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You Can't Make This Stuff Up

The Complete Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction--from Memoir to Literary Journalism and Everything in Between
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( 1,043 ratings, 136 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
You Can't Make This Stuff Up by Lee Gutkind is a comprehensive guide to the creative nonfiction genre, one of the fastest-growing and most engaging literary forms. Gutkind offers clear, frank advice on everything from defining the genre, developing a writing process, to crafting the final product. The book provides writers of all skill levels with new perspectives and practical tools to expand and stylise their work in nonfiction storytelling.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$3999
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This guide is ideal for aspiring and experienced writers, memoirists, journalists, and educators seeking a fresh, insightful approach to creative nonfiction. It suits readers who want to learn about ethical storytelling, develop their nonfiction voice, and expand their writing skills.

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From the "Godfather behind Creative Nonfiction" (Vanity Fair) and founder and editor of Creative Nonfiction Magazine: a how-to guide for every aspect of creative nonfiction

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

From rags-to-riches-to-rags tell-alls to personal health sagas to literary journalism, everyone seems to want to try their hand at creative nonfiction. Now, Lee Gutkind, the go-to expert for all things creative nonfiction, taps into one of the fastest-growing genres with this new writing guide.

Frank and to-the-point, with depth and clarity, Gutkind describes and illustrates each and every aspect of the genre, from defining a concept and establishing a writing process to the final product. Offering new ways of understanding genre and invaluable tools for writers to learn and experiment with, You Can't Make This Stuff Up allows writers of all skill levels to thoroughly expand and stylise their work.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Critics praise this book as essential for writers interested in creative nonfiction. It is described as instructive, inspiring, and engaging, blending true stories effectively while addressing ethical and practical challenges in the genre. Reviewers recommend it for students, teachers, memoirists, journalists, and anyone keen on understanding or writing creative nonfiction. It has been called a valuable addition to any writer's library.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780738215549

Publisher: Hachette Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 14 August 2012

Country: United States

Imprint: Da Capo Lifelong

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 155.0mm

Height: 228.0mm

Weight: 370g

Pages: 288

About the Author

Lee Gutkind is the award-winning author of ten books, editor of ten anthologies, and founder of the first MFA creative nonfiction program at the University of Pittsburgh. He is currently a writer in residence at Arizona State University.

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    An account of the emergence of creative nonfiction, written by the "godfather" of the genre. "When [Gutkind] stops to look back on his own evolving perspective . . . [and] reflects upon his writing career, the choices he made . . . he puts himself, and us, right back in the momentβ€”and the results are vivid, ambiguous, emotionally resonant, fascinating."β€”Lucas...
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  • The Fine Art of Literary Fist-Fighting
    The Fine Art of Literary Fist-Fighting is an account of the emergence of creative nonfiction, written by the β€œgodfather” of the genre, Lee Gutkind. In the 1970s, Lee Gutkind, a leather-clad hippie motorcyclist and former public relations writer, fought his way into the academy. Then he took on his colleagues. His goal: to make creative nonfiction an accepted academic discipline,...
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