Search results for “writing the book”

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The Fastest Man on Earth

This is an excerpt from “The Guinea Pig Doctors,” a book by Jon Franklin and John Sutherland about eight doctors who experimented on themselves in pursuit of knowledge. In this…

Voice and Meaning

[Editor’s note: This essay first appeared on transom.org, “a showcase and resource for new public radio.”] Dear Transomistas, It was daunting to have Jay Allison’s invitation to be a guest…

What’s Left Behind

This piece is a good example of how to write about emotional topics without mawkishness or sentimentality. A woman has lost her husband; she must now face the challenges of…

The Heart Attack Beat

For an ambitious young reporter who loved writing stories, it sounded like the assignment of a lifetime. My editor, Joel Rawson, wanted daily narratives for the front page of The…

First Person Singular: It's not just about you

Getting stuck next to a compulsive talker is one of the worst things that can happen at a dinner party or on a long bus ride. Even worse: the self-centered…

Stories Are Everywhere

There are stories everywhere. Any idea could probably be a story if you had enough time and stamina, but I try to expedite the process a bit.I read whatever I…

Enrique’s Journey

Nazario’s reporting for this series was remarkable. She followed Enrique for part of his journey—from the U.S.-Mexican border to North Carolina—and reconstructed the rest. As part of her research into…

For Ailing Twins’ Parents, Hope Vies With Anguish

This piece is beautifully, closely reported: We admired the scene, for example, in which baby Nick’s heart rate calms as his father caresses and talks to him. This is wonderful,…

After the Fire

This piece is the work of a fine storyteller. We admire Fisher’s purposeful movement from one development to another while covering a slew of characters—often probingly, always with sensitivity and…

14 Tips for Building Character

This essay is adapted from Rick Meyer’s notes for a talk at the 2005 Nieman Narrative Editors’ Seminar. Rick’s presentation was paired with Laurie Hertzel’s talk on scenes. We probably ought…