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Summary

Bringing together the imaginative strategies of fiction storytelling and new ways of narrating true, real-life events, creative nonfiction is the fastest-growing part of the creative writing world. It's a cutting-edge genre that's reshaping how we write (and read) everything from biographies and memoirs to blogs and public speaking scripts to personal essays and magazine articles.

Whether you're looking to launch into a new professional career as a creative nonfiction writer, dabble in the genre as a pastime, start a personal blog, or simply get inside the mind of a creative nonfiction writer at work, these dynamic 24 lectures are a chance for you to explore the entire process of writing creative nonfiction, from brainstorming for the perfect idea to getting your final product noticed by literary agents and publishers.

Filled with helpful tips and techniques, memorable examples from well-known writers, and engaging exercises, it's a learning experience that proves that - with the right instructor - writing creative nonfiction can be mastered, practiced, and enjoyed by anyone with a desire to share his or her personal story. Professor Mazzeo guides you through

  • the fundamental concepts such as narrative arcs, captivating beginnings, sentence variation, perspective, characterization, dialogue, and metaphor;
  • each stage of writing creative nonfiction, from researching your topic to revising your first draft; and
  • the publishing process, from finding an agent to writing a successful book proposal.

You'll come away with the knowledge, tools, and, most important, inspiration you need to discover your stories and finally start telling them the right way.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2012 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2012 The Great Courses

What listeners say about Writing Creative Nonfiction

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely outstanding resource!

Would you consider the audio edition of Writing Creative Nonfiction to be better than the print version?

I bought the Audible version because I live in Asia--so I can't compare the two yet--but eventually I will have the CD set (there is no print or Kindle version) shipped from Amazon or eBay. This has been an amazing resource to me "as is", however.

What other book might you compare Writing Creative Nonfiction to, and why?

There are perhaps 20 books on writing on my bookshelf, and another half dozen on my Kindle reader. It's difficult to compare this audio course to any of the books because it's offered my so much more--and in such an engaging way--than any one of those books, or probably than any ten of them put together.

What does Professor Tilar J J. Mazzeo bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Professor Mazzeo sets off to teach the writing of creative non-fiction--the rules, the guidelines, the whys and wherefores, why it's different than fiction, and so on--and along the way she interjects lessons on grammar sentence structure, story arcs, rhetorical devices, plot, and much more--so that the book becomes a very comprehensive writing lesson, whatever you set out to write, and in a friendly, easy-going style that's very compelling.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I earned my living as a mostly technical author for a couple of decades, then made the switch to fiction--not always an easy transition and, it turns out, most of what I'm writing now is truly (almost) creative NON fiction (insight: now I know how to make it truly so!) Hence the interest and why I purchased this audio book. Do I want to write fiction, or creative non-fiction, or some of each? The good Professor is helping me sort my planned projects into categories.

Any additional comments?

At the moment, I'm about 85% of the way through the course's twenty-four lessons. I've listened to some of them more than once. I sometimes stop and do the exercises, and sometimes just carry on, knowing I'll go back again and again for a refresher or to try something out. I can't recall ever having a "training audio" that made me look so forward to going back and settling down with a cup of tea, notepad and pen for the next lesson.For anyone considering writing creative non-fiction, or intrigued to learn more about it, I can't recommend Professor Mazzeo's work highly enough. Definitely two thumbs up for this product!

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Useful and inspiring

Easy to listen and full of useful tips, rooted in experience. At times I felt she could have focused more on non-fiction and used fewer examples from fiction but this was a minor quibble.

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    4 out of 5 stars

pretty informative with depth in key areas

This was a helpful course detailing the experience of the readers teaching skills. certainly worth a listen

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excellent

I found this book to be really inspiring, helpful and motivational. It has given me loads of great tips and understanding. I feel ready to put pen to paper on a daily basis and write ✍.

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