Style and Story
eBook - ePub

Style and Story

Literary Methods for Writing Nonfiction

  1. English
  2. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Style and Story

Literary Methods for Writing Nonfiction

About this book

There are two basic rules for writing nonfiction, says historian and award-­winning author Stephen J. Pyne. Rule 1: You can't make stuff up. Rule 2: You can't leave out known stuff that affects our understanding. Follow these rules, and you are writing nonfiction. Writing for different audiences and genres will require further guidelines. But all readers expect that style and story (or more broadly, theme) will complement one another.

Style and Story is for those who wish to craft nonfiction texts that do more than simply relay facts and arguments. Pyne explains how writers can employ literary tools and strategies to have art and craft add value to their theme. With advice gleaned from nearly a dozen years of teaching writing to graduate students, Pyne offers pragmatic guidance on how to create powerful nonfiction, whether for an academic or popular audience.

Each chapter offers samples that span genres, showcasing the best kinds of nonfiction writing. Pyne analyzes these examples that will help writers understand how they can improve their nonfiction through their choice of voice, words, structure, metaphors, and narrative. Pyne builds on his previous guide, Voice and Vision, expanding the range of topics to include openings and closings, humor and satire, historical writing, setting scenes, writing about technical matters and deep details, long and short narration, reading for craft, and thoughts on writing generally. He also includes in this volume a set of exercises to practice writing techniques.

Style and Story will be treasured by anyone, whether novice or expert, who seeks guidance to improve the power of their nonfiction writing.

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Yes, you can access Style and Story by Stephen J. Pyne in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Languages & Linguistics & Historiography. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Preface
  7. 1. Openings . . .
  8. 2. Resetting the Scene
  9. Interlude: Every Day’s a Burn Day
  10. 3. Words on Words
  11. 4. The Poisonous Passive
  12. Interlude: The Imitative Fallacy
  13. 5. Make ’Em Laugh, Make ’Em Laugh
  14. 6. Deep Details, Thick Descriptions
  15. Interlude: Learning How to Write by Learning How to Read
  16. 7. More Than Words Can Say: Short Narration
  17. 8. More Than Words Can Say: Long Narration
  18. Interlude: Nonfiction as Literature
  19. 9.  . . . and Closings
  20. Writing Exercises
  21. Notes
  22. Index