Creative Nonfiction Writing
How to Write a Eulogy When the Need Arises
While plenty of eulogies are delivered by a clergy member, the perspective provided by a close friend or family member can retell cherished memories of the deceased. If you find yourself needing to pen one, let this advice by Paul Vachon guide you.
How to Approach Friends and Family About Your Memoir
No one can decide whether showing your memoir to loved ones before it goes to press is the right choice for you. However, if you're planning to approach your friends and family about it, let memoirist Ronit Plank give you 3 tips for doing so.
Finding Your Nonfiction Writing Niche and Understanding Why This Is So Important
Why specialize? It's a question many nonfiction authors face. Author Rick Lauber explains how focusing in on one subject can help your writing create a bigger impact—and even widen your audience.
6 Essentials for Writing Flash Fiction and Nonfiction
Author and editor Gina Barreca gives her top 6 tips for writing striking flash fiction and short short nonfiction.
Bonnie Marcus: On Being Vulnerable in Nonfiction
Award-winning entrepreneur and executive coach Bonnie Marcus shares what it was like to write her prescriptive nonfiction book Not Done Yet.
Eat Your Words: Your 8-Point Checklist for Writing Original Recipes
Food writer, cook, and committed vegan Peggy Brusseau explains how you can craft a cookbook that engages your reader and stands out from the crowd.
Dinty W. Moore: Poking Fun at Hell and Dante's Inferno
In this post, Dinty W. Moore shares what inspired his most recent book To Hell With It, what lesson it taught him, why writers should have fun with their writing, and more!
Nuggets of Humor
Bestselling humor author Samantha Irby talks about her writing process and finding funny topics for essays.
6 Tools for Writing Nonfiction That Breathes
Nonfiction author Liz Heinecke gives her top 6 tips for crafting a nonfiction book that will really capture your subject.
Liz Heinecke: On Writing Creative Nonfiction
Nonfiction author Liz Heinecke explores her journey from writing books for children to a more general audience and the journey to write her latest book Radiant.
Peter Vronsky: When History Is More Bizarre Than Fiction
Historical nonfiction author Peter Vronsky shares what surprises him about writing true crime books and how he negotiates titles with his publisher.
Charles Vidich: The Timeliness of Nonfiction
Author and public health expert Charles Vidich shares how his latest book changed due to reviewer's notes and why he submitted his manuscript during the 2020 pandemic.
Todd Stottlemyre: On Mixing and Bending Genres
Author Todd Stottlemyre explains how he combined fiction and nonfiction in his latest book and what it meant as a writer to share his personal experiences.
Mark Henick: On Memory, Healing, and Languishing Projects
Author Mark Henick shares how he was able to turn a successful TEDx talk into a memoir, even when the project didn't come as quickly as he expected.
Lily Dulan: Kindness, Alignment, Regeneration, and Action
Nonfiction author Lily Dulan shares how her personal experience with grief led her to help others and what her biggest back-and-forth with her publisher was.
Darien Hsu Gee: Making the Most Out of Micro
Author and essayist Darien Hsu Gee explores the intricacies of crafting micro essays and a faster-than-usual publication process for her newest collection of work.
Johanna Garton: The Intersection of Mountaineering and Crossed Paths and Lives
Author Johanna Garton shares her experience of taking and finishing a story her journalist mother started a decade before her about mountaineer Christine Boskoff, who disappeared while climbing in China in 2006.
The “Secret Sauce” Necessary to Succeed at a 30-Day Writing Challenge
In this article, author and writing coach Nina Amir lays out her top tips to master your mindset and complete a 30-day writing challenge.
Using Literary Techniques in Narrative Journalism
In this article, author Dustin Grinnell examines Jon Franklin’s award-winning article Mrs. Kelly’s Monster to help writers master the use of literary techniques in narrative journalism.
Lee Gutkind: The Godfather Behind Creative Nonfiction Takes on Memoir for the First Time
Dubbed the "Godfather behind creative nonfiction" by Vanity Fair Magazine, Lee Gutkind shares his first experience with memoir, what makes it different than his previous books, what writers can't take back, and more!
Trauma: What Happens When We Put It On the Page?
Writing the story of her assault wasn't easy for Karen Stefano. The author shares her experience writing about trauma, including how she found the strength to put it all on the page, the inevitable ups and downs, and the self-care needed in between.
How I Interviewed a Serial Killer and Stayed Sane
Talking to a serial killer for research, Dr. Aysha Akhtar, MD, MPH, reveals the planning that went into her interviews and how she stayed sane through the process.
Nothing Is Fiction
Former journalist and award-winning author Fred Waitzkin made the leap from nonfiction to fiction by accepting that nothing is fiction—everything is inspired by his real-life experience.
The WD Interview: Susan Orlean on The Library Book and Finding the Red-Hot Center of the Story
Susan Orlean talks to WD about the challenges of researching and writing The Library Book, and how libraries are meeting the needs of 21st century patrons.