Nieman Storyboard - Nieman Storyboard

Strictly Q&A

How the team behind the ‘American Shrapnel’ podcast helped their sources feel safe

As a reporting team revisited a series of bombings across the South in the 1990s, fears of political backlash remained prevalent

Minda Honey

Podcast

Sasha Bonét on ‘leaving room for the story to shape itself’ and how a family home can become a character

The writer and cultural critic breaks down her approach on interviewing, research, and story structure for her memoir, “The Waterbearers”

Christina M. Tapper

Podcast

National Book Award finalist Claudia Rowe on writing about teens and the foster care system

The author of ‘Wards of the State’ on preparing sources to be part of a book and covering the foster care system-to-incarceration pipeline

Marina Leigh

Story Craft

Behind the Scenes: Burkhard Bilger weaves humor and history into a story about teeth for The New Yorker

The New Yorker staff writer shares his own dental history to tell a story about America’s ailing health care system

Tricia Romano

Nieman Storyboard’s guides on storytelling

Story Craft

The art of pitching: How to sell your book or story idea

Editors from The Atavist, Wired, and more share what they’re looking for in a story or book proposal.

Story Craft

How to craft a narrative: Everything you need to know

A four-part series on the key elements of nonfiction storytelling, including scene, character and endings.

Lauren Kessler

Story Craft

The Nieman Storyboard guide to books on storytelling

Journalists, authors, producers, filmmakers, and Nieman Storyboard readers share more than 40 books that inspire their work.

Mallary Tenore Tarpley

Story Craft

How to interview for narrative vs. news

From broad and open-ended to narrow and specific: Journalist Kim Cross’s five-part series on interviewing for narrative nonfiction.

Kim Cross

Strictly Q&A

Story Craft Strictly Q&A

How the team behind the ‘American Shrapnel’ podcast helped their sources feel safe

As a reporting team revisited a series of bombings across the South in the 1990s, fears of political backlash remained prevalent

Minda Honey

Podcast Strictly Q&A

Sasha Bonét on ‘leaving room for the story to shape itself’ and how a family home can become a character

The writer and cultural critic breaks down her approach on interviewing, research, and story structure for her memoir, “The Waterbearers”

Christina M. Tapper

Podcast Strictly Q&A

Story Annotations

Behind the Scenes: Bloomberg examines a private detention center and a town 'Addicted to ICE'

Rachel Adams-Heard, Polly Mosendz, and Fola Akinnibi looked at local government agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain immigrants in New Mexico

Mark Armstrong

Story Annotations

A profile of a newspaper press becomes a requiem for an era

Los Angeles Times veteran Thomas Curwen found professionalism and pride in the last Friday night run of the newspaper's storied presses

Trevor Pyle

Story Annotations

Finding a quiet voice in the center of America’s screaming immigration debate

The Washington Post's Ruby Cramer profiled a small-city selectman caught in the crossfire of fear, anger and blame over asylum seekers

Trevor Pyle

Story Craft

From the Editor

The art of listening

Sasha Bonét on structuring a memoir. Plus: Pamela Colloff on getting unstuck, European Press Prize, and more

Mark Armstrong

From the Editor

How we reveal our character

Scenes from an election week. Plus: Selling a book proposal and the value of a ‘flop’

Mark Armstrong

From the Editor

Storytelling with humility (and teeth)

The New Yorker's Burkhard Bilger goes to ‘Molar City.’ Plus: Dana Hedgpeth on history’s lessons, and a tribute to a beloved Los Angeles Times mentor

Mark Armstrong

How the team behind the ‘American Shrapnel’ podcast helped their sources feel safe

Sasha Bonét on ‘leaving room for the story to shape itself’ and how a family home can become a character

National Book Award finalist Claudia Rowe on writing about teens and the foster care system

Behind the Scenes: Burkhard Bilger weaves humor and history into a story about teeth for The New Yorker

Nieman Storyboard’s guides on storytelling

The art of pitching: How to sell your book or story idea

How to craft a narrative: Everything you need to know