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NonfictionYou must read this: When journalists become authors: a few cautionary tips (Peter Ginna for Nieman Storyboard)
See also Narrative Nonfiction (a/k/a creative or literary nonfiction) and Memoir, Biography, and Corporate History
American Society of Journalists & Authors (ASJA), professional association of freelance/independent journalists and nonfiction book writers, who share info about markets, writing rates, contracts, editors, agents, etc. Members have access to samples of successful query letters and book proposals, among other resources. Non-members may attend the annual conference; there is also a more advanced day for members only.
Books on the craft of nonfiction
• The Art of Fact: A Historical Anthology of Literary Journalism , ed. Kevin Kerrane and Ben Yagoda • The Art of the Personal Essay: An Anthology from the Classical Era to the Present, edited with an excellent introduction by Phillip Lopate • The Elements of Story: Field Notes on Nonfiction Writing, by Francis Flaherty • Follow the Story: How to Write Successful Nonfiction by James Stewart • Imaginative Writing: The Elements of Craft, by Janet Burroway • Intimate Journalism: The Art and Craft of Reporting Everyday Life, ed. Walt Harrington • The Making of a Story: A Norton Guide to Creative Writing, ed. Alice LaPlante (how writers create -- for serious writing students and teachers) • The Passionate, Accurate Story: Making Your Heart's Truth into Literature, by Carol Bly (you'll have to buy used copies as it's out of print) • The Situation and the Story: The Art of Personal Narrative by Vivian Gornick • Story Building: Narrative Techniques for News and Feature Writers by Ndaeyo Uko • Telling True Stories: A Nonfiction Writers' Guide from the Nieman Foundation at Harvard University, ed. Mark Kramer, Wendy Call (an excellent guide) • Writing a Book That Makes a Difference, by Philip Gerard • Writing Nonfiction: Turning Thoughts into Books, by Dan Poynter (his guide to self-publishing, repackaged) Books on the craft of narrative nonfiction. Dictionaries, clarity, and the Supreme Court:
• Skip The Legalese And Keep It Short, Justices Say (Nina Totenberg, NPR's Morning Edition, 6-13-11, audio and transcript). Worth reading for the concluding anecdote alone. • Justices Turning More Frequently to Dictionary, and Not Just for Big Words by Adam Liptak (NY Times 6-13-11). 18 strategies for brainstorming a title, an excellent guide to developing great titles, from Developmental Editing: A Handbook for Freelancers, Authors, and Publishers by Scott Norton, posted on Scrib'd
The Elements of Story: Field Notes on Nonfiction Writing, by Francis Flaherty
From Academia to Amazon: Is a bestseller hiding in your academic papers? (Alan Rinzler, The Book Deal,3-23-10)
Hijacking History: SBOE Conservatives Rewrite American History Books (Brian Thevenot, The Texas Tribune, 1-12-10). A fascinating study of political influence shaping Texas social studies textbooks.
The Historian's Gaze. Blog for the Masters Seminar in History in 2009 at Dalhousie University houses, with entries such as False Memory and Historians' Fallacies.
Interesting Nonfiction for Kids (I.N.K.). Rethinking nonfiction for kids.
Menand, Louis. Excellent New Yorker essay, The Historical Romance: Edmund Wilson's Adventures with Communism ( 3-24-03), in which Menand writes: "Intuitive knowledge—the sense of what life was like when we were not there to experience it—is precisely the knowledge we seek. It is the true positive of historical work." Read full essay at http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2003/03/24/030324crbo_books1.
When the author isn't a writer: bringing in a ghost (Alan Rinzler, The Book Deal, 8-5-08, on getting experts published). See also section on Book collaboration and ghostwriting.
Will the E-Book Kill the Footnote? (Alexandra Horowitz, NY Times, 10-7-11)
Writing the Personal Essay, an excellent quick guide to structuring a narrative essay, by Adair Lara (writer, teacher, writing coach, and author of Naked, Drunk, and Writing: Shed Your Inhibitions and Craft a Compelling Memoir or Personal Essay) |
Websites, organizations, and other resourcesA GREAT READ
Blog roll, too
and communities of book lovers
Best reads and most "discussable"
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Recommended reading
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Includes original text by Sarah Wernick
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