The Art of Creative Nonfiction : Writing and Selling the Literature of Reality (Wiley Books for Writers Series)
by:
Gutkind, Lee
Publisher:
Wiley
Published:January 10, 1997
ISBN:0471113565
Format:Paperback
Pages:224
Description:
Amazon.com
This book is for the beginning creative nonfiction writer--one who needs to be told that writers are an eccentric lot; one who has never heard of the Yaddo artists' colony. Still, Lee Gutkind, the author of several books of creative
nonfiction and the founder/editor of the journal Creative Nonfiction, has some interesting things to tell us about this genre of writing, which strives to communicate real-life stories dramatically. The most important quality that a creative nonfiction
writer can have, writes Gutkind, is passion: "A passion for the written word; a passion for the search and discovery of knowledge; and a passion for ... understand[ing] intimately how things in this world work." Gutkind offers instruction on finding
story ideas, focusing one's work, keeping story files, fact checking, and interviewing; he tells us what to expect from editors and agents; and he teaches us how to know when we're ready to start writing (when you can "think of nothing more to ask or to
learn"). Perhaps the best tidbit here is Gutkind's emphasis on delving deeply into one's subject matter without inserting oneself into the situation. "While immersing myself in a writing project," he says, "I routinely like to compare myself to a rather
undistinguished and utilitarian end table in a living room or office. It is a fixture. You walk in and out of your living room dozens of times a day. You see the table, you expect to see the table, but you do not say, 'Well, there is the table, hello
table.'" Appendices include a sample book proposal and readings.
Product Description:
A complete guide to the art and craft of creative nonfictionandmdash;from one of its pioneer practitioners
The challenge of creative nonfiction is
to write the truth in a style that is as accurate and informative as reportage, yet as personal, provocative, and dramatic as fiction. In this one-of-a-kind guide, award-winning author, essayist, teacher, and editor Lee Gutkind gives you concise, pointed
advice on every aspect of writing and selling your work, including:
Guidelines for choosing provocativeandmdash;and salableandmdash;topics
Smart research techniquesandmdash;including advice on conducting penetrating interviews and using
electronic research tools
Tips for focusing and structuring a piece for maximum effectiveness
Advice on working successfully with editors and literary agents
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