Writing True Stories

The complete guide to writing autobiography, memoir, personal essay, biography, travel and creative nonfiction

Patti Miller

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2023
• eBook ISBN:
  9781000938548
• Print ISBN:
  9780367720186
• Subtopic: Social Science Biographies

Writing True Stories is the essential book for anyone who has ever wanted to write a memoir or explore the wider territory of creative nonfiction. It provides practical guidance and inspiration on a vast array of writing topics, including how to access memories, find a narrative voice, build a vivid world on the page, create structure, use research-and face the difficulties of truth-telling.

This book introduces and develops key writing skills, and then challenges more experienced writers to extend their knowledge and practice of the genre into literary nonfiction, true crime, biography, the personal essay, and travel and sojourn writing. Whether you want to write your own autobiography, investigate a wide-ranging political issue or bring to life an intriguing history, this book will be your guide.

Writing True Stories is practical and easy to use as well as an encouraging and insightful companion on the writing journey. Written in a warm, clear and engaging style, it will get you started on the story you want to write-and keep you going until you reach the end.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Epigraph
• By the same author
• Contents
• Dedication
• Prologue
• Part One: Starting Out
• 1 Exploring the territory
• 2 How to use this book
• 3 Workshop One: Getting started
• 4 Workshop Two: Memory and other sources
• 5 Workshop Three: Bringing it to life—Detail
• 6 Workshop Four: Bringing it to life—Scenes
• 7 Workshop Five: Finding your voice
• 8 Workshop Six: Structure
• 9 Workshop Seven: Inventing the story—Narrative
• 10 Workshop Eight: Style matters and editing
• Part Two: Masterclasses
• 11 Workshop Nine: Midway blues—Continuing on
• 12 Workshop Ten: Madeleines and unicorns—Sensory detail
• 13 Workshop Eleven: Research
• 14 Workshop Twelve: The storyteller's seat—Narrating position
• 15 Workshop Thirteen: Beauty of form—More structure
• 16 Workshop Fourteen: The magic spell—More narrative
• 17 Workshop Fifteen: Difficulties of truth-telling
• 18 Workshop Sixteen: Avoiding self-indulgence
• 19 Workshop Seventeen: Borderlands—Memoir and fiction
• 20 Workshop Eighteen: Creative nonfiction
• 21 Workshop Nineteen: Wish you were here—Travel memoir
• 22 Workshop Twenty: Random provocations—The personal essay
• 23 Where to now?—Publishing
• Reading list
• Useful contacts
• Acknowledgements
• Index