Storycraft: The Complete Guide to Writing Narrative Nonfiction (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)

From the work of the New Journalists in the 1960s, to the New Yorker essays of John McPhee, Susan Orlean, Atul Gawande, and a host of others, to blockbuster book-length narratives such as Mary Roach’s Stiff or Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City, narrative nonfiction has come into its own. Yet writers looking for guidance on reporting and writing true stories have had few places to turn for advice. Now in Storycraft, Jack Hart, a former managing editor of the Oregonian who guided several Pulitzer Prize–winning narratives to publication, delivers what will certainly become the definitive guide to the methods and mechanics of crafting narrative nonfiction.

Hart covers what writers in this genre need to know, from understanding story theory and structure, to mastering point of view and such basic elements as scene, action, and character, to drafting, revising, and editing work for publication. Revealing the stories behind the stories, Hart brings readers into the process of developing nonfiction narratives by sharing tips, anecdotes, and recommendations he forged during his decades-long career in journalism. From there, he expands the discussion to other well-known writers to show the broad range of texts, styles, genres, and media to which his advice applies. With examples that draw from magazine essays, book-length nonfiction narratives, documentaries, and radio programs, Storycraft will be an indispensable resource for years to come.

• Telling True Stories: A Nonfiction Writers' Guide from the Nieman Foundation at Harvard University
• You Can't Make This Stuff Up: The Complete Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction--from Memoir to Literary Journalism and Everything in Between
• Sound Reporting: The NPR Guide to Audio Journalism and Production
• Out on the Wire: The Storytelling Secrets of the New Masters of Radio
• Writing for Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction (Reference)
• The Art and Craft of Feature Writing: Based on The Wall Street Journal Guide
• Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer
• To Show and to Tell: The Craft of Literary Nonfiction
• The Art of Fact: A Historical Anthology of Literary Journalism
• On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction