Telling True Stories

A Nonfiction Writers' Guide from the Nieman Foundation at Harvard University

By: Mark Kramer (Editor), Wendy Call (Editor)

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Paperback | 30 January 2007

At a Glance

Paperback
336 Pages

Age
18+

Dimensions(cm)
13.4 x 20.3 x 2.7

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$40.75

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Interested in journalism and creative writing and want to write a book? Read inspiring stories and practical advice from America's most respected journalists.

The country's most prominent journalists and nonfiction authors gather each year at Harvard's Nieman Conference on Narrative Journalism. Telling True Stories presents their best advice--covering everything from finding a good topic, to structuring narrative stories, to writing and selling your first book. More than fifty well-known writers offer their most powerful tips, including:

- Tom Wolfe on the emotional core of the story
- Gay Talese on writing about private lives
- Malcolm Gladwell on the limits of profiles
- Nora Ephron on narrative writing and screenwriters
- Alma Guillermoprieto on telling the story and telling the truth
- Dozens of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists from the Atlantic Monthly, New Yorker, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and more . . .

The essays contain important counsel for new and career journalists, as well as for freelance writers, radio producers, and memoirists. Packed with refreshingly candid and insightful recommendations, Telling True Stories will show anyone fascinated by the art of writing nonfiction how to bring people, scenes, and ideas to life on the page.

Industry Reviews

"Tantalizing essays... Ultimately this is a book about why stories matter and how journalists can and should master the craft of storytelling, whether they work in newspapers, magazines, books, radio, television, or film... [B]rims with wisdom on how to get to the emotional core of nonfiction stories. It contains useful advice on everything from how to get people to open up... to how to distill all the material you have gathered into a polished story that glues readers to the page... This is the kind of book that any aspiring storyteller can dip into and learn from, no matter what the stage of his or her career."--Alison Bass, Harvard Review

"Tips spill from every chapter of the book... Every page--and I mean every page--contains important wisdom for every journalist. Telling True Stories is the relatively rare guide that offers value to veteran journalists, to novices, to investigative journalists and to beat reporters.--Steve Weinberg, The IRE Journal

"A virtuoso collection of essays by writers on writing non-fiction; these remarkable insights into the craft were collected at Harvard University and includes selections from such notable veteran scribes as Tom Wolfe, Tracy Kidder, Susan Orlean, David Halberstam, Nora Ephron and Malcolm Gladwell."--The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"Practical advice for writers on how to get published, write a memoir, and more."--Boston Magazine

"Provides advice from 51 nonfiction writers, including notables Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese, and Nora Ephron... Writers coming to this book should not expect one clear-cut path for producing strong nonfiction; instead, the book provides pointed but wide-ranging advice on writing-a good illustration of the creativity behind nonfiction and the individuality of the writing process. There is enough variety for almost any nonfiction writer to find inspiration and guidance. Topics include interviewing techniques, storytelling, using tape recorders and notebooks, developing characters and scenes, and editing. The section titled 'Building a Career in Magazines and Books' will especially help new writers."--Library Journal

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