The beginning creative writer usually needs to learn the distinction between creative writing and purely informational or reportorial exposition. This can often be accomplished through writing assignments incorporating the concepts of New Journalism--the method of rendering realistically, from the point of view of an outsider who has temporarily been an insider, the essence of a personality, atmosphere, or lifestyle. An example of such an assignment would be to have a student write about a subject chosen from among well-known people and lifestyles using the following criteria: (1) tell a story moving from scene to scene using as little exposition as possible; (2) record dialogue realistically; (3) use the third-person point of view; (4) record everyday gestures, habits, manners, customs, styles of furniture, clothing, decoration, modes of behaving, looks, glances, poses, styles of walking, and other symbolic details indicative of the subject's status. Such assignments help the student writer to develop a personal literary voice and to understand how fiction grows out of personal experience. (AEA)