Nieman Storyboard - Nieman Storyboard

Story Annotations

Yiyun Li reconsiders the language of loss in her Pulitzer-winning memoir, ‘Things in Nature Merely Grow’

The acclaimed author discusses how words like “grief” fail when writing about the loss of her teenage son James

Mallary Tenore Tarpley

Podcast

Journalist Shoshana Walter on telling stories of addiction and recovery

The Pulitzer finalist and author of “Rehab: An American Scandal” talks about how she approaches human stories that spotlight injustice

Marina Leigh

Podcast

Pulitzer winner Ken Armstrong on the importance of storytelling in investigative journalism

The senior editor for Bloomberg News shares lessons on collaborating with large reporting teams and experimenting with new forms for the Pulitzer-winning story “TrAPPed”

Mark Armstrong

Podcast

How Pamela Colloff wrote her first book, about a con artist turned jailhouse informant

The award-winning journalist discusses her new book, ‘Catch the Devil,’ for the Season Two premiere of the Nieman Storyboard podcast

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

Podcast Strictly Q&A

Audio journalist Will James on investigating the unsolved murder of a teenager in Seattle's CHOP zone

The podcast producer on collaborating across newsrooms and finding the big idea within a story

Marina Leigh

Podcast Strictly Q&A

Journalist Shoshana Walter on telling stories of addiction and recovery

The Pulitzer finalist and author of “Rehab: An American Scandal” talks about how she approaches human stories that spotlight injustice

Marina Leigh

Podcast Strictly Q&A

Story Annotations

Song Annotation: ‘Cold Missouri Waters’

In a song about a wildfire, songwriter James Keelaghan narrates a story that took Norman Maclean a whole book to tell

Kim Cross

Story Annotations

Annotation: The award-winning book proposal that became Lorraine Boissoneault's ‘Body Weather’

Boissoneault, whose proposal won the J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award in 2024, breaks down how she wrote it

Erika Hayasaki

Story Annotations

Annotation: Rachel Aviv on reporting and writing her Pulitzer finalist story about a schizophrenia diagnosis

The New Yorker staff writer talks about finding the right story structure and working with a family to access medical records and journals

Mallary Tenore Tarpley

Story Craft

How 5 journalists structured their stories to hook readers

From the Editor

‘There is no good way to say this’

Author Yiyun Li reconsiders the language of loss. Plus: Drawing the line on ethical AI use

Mark Armstrong

From the Editor

Navigating power and trust as a journalist

Shoshana Walter on writing about addiction and recovery. Plus: a visit to Portland's only magazine stand

Mark Armstrong

From the Editor

Mastering brevity in storytelling and songwriting

The making of "Cold Missouri Waters," and your favorite stories in song

Mark Armstrong

Yiyun Li reconsiders the language of loss in her Pulitzer-winning memoir, ‘Things in Nature Merely Grow’

Journalist Shoshana Walter on telling stories of addiction and recovery

Pulitzer winner Ken Armstrong on the importance of storytelling in investigative journalism

How Pamela Colloff wrote her first book, about a con artist turned jailhouse informant

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