Storycraft
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"In Storycraft, Jack Hart vividly explains a lifetime of valuable lessons in nonfiction narrative. For all the celebrity star power he brings to this book, his introduction makes the topic welcoming and accessible to students and reporters who may be new to the subject. And he practices what he preaches; this book entertains the reader. It's like listening to Mark Twain on how to tell a story." -Norman Sims, University of Massachusetts Amherst"
Product Description
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.
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9 reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Best Writing book on Writing Non-Fiction
15 Sep 2011
Format:Hardcover
I've read many books on writing non-fiction and this trumps them all. Most writing books have so many quotes of "good writing" that the author never says anything other than, "Hey, read this great quote and see how great this writing is."
Here you are given help! The author takes you through plot development, finding and developing characters, how to use quotations, and writes such a compelling non-fiction book that you know he knows how to write non-fiction and is thus highly qualified to write a book about writing non-fiction!
Excellent book and a good read.
Here you are given help! The author takes you through plot development, finding and developing characters, how to use quotations, and writes such a compelling non-fiction book that you know he knows how to write non-fiction and is thus highly qualified to write a book about writing non-fiction!
Excellent book and a good read.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Great detail, broadly applicable - even to nonwriters
11 Nov 2011
Format:Hardcover
Storycraft: The Complete Guide to Writing Narrative Nonfiction (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) by Jack Hart, the former Oregonian editor and narrative reporting coach covers the topic from a newspaper perspective, but the content applies not only to all creative narrative nonfiction but to many aspects of fiction writing as well. I recommend it to any author who wonders what "show don't tell" really means.
And I'll go even a step further: Storycraft is the perfect book for anyone seeking a better understanding of life. Jack writes, "The world delivers the facts, and nonfiction specialists have to make some sense of them," but all of us have the same longing when we encounter life's inexplicable tragedies, foiled destinies, or even just worrisome little events we witness.
Every life is packed with scenes and stories, as much action as a rousing novel, but with all the boring routine intervening. When we ponder life's climactic moments, we find the context that links our lives with humanity's common attributes. And just like an investigating reporter, we can use the techniques in Storycraft to wring meaning out of reality.
To paraphrase a point Jack makes, the ultimate payoff for Storycraft is when you can follow life's story from its specific unfolding to its underlying cosmic truth and then bring that new abstraction to bear on other specifics in your own and others' lives.
And I'll go even a step further: Storycraft is the perfect book for anyone seeking a better understanding of life. Jack writes, "The world delivers the facts, and nonfiction specialists have to make some sense of them," but all of us have the same longing when we encounter life's inexplicable tragedies, foiled destinies, or even just worrisome little events we witness.
Every life is packed with scenes and stories, as much action as a rousing novel, but with all the boring routine intervening. When we ponder life's climactic moments, we find the context that links our lives with humanity's common attributes. And just like an investigating reporter, we can use the techniques in Storycraft to wring meaning out of reality.
To paraphrase a point Jack makes, the ultimate payoff for Storycraft is when you can follow life's story from its specific unfolding to its underlying cosmic truth and then bring that new abstraction to bear on other specifics in your own and others' lives.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
To a lifelong newspaperman--Fascinating!
1 Mar 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Here is a book that should fascinate a writer of any stripe, no matter how his or her work is structured. While Storycraft is about writing narrative nonfiction, it addresses much more than story and structure. In fact many of the elements it covers--character, point of view, scene, action, etc.--can be applied in other types of writing, not to mention fiction. If you're a writer, this book should send you digging through your files to compare your work with the many real-life examples cited here. If you're a beginner, this book should help set you on a path to success. It's an engaging and pleasant read with your own ruminations as its only homework.
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