: Breaking the Fourth Wall in Creative Non-Fiction I went to see Deadpool 2 at the weekend and it got me thinking about fourth wall awareness in my own writing, specifically in creative non-fiction

I went to see Deadpool 2 at the weekend and it got me thinking about fourth wall awareness in my own writing, specifically in creative non-fiction that's based on my own life.

According to the first site linked to above, fourth wall awareness is:

The ability to be aware that one's Universe is fictional, and
potentially use this to act in otherwise impossible ways within their
fictional universe.

When I make myself the focus of a piece of writing, it's pretty clear (mostly) that the events are set in 'reality', but what if they're not? I mean, imagine that this universe is just a kind of play that is being staged for the benefit of beings from a higher dimension. If that were so, then it should be possible to break the forth wall on my own experience here.

But I'm not entirely sure if I can make this work. Perhaps I would just create a contradiction in terms somehow.

So my question is: what techniques could I use when writing a piece of creative non-fiction about myself that would enable me to effectively break the fourth wall and yet still make the piece viable to its readers?

Research: It's not at all relevant to my needs, but this question is a wonderful collection of thoughts around breaking the fourth wall: Can a writer joke with the reader without breaking the fourth wall?

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@Murray165

The fourth wall has someone on the other side. Typically, it's a contemporary reader/spectator anchored in "true" reality. If you want to direct this break towards some non-human aliens, that's for sure will be creative, but has to be executed right.

A popular alternative to a "generic reader" is a "concrete reader (listener)". The story is started as a narration (like, for example, "The princess bride" is a fairy tale that is read to a child). Then, during the course of the story, narrator can routinely break the fourth wall and discuss specific concerns with his/her audience.

However, a young boy is still a much more conventional audience than aliens. You may need to stop often to explain some trivial things, which can turn out either boring or amusing, I think you just have to try and see.

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: Breaking the Fourth Wall in Creative Non-Fiction I went to see Deadpool 2 at the weekend and it got me thinking about fourth wall awareness in my own writing, specifically in creative non-fiction

More posts by @Steve161

: Sensory Information Overload I'm reading The Book of Human Emotions by Tiffany Watt Smith (good stuff if you want to inform the use of emotion in your writing), and I've just come across Overwhelmed

: Need a bit of verse in my prose I am an (aspiring) fiction writer. I write prose. However, every so often, I run into a need for poetry. I might need a prophecy, or a ritual blessing, or

: Should I take breaks, or focus harder? I often have trouble deciding whether (or how often) to take breaks from writing, or to "double down" and try to write, and try to eliminate anything

: Writing a character who is an expert in something that I can't know I'm writing a story where the main character comes back from the dead. The character is fully lucid, knowledgeable and articulate

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