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

Jack Hart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 2011 | ISBN-10: 0226318141 | ISBN-13: 978-0226318141

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If you have any interest in trying to craft the kind of narrative nonfiction practiced by the likes of John McPhee, Mary Roach, Tracy Kidder, Susan Orlean and Erik Larson, this is a book for you. . . . It offers any nonfiction writer, and freelancer, concrete ways to think about a topic, visualize the most interesting way of presenting its narrative arc, and organize most effectively the presentation of material."

(Writer 20110801)

“Instructive and essential, reading Storycraft is like finding the secret set of blueprints to the writer's craft. Better still, it is engaging, funny, and wise—wonderful to read and wonderful to learn from.”

(Susan Orlean 20101216)

“Jack Hart was hands-down the best narrative editor ever to work in newspapers.”

(Jon Franklin, author of Writing for Story and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner 20101029)

“When I think back on what I have learned about storytelling over the last 30 years, the trail of memory leads back time and again to Jack Hart. No one has done more to inspire better narrative writing in America.”

(Roy Peter Clark, author of Writing Tools and The Glamour of Grammar 20101028)

“I’d tell you that I am the best writing coach there is—if I didn’t know Jack Hart.”

(Bruce DeSilva, former Associated Press writing coach, author of Rogue Island 20101029)

“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 )

“The importance of understanding and utilizing established methods of narrative writing is emphasized throughout the book (structure, point of view, voice and style, setting, scene construction, interviewing), but Storycraft transcends typical writers guides through Hart's insights to what story is and how human nature determines the fundamentals of any well-written story. Rather than confine his scope to how to write well, Hart makes a case for why one should write well.”

(Oregonian )

“Jack Hart's new book is quite remarkable. . . . It's the story of how to succeed. . . . How to make your mind observe, how to put your observations into words, how to turn reporting into vision and words into power. . . . Read it. It speaks for itself.”

(Jon Franklin )

“Despite a career focused on the world of journalism, the author demonstrates much insight into the canon of more "literary" creative nonfiction by choosing sound examples that are both accessible and widely acclaimed. . . . This book can function as both a practical introduction to narrative nonfiction and a concise refresher for professionals.”

(Choice )

“For me, [Hart’s] book's appearance was fruitful timing, not unlike finding a new recipe the morning of a dinner party and realizing all the ingredients are in your pantry. Hart's Storycraft: The Complete Guide to Writing Narrative Nonfiction fortified me. It underscored lessons I thought I'd already mastered, prompting me to think deeper—and talk to my editors more—about the importance of theme."—Nieman Reports

(Nieman Reports )

About the Author

Jack Hart is a former managing editor and writing coach at the Oregonian. He received the first National Teaching Award from the American Society of Newspaper Editors and  a University of Wisconsin Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to journalism, has taught on the faculties of six universities, and was named the Ruhl Distinguished Professor at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. He is the author of A Writer’s Coach.

 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (July 15, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226318141
• ISBN-13: 978-0226318141
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #357,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Writing book on Writing Non-Fiction September 15, 2011

By jeff weddle

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.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great detail, broadly applicable - even to nonwriters November 11, 2011

By Kae Bender - Legacy author (ABNA )

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars To a lifelong newspaperman--Fascinating! March 1, 2012

By Eugene B. Everett Jr.

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.