Writing True: The Art and Craft of Creative Nonfiction

by Sondra Perl and Mimi Schwartz

Book Overview

This innovative book teaches students how to write informative and engaging nonfiction that emphasizes voice and creativity and incorporates observation, research, memory, and point of view. Writing... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0618370757
• ISBN13: 9780618370757
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 396 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.6" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

A Nonfiction Writer's Essential

I'm in the middle of my Nonfiction Workshop class, but it's already abundantly clear that this book is essential to Nonfiction writing. The book breaks down terms and details about how to start and move through your nonfiction piece. It also includes essays from other writers as examples. This book is laid out great to take notes, and fits in purses and back pockets as easily as backpacks. I HIGHLY recommend this book for how it delivers ideas and pieces and how easily everything a nonfiction writer needs to know comes together at their fingertips.

Useful introduction....

I am currently using this as my primary text in a writing class. The students respond well to the authors' consistently upbeat tone, and variety of suggestions for writing (titled 'ways in' at the end of each chapter). There could be some better integration between the instructional part and the rather slim anthology, but on the other hand, the anthology section of any textbook dates it rather quickly, and it's often useful to share with students other samples of fiction chosed by different taste (mine) rather than the authors'. There are plenty of tools for generating writing ideas, and the workshop chapter (chapter six) is one of the most useful I've seen in any writing textbook--instead of just giving warnings about being nice and supportive, they offer a four-round response session which my students have responded to very positively, and a checklist of 20 things to look for or consider in improving a piece. My only criticism is not really of the book, but of the textbook's companion website. It's difficult to navigate for students, doesn't offer that much, and offers only locked pdfs--what if I want to print out a copy for myself (the professor) to jot a few notes on? Can't do it.