Author

Kim Cross

@KimHCross

Kim Cross a full-time freelance writer and author of "What Stands in a Storm," a New York Times best-selling account of the biggest tornado outbreak on record. She loves meticulously reported literary nonfiction and discovering narrative craft in unexpected places.

Passing the torch of the creative nonfiction movement

Passing the torch of the creative nonfiction movement

Narrative journalism guru Lee Gutkind sunsets his seminal magazine and launches a partnership with Narratively
November 27, 2024
How a freelancer's story instincts landed a piece in The New York Times

How a freelancer’s story instincts landed a piece in The New York Times

Erika Hayasaki found characters, scenes and themes in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires that she couldn't set aside despite multiple rejections
September 19, 2024
Reporting beyond shame and blame, secrets and stereotypes

Reporting beyond shame and blame, secrets and stereotypes

Esquire's Mark Warren immersed himself in evangelical Alabama to find the pain and grace behind a beloved pastor's suicideKim Cross
August 8, 2024
The art of the narrative interview: Filling in scenic details

The art of the narrative interview: Filling in scenic details

A last phase of interviewing is to gather the details that create cinematic scenes written with a distinct POV and camera lens
July 25, 2024
The art of the narrative interview: Sequencing your story

The art of the narrative interview: Sequencing your story

A matrix of spreadsheets and physical calendars can help a writer organize notes, track scenes and visualize a story timeline
July 24, 2024
The art of the narrative interview: Finding the story's arc

The art of the narrative interview: Finding the story’s arc

To gather the goods for a successful narrative, a central focus of interviewing needs to track the journey of situation or event
July 19, 2024
The art of the narrative interview: Pre-interviewing for a successful pitch

The art of the narrative interview: Pre-interviewing for a successful pitch

A narrative journalist and nonfiction author shares how she pre-reports to find a viable story and a compelling central character
July 18, 2024
A spotlight on the art of the interview

A spotlight on the art of the interview

Nonfiction journalist, author and teacher Kim Cross explores the techiniques she uses in interviewing for narrative stories
July 16, 2024
The backstory of a book of backstories about stories 

The backstory of a book of backstories about stories 

Some masters of narrative nonfiction collaborate to publish an anthology of current classics started by their late friend, Matt Tullis
June 14, 2024
A first-time war correspondent finds human stories in a devastated Ukraine

A first-time war correspondent finds human stories in a devastated Ukraine

Washington Post reporter Lizzie Johnson volunteered for a Christmas-month rotation in Ukraine, where she filed intimate narratives as well as news
February 21, 2024