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Writing Creative Nonfiction cover art

Writing Creative Nonfiction

By: Tilar J J. Mazzeo, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Tilar J J. Mazzeo
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Publisher's Summary

Bringing together the imaginative strategies of fiction storytelling and new ways of narrating true, real-life events, creative nonfiction is the fastest-growing part of the creative writing world. It's a cutting-edge genre that's reshaping how we write (and read) everything from biographies and memoirs to blogs and public speaking scripts to personal essays and magazine articles.

Whether you're looking to launch into a new professional career as a creative nonfiction writer, dabble in the genre as a pastime, start a personal blog, or simply get inside the mind of a creative nonfiction writer at work, these dynamic 24 lectures are a chance for you to explore the entire process of writing creative nonfiction, from brainstorming for the perfect idea to getting your final product noticed by literary agents and publishers.

Filled with helpful tips and techniques, memorable examples from well-known writers, and engaging exercises, it's a learning experience that proves that - with the right instructor - writing creative nonfiction can be mastered, practiced, and enjoyed by anyone with a desire to share his or her personal story. Professor Mazzeo guides you through

  • the fundamental concepts such as narrative arcs, captivating beginnings, sentence variation, perspective, characterization, dialogue, and metaphor;
  • each stage of writing creative nonfiction, from researching your topic to revising your first draft; and
  • the publishing process, from finding an agent to writing a successful book proposal.

You'll come away with the knowledge, tools, and, most important, inspiration you need to discover your stories and finally start telling them the right way.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2012 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2012 The Great Courses

What listeners say about Writing Creative Nonfiction

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  • Overall
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Original and informative

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, typical of "The Great Courses"....this is brilliant.

What did you like best about this story?

Well researched. Well read. Original work that CONTRIBUATES to the genre.

What about Professor Tilar J J. Mazzeo University of Washington Ph.D’s performance did you like?

Well spoken, easy to understand.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Just very well researched and read.

Any additional comments?

Highly recommend to writers of ALL genres.

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2 people found this helpful

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Must read for Novelists and other Curious writers

Had no idea that Creative Nonfiction was a thing.. I'm glad this was here to spell it out thoroughly...

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Practical and Informative

Very good practical advice on how to write non fiction in an interesting way. Lots of great ideas and exercises to improve your writing skills and research

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2 people found this helpful

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a clear and inspiring guide to writing

this excellent book conveys ample valuable information in a constructive and engaging style that kept me listening for more

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

In-depth coverage of storytelling techniques

This course gives a thorough overview of storytelling techniques. Most is equally applicable to fiction and creative non-fiction.

For non-fiction specific content, there is some discussion of the non-fiction contract (not making anything up if you're marketing your work as non-fiction) throughout, one section on research, some discussion of where you might find sources for dialogue (since in non-fiction you have to source all dialogue), and how to approach agents (i.e. with a book proposal rather than a finished manuscript as you would as a fiction writer).

The majority of the course really is generally applicable to all novel writing though. Most of the examples used are from fiction books. This is not to say it's a bad course, but something to be aware of. The beginning of the course is accordingly basic in terms of fundamental storytelling techniques (show don't tell, etc) but then progresses to some more complex parts of the process. If you have done other writing courses then you'll be covering a lot of the same ground. If you are starting from scratch then this will be perfect.

I found the narration too slow for me but at 1.25 speed it was fine.

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One of the best things I’ve ever listened to

This course is so well thought out and presented, full to the brim with practical content and advice. I’ll be going back over the workbook to tease everything out! Inspiring and instructive, thank you.

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helpful, insightful, challenging.

Narrator a bit annoying voice time inflection, though still helpful. overall the book was helpful, insightful and challenging.

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