For Kidder, CNF is directly related to the concept of "self". While truth is what drives CNF, plausibility is the key factor, is this something legitimate that someone will believe? Judith Ortiz Cofer's Silent Dancing describes not only what, typical daily life was like through her memories and experiences, but also what life was like, culturally for Puerto Ricans in the 1940s and 50s. The asides describing the family parties, depicting the gossip, and revealing shocking secrets about peripheral characters gave further depth into this portrait of an "Americanizing" puerto rican family. In this the writer's relationship is primary to the idea of "self". Lopate, in the affirmative of Kidder, states, "characters...will need to become knowable enough in their broad outlines to behave 'believably'...". Even if the character is fictional, the experiences, the story of that character has to be drawn from a source, most conveniently, the self. 
Lott's definition of CNF, "...it is writing about oneself in relation to the subject at hand." Finding a perspective from which to write is key. Lott also emphasized that CNF,  "cannot at anytime be self-serving." I believe this point to be especially difficult to understand and achieve in writing, simply because we naturally want to believe the best about ourselves, but even beyond that is the examination of our tics, traits, mannerisms; basically all the things that makes everyone an individual, and find a way to arrange and present it objectively.
I feel these concepts helped to further refine my definition of CNF, a voice needs to have an origin, the story has to be delivered in such a way to convince the reader of the truth in the piece. Every story has three sides, your side, my side and the truth. I only get to tell the reader my side of the story; if I've convinced the reader that my side is the truth, I would consider that a relatively well done job.