I quit teaching creative nonfiction for a long while, because one student got very upset over getting a 93. She was writing about being a Goth in high school, and drinking blood.

The piece though shocking was beautifully written. I told her my only complaint was she got vague in places.

She replied, "You don't want to hear about that."

I answered: "Well, you either be honest and brave, and tell us because we need to know--or you leave that part out."

I decided students needed the protection of fiction to present work in public in workshop, so I gave up doing CN in classes, but I continued to write it.

AND I am going to give it a try again next year. A second problem you have with CN is that you know some students will lie to make it a better story and get a better grade. That's the way students are these days--and may have been since the beginning of time.

That's the way it is with some writers too.