Creative Nonfiction: Researching and Crafting Stories of Real Life (Paperback)

~ (Author) "It was late afternoon, the day before the close of the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference in Vermont, when Bob Reiss approached the lectern of the..." (more)
Key Phrases: Bob Reiss, Terry Tempest Williams, Dave Rahm (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Nonfiction is in the facts. Creative nonfiction is in the telling. It reads like fiction, but stays loyal to the truth. Philip Gerard walks this fine line with confidence, style, and utter zeal, looking at the world with a reporter’s unflinching eye and offering it up with all the skill of a master storyteller. With the same clarity and passion, Gerard offers instruction and advice to help aspiring and experienced writers create pieces so compelling, so engaging, that readers will never forget them.

From the Publisher

Titles of related interest from Waveland Press: Armer, Writing the Screenplay: TV and Film, Second Edition (ISBN 9781577662334); Brooks, Words' Worth: A Handbook on Writing and Selling Nonfiction (ISBN 9781577660958); Catron, The Elements of Playwriting (ISBN 9781577662273); Catron, Playwriting: Writing, Producing, and Selling Your Play (ISBN 9780881335644); and McCloskey, Economical Writing, Second Edition (ISBN 9781577660637).

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Waveland Pr Inc; Revised edition (February 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157766339X
• ISBN-13: 978-1577663393
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #83,316 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Narrow View of Creative Nonfiction, January 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Creative Nonfiction: Researching and Crafting Stories of Real Life (Paperback)

This is not a comprehensive book about creative nonfiction. Instead, Gerard has a very narrow view of the field, limiting it almost exclusively to literary journalism. Many types of creative nonfiction (humor, reviews, opinion pieces, personal essays) are all but overlooked in this book. If you are interested in a more comprehensive treatment of creative nonfiction, look elsewhere. I would highly recommend Lynn Bloom's Fact & Artifact.If your primary interest is in literary journalism, you might want to read this book. However, Gerard does not just have a bias towards literary journalism, he also has a bias towards specific topics. Specifically, he writes almost entirely about war, Hemingway, risky activities, and nature. If you share most or all of his interests, you may be satisfied with this book. Otherwise, you might want to try reading something else.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional tool for writers, November 3, 2000

By	Gary Cohen (Croton, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Creative Nonfiction: Researching and Crafting Stories of Real Life (Paperback)

Creative Nonfiction is an invaluable resource for writers of reality-based material. I am a television producer and college film professor who specializes in documentary production. While this book is crafted for a print writer, it is by far the best resource I have found for a complete review of the nonfiction creative process. No film or television how-tos come close to the depth and insight of Gerard's work. From formulating an idea to conducting an interview, from structuring a story to creating suspense, Gerard has articulated priceless insight to a process that is too often intuitive and hard to communicate. A stunning achievement.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars good advice, well written, December 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Creative Nonfiction: Researching and Crafting Stories of Real Life (Paperback)

This book reads as smoothly as a novel,and you don't realize you are learning something. Gerard packs a lot of good advice in here and gives pertinent examples. A definite must-add to your collection if you plan to write nonfiction.( Some of the advice also applies to fiction).