Good creative nonfiction craft books or articles?

Arcadia Divine · 12-30-2012, 07:20 AM

Just out of curiousity, are there any good creative nonfiction books out there that deal with the craft? The only book I've really ever found is one by writer's digest but I didn't get that due to the reviews I read on amazon. Also, are there any good articles out there about the craft of creative nonfiction?

Siri Kirpal · 12-31-2012, 02:25 AM

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Writing Life Stories by Bill Roorbach is excellent. While its primary focus is memoir, it also deals with personal essays and other narrative forms.

Your Life As Story by Tristine Rainer is also about memoir writing primarily. However, it has a good section about how to organize your material, which would be equally applicable to other forms of narrative nonfiction.

Hope that's the sort of thing you were looking for.

If it's not, and what you want is more ruminative, try The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy Sayers.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

gettingby · 12-31-2012, 11:26 PM

This isn't a book or an article, but their is a piece of outstanding creative nonfiction in the winter issue of Ploughshares called Unsaid by Gretchen Henderson. I think reading good stuff can help you write good stuff. The how-to books can only offer so much.

Sunnyside · 01-09-2013, 09:27 PM

I highly recommend William Zinsser's On Writing Well. There's a reason it's been perpetually in print for more than three decades now. It's a genuinely warm book that'll get you excited about writing nonfiction, rather than casting doubt on your ability, as I find happens with some "how to" guides.

Wandererer · 01-17-2013, 10:59 PM

I took a CNF class last year and we used "Tell it Slant" by Miller and Paolo which I thought was pretty decent for an instructional book. It has some good ideas for practice essays in each chapter, and even if you just do a couple you may find it helpful. I found myself suddenly writing about things I had never considered writing about before. We also used "Short Takes"

http://www.amazon.com/Short-Takes-En...dp/0393326004/

Which I found the best instruction of all. By reading it carefully you can learn for yourself what works and what doesn't, at least for you. I still pull it out regularly.

12-30-2012, 07:20 AM	#1
Arcadia Divine practical experience, FTW Join Date: May 2011 Location: Rapid City, SD Posts: 626	Good creative nonfiction craft books or articles? Just out of curiousity, are there any good creative nonfiction books out there that deal with the craft? The only book I've really ever found is one by writer's digest but I didn't get that due to the reviews I read on amazon. Also, are there any good articles out there about the craft of creative nonfiction? __________________ Everything bound to life dies eventually.

12-31-2012, 02:25 AM	#2
Siri Kirpal Swan in Process Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: In God I dwell, especially in Eugene OR Posts: 2,588	Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting) Writing Life Stories by Bill Roorbach is excellent. While its primary focus is memoir, it also deals with personal essays and other narrative forms. Your Life As Story by Tristine Rainer is also about memoir writing primarily. However, it has a good section about how to organize your material, which would be equally applicable to other forms of narrative nonfiction. Hope that's the sort of thing you were looking for. If it's not, and what you want is more ruminative, try The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy Sayers. Blessings, Siri Kirpal __________________ "The only freedom any of us ever has is the freedom to choose how we will not be free."

01-09-2013, 09:27 PM	#4
Sunnyside I am surrounded by WEIRDOS! Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Maryland Posts: 400	I highly recommend William Zinsser's On Writing Well. There's a reason it's been perpetually in print for more than three decades now. It's a genuinely warm book that'll get you excited about writing nonfiction, rather than casting doubt on your ability, as I find happens with some "how to" guides. __________________ Brian www.brianjayjones.com Author of Washington Irving "Charming." -- New York Times "Authoritative." -- Associated Press Now complete: Jim Henson: The Biography (September 24, 2013, Random House/Ballantine)

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12-31-2012, 11:26 PM	#3
gettingby practical experience, FTW Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1,175	This isn't a book or an article, but their is a piece of outstanding creative nonfiction in the winter issue of Ploughshares called Unsaid by Gretchen Henderson. I think reading good stuff can help you write good stuff. The how-to books can only offer so much.

01-17-2013, 10:59 PM	#5
Wandererer New Fish; Learning About Thick Skin Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Minnesota Posts: 24	I took a CNF class last year and we used "Tell it Slant" by Miller and Paolo which I thought was pretty decent for an instructional book. It has some good ideas for practice essays in each chapter, and even if you just do a couple you may find it helpful. I found myself suddenly writing about things I had never considered writing about before. We also used "Short Takes" http://www.amazon.com/Short-Takes-En...dp/0393326004/ Which I found the best instruction of all. By reading it carefully you can learn for yourself what works and what doesn't, at least for you. I still pull it out regularly.