonfiction I read, so with the guidance of my mentor Professor Toni Jensen, in the fall of 2021, I began writing a collection of personal essays exploring subjectivity and how we overcome biases.
Commonly referred to as the “fourth genre”, creative nonfiction is a genre of “true stories, well told.” Creative nonfiction is personal storytelling. It’s talking about real-life using the craft elements of creative writing. You’ve likely seen works of creative nonfiction on bookstore shelves in the form of memoirs, essay collections, or works of investigative journalism. The growing interest in such publications reveals a hunger for truth and meaning in our chaotic modern world.
Reading creative nonfiction is great for expanding one’s worldview and exploring empathy for another person’s life story. Doing your own writing in this genre is beneficial as well. The writing of creative nonfiction requires deep internal reflection partnered with creative expression. Mining out my own stories has helped me gain new perspectives and reconcile with my past. For example, an essay that began as a story about a former teacher has helped me gain closure towards several toxic relationships in my childhood. The factual reporting of creative nonfiction has helped me see my past more objectively, but the creative freedom of the genre allowed me to give validity to my emotional, subjective experience as well.
Given how subjective our internal lives are, it can be paradoxical to write truthful essays from a personal perspective. This dilemma is one of the most challenging aspects of the genre, and a large reason I chose it for my thesis. I wanted to be challenged to develop my skills and craft, to question my biases and push my boundaries. I am proud of the work I have done this semester, and couldn’t have done it without the guidance and support of my mentor, Dr. Toni Jensen. She has helped me refine and critique many of my essays, showing me new angles and perspectives. She has guided me in researching programs and opportunities to continue my writing, such as workshops, conferences, and graduate programs.
The Honors College research grant has been invaluable to my work this semester. Thanks to their support, I have been able to focus more on my writing and less on working to pay for my tuition and living expenses. The financial stability brought by their patronage has greatly lessened my burdens and freed up mental space for creative work. The grant has allowed me to invest in books and writing materials and brought my research up to greater quality. For example, next semester I plan to take a day trip to my great-grandmother’s hometown to investigate the local library’s genealogy records, whereas before I couldn’t have afforded to take the time off work for such a venture.
I am so grateful for the Honors College’s support, and to the many faculty members that have helped me along the way, be it through writing letters of recommendation, joining my committee, or advising my work. My thesis has not only honed my craft as a writer, helped me grow intrapersonally, and given me a network of faculty and resources, but it will also leave me with polished works for my portfolio upon my graduation in Spring of 2022. I have been fortunate to have several nonfiction essays published in local journals, and am excited that my thesis will add another distinction to my CV to help me advance my writing career.