Martha Nichols

First-Person Journalism (eBook, PDF)

A Guide to Writing Personal Nonfiction with Real Impact

• Format: PDF

Produktbeschreibung

A first-of-its-kind guide for new media times, this book provides practical, step-by-step instructions for writing first-person features, essays, and digital content.

Combining journalism techniques with self-exploration and personal storytelling, First-Person Journalism is designed to help writers to develop their personal voice and establish a narrative stance. The book introduces nine elements of first-person journalism-passion, self-reporting, stance, observation, attribution, counterpoints, time travel, the mix, and impact. Two introductory chapters define first-person journalism and its value in building trust with a public now skeptical of traditional news media. The nine practice chapters that follow each focus on one first-person element, presenting a sequence of "voice lessons" with a culminating writing assignment, such as a personal trend story or an open letter. Examples are drawn from diverse nonfiction writers and journalists, including Ta-Nehisi Coates, Joan Didion, Helen Garner, Alex Tizon, and James Baldwin. Together, the book provides a fresh look at the craft of nonfiction, offering much-needed advice on writing with style, authority, and a unique point of view.

Written with a knowledge of the rapidly changing digital media environment, First-Person Journalism is a key text for journalism and media students interested in personal nonfiction, as well as for early-career nonfiction writers looking to develop this narrative form.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Taylor & Francis eBooks
• Seitenzahl: 210
• Erscheinungstermin: 11. November 2021
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781000474985
• Artikelnr.: 62709929

Autorenporträt

Martha Nichols cofounded Talking Writing, a nonprofit digital magazine. A longtime writer, journalist, and editor, she is a faculty instructor in journalism at the Harvard University Extension School. She is also the editor of and a contributor to Into Sanity: Essays About Mental Health, Mental Illness, and Living in Between.

Inhaltsangabe

Contents
Preface: Personal Journalism for Challenging Times
PART ONE: What Is First-Person Journalism?
Chapter 1: How I Became a First-Person Journalist
* Defining first-person journalism
* Permission to say "I"
* Is it ever too personal?
* Self-reporting: "What do I know?"
* How to use this book
* Why gonzo got it wrong-and right
Chapter 2: The Ethics of Personal Reporting
* He said, she said
* The limits of objectivity
* Liars, thieves, and postmodernists
* Fictional selves versus true selves
* Embracing the active "I"
PART TWO: Developing an Active "I" Voice
Chapter 3: Locating Your Passion: What do I want to write about?
* Don't bore yourself
* Don't perform your emotions
* Don't scream at readers
* Cultivating curiosity: passion for facts
* Responding to the world
* Personal story: write about a "wart"
Chapter 4: Investigating Yourself: How do I know my own story is true?
* Why memories are not facts
* Fact checking the basics
* Fact checking with family and friends
* Reporting on your "I"
* Reporting on what you haven't said
* Admitting what you'll never know
* Memory essay: write about an early memory
* Sample story: "Hurricane Warnings"
Chapter 5: Establishing Your Stance: How close am I to the story?
* From POV to first-person stance
* Determining your emotional distance
* Personal example: reining in myself
* Addressing readers: five stances
* Rethinking voice: active response
* Review: your personal take on a media work
PART THREE: Reporting Beyond the Self
Chapter 6: Observing Real Life: How do I describe people and places?
* Relevance versus vagueness
* Three kinds of details
* Conveying the feel of a place
* Reporting what people do and say
* Direct reporting of events
* The art of capsule description
* Local profile: write about a neighborhood place
Chapter 7: Attributing Sources: Where do my facts come from?
* What is attribution?
* Sources in first-person features
* Attribution tags and linking
* Danger! Avoid voice hijacks
* The curse of knowledge
* How-to piece: explain with three tips
Chapter 8: Convincing Readers: What's my argument and who disagrees?
* The curse of unconscious feeling
* Point-counterpoint
* Not all experts are the same
* Establishing first-person authority
* Open letter: address a public figure or topic
PART FOUR: Storytelling to Make an Impact
Chapter 9: Moving Through Time: How have I and the world changed?
* Sequence: what comes first?
* Chronology: orienting readers in time
* Time machine: shifting between past and present selves
* Trends: personal and cultural
* Personal trend story: write about changes in food, music, or weather
Chapter 10: Organizing a Story: How do I mix everything together?
* What's in the mix?
* Classic feature formula: lead + nut graf
* Scene breaks and dramatic tension
* Essays: emotional journeys
* New mix: feature or essay?
* Sample outline: "Why I'll Never Surf Again"
Chapter 11: Revising for Impact: What do I really want to say?
* Test your idea: pitching
* Focus your idea: taglines
* Focus your voice: cutting and selecting
* Connect to the world: your impact
* Story revision: complete a feature or essay
* Impact Plan: how do you know?
End Note: Witnessing the World with Empathy
25 Rules for First-Person Journalism
Index