"[2] A forerunner of the lyrical essay is Truman Capote, author of In Cold Blood (1966), a book which introduced the nonfiction American novel.
Invented form can take any shape and organization which the writer creates to further communicate the essay.
According to Mary Heather Noble, the lyric essay is open to exploration and experimentation, and allows for the discovery of an authentic narrative voice.
[4] The lyric essay can take on any theme or topic, often containing what Lia Purpura calls "provisional responses," as opposed to certitude.
Lyric essays often consist of conversational digressions, due to its lack of a restrictive form.